Intel re-branding hints at the end of “Single CPU� Macs
Posted by Helper Monkey
What’s in a name? Would a Conroe chip by any other name not run as hot? Well, we are about to find out. This morning Intel announced a new name for its upcoming round of processors. The chips, formerly known as Conroe (for desktops) and Merom (for notebooks) have now been re-branded under the single family name of “Core 2 Duo� chips.
Despite this streamlined naming scheme, Intel still plans to confuse us with the chip’s REAL names. Both lines of chips will be named with letters and numbers; letters representing the power consumption of the chip, followed by either even-leading numbers (like 4000 and 6000) for the former Merom laptop chips, or odd-leading numbers (like 5000 and 7000) for the former Conroe desktop chips.
So what does this mean for Mac users?
Intel’s current chips are currently called Core Duo and Core Solo to indicate the number of cores each chip has. So, now that the entire upcoming lineup seems to be falling into a “Duo� branded moniker, shall we assume this is the end of single-core computing on the Mac? I would certainly think so. I doubt Intel plans to release an “Intel Core 2 Duo Solo� anytime soon, despite their preference for confusing names. While the Core Solo is likely to last another r6 months or so in Mac mini’s and the upcoming MacBook, it would appear the days of “single processor computing� are numbered at Apple.
If there is one thing Mac users love to do, it is post on forums about how they are waiting for the next big thing before buying anything from Apple. The new MacBooks have not even been formerly announced (although there are rumors we could see the Core Solo machines as early as tomorrow) yet there are already some who are saying they will hold off on buying a new MacBook until it has a Duo processor in it. Well, that logic is never wise, and honestly, a MacBook is not likely to get the Core 2 Duo for a long time. Odds are Apple will eventually put a regular old Core Duo in the MacBooks, but not until the Core 2 Duos have been firmly established in the MacBook Pros, and shown considerably performance gains over the current Core Duo.
Actually, I believe that Intel has already announced a single core variant of the next Core processor. Thus, it is likely that we’ll see a Core 2 Solo which could be used in low-end desktops and laptops. The Core 2 Solo will likely be used in the next Mac mini and the next revision of the coming Mac Book.
The truth is that the existing Core Solo is just a Core Duo with one of its cores disabled. The Core 2 Solo will be a true single core processor and thus will be significantly less expensive to manufacture that today’s Core Solo.
Really?
the solo is a disabled duo?
That should almost make the cost of a solo MORE than a duo.
Why would they do that?
Marketing I guess.
But if I was a computer company, I think I would be pissed. Why charge me less for a Solo that cost you as much to make as a Duo?
What hints at the end of Single CPUs on the Mac to me is more the rumors of Leopard’s requirements.
I think it is gonna need 2 cores to work “well” from what I’m reading.
So I anticipate an all-duo lineup by the end of the year, MacBooks and mini’s included.
Billy B, the Solo isn’t just a disabled Duo, it’s a Duo where one of the processors failed during testing. If they didn’t have the ability to “disable” the failed proc, they’d have had to throw the entire thing away.
If their customers order too many Solos Intel will have to start disabling working processors, but since it’s a fairly new part I’m guessing yields aren’t good enough for that to be happening yet… And when it does happen their Duo prices will probably drop anyway.
Thanks Mr. Know-it-all.
Not sure I like the idea of having a “broken” chip in my machiine, but at least the cost difference makes sense.
It seems to me that a Core Solo taken from the Core Duo chips where one core failed final testing might be cheaper than making a dedicated Core Solo. If one core fails after assembly, you can either throw it out or use it as a single core. Didn’t the Celeron processors come about with a similar situation regarding the cache?
On those current Duos/Solos..
Does it matetr WHICH core goes bad?
Does the chip work as a solo no matter which core went bad?
Or is one core more of a “main” core, and that one has to work?
Billy B, what you call a broken processor has been sold the same way for a long time, e.g. in the days with on-board FPU or not.
And do you think that chip makers have different lines to create 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0 GHz chips? No, they create a batch of chips and select them to see what they are capable of. Not individual chips, that would be too costly, but a batch at a time.
This is where the whole idea of overclocking comes from. The chipmaker may have found a batch to fail a certain clockfrequency, but individual chips may perform well enough.
Besides individuals who try overclocking at home,
are there companies who buy a lot of chips and recertify them individually making a profit from the price difference.
Despite the digital nature of how they work do chips have highly analog internal workings. Personally, with the speeds they are cranking out nowadays am I amazed that they work at all.
hmmm..
so in effect, you are saying that the only way to get a “non-broken chip” is to buy the best model Apple puts out each year, at the highest megahertz/gighertz?
that way we know it isn’t downclocked, and has both cores running?
That sucks.
I know you say this is how all computers are made, but i am the kind of person that takes a magazine from the middle of the rack so the corners are not all bent, even though I will just fold the thing up in my pocket.
when I buy something, I like to feel it is new and made properly.
Soeone should call 60 Minutes….
This has already been said, but the branding is “Core 2” not “Core 2 Duo”. I imagine we will see not only Core 2 Solos and Core 2 Duo but probably Core 2 Quads (or Quadro or whatever) as well. Intel is going to be going core happy before too long.
Incidentally, I think choosing “Core” to be the name for the next architecture is a stupid choice. Pentium you knew meant an intel chip. Core is a word you could apply to any chip. My computer is a dual-core G5. It is like ATI’s new X series of graphics cards. X is too general. I don’t know why a company would choose a brand name like that.
I haven’t read anything about a Solo version.
Anyone know where the official Intel release is?
5000 and 7000 are even numbers
Ha HA Ha!
You’re right.
“formally”, not “formerly”
hmmm..
what is this, English class?
🙂
and I think Formerly is right there.
They are talking about the old names.
So, anyone read anything else on this?
I still don’t see an official Intel Press Release.
Just wondering about the solo, if any.
There are way too many different rumors about the MacBook.
The latest rumor stated that both models would indeed sport a Duo processor and NOT a Solo.
I think Apple would be foolish to put a Solo in the MacBook.
That model is suppose to be in the same range as the iMac not the Mac mini.
And OMFG, is that not the funniest about 5000 and 7000 being even numbers?!?!?!?!?!?