Intel Brands Next-Gen Client Processors, Cuts Prices On Existing Parts
The Conroe desktop processors, scheduled to ship in July, and Merom, Intel's next batch of mobile processors planned for an August release, will both be branded Core 2 Duo. Intel will also call its highest end desktop processors Intel Core 2 Extreme.
The new chips, and their new brand names, are intended to replace current Celeron and Pentium D processors. An Intel spokesman said Intel's naming convention will align all the different chips behind a unified brand. Centrino for mobile, vPro for business desktop, and Viiv for entertainment PCs will still identify key platforms.
With Conroe processors on the verge of shipping, Intel also has cut processor prices for some Pentium D, Celeron and Celeron M processors, according to a price list on its Web site. The price reductions, available through distributors, roughly span 25 percent to 50 percent, depending on the model. The largest cut was on the high-end, 3.4GHz 950 Penium D processor, at a 50 percent reduction.