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Intel, AMD six-core CPUs creeping closer to reality, no 32nm quad-cores in 2010

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On December 29, 2009, 3:26 PM

According to Fudzilla, Intel has no plans to release a 32nm quad-core processor next year, and all of the upcoming four-core chips will be based on existing 45nm technology. However, as we've reported previously, the chip-maker does have a high-end six-core chip 32nm chip up its sleeve, which is dubbed Gulftown and will be branded as Core i7 980X. Quad-core chips based on a 32nm fabrication are reportedly more likely to appear beyond 2010.

Meanwhile, Fudzilla can "confirm" that AMD has plans to launch two six-core desktop processors next year -- probably in the second quarter. The 45nm six-core CPU, called Thuban, will support DDR3 1333MHz RAM and should be compatible with most existing AM3 motherboards. Unfortunately, the differences between both SKUs is currently unknown, but an adjusted clock frequency seems plausible.

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User Comments: 11

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  1. I don't need one, but if I have the money when the thubans come out, I'll definitely buy one that or an i7930...

  2. I will definitely purchase Intel chip when it comes out becasue I already have EVGA 58X mobo and the RAM. So I don't have to purchase those items. Just need to flash my bios and I up and running. Only problem is my OCZ Blade Series have been discontinued and they are sold at outrageous cost now. I have the 6GB OCZ Blade 2000MHz triple core memory that I purchase for only $199.00 but since OCZ discontinued the blade series the cost is $750 to $850 dollars for 6GB.

    That is a reap off so I stuck with only 6GB instead on 12GB.

    Hack.

  3. You don't need 12gb's

  4. I call BS. their will be a 4 core 32nm chip from intel for sure in the next year, hell in the next 6 months. the ONLY reason they wouldn't would be if they had excessive inventory of their 45nm 4 core chips that they needed to get rid of so as not to take a loss on the product.

    manufacturing on the 32nm process is a lot cheaper than on the 45nm process. its not economical not to more to 32nm.

  5. Well, thanks for the heads up regardless of when 32nm chips will actually come out. I forsee (not that it's rocket science) that the 45nm chips will come down in price.

  6. This sounds reasonable. Intel typically needs 4 plants at each node size to satisfy demand, and even then they may use older plants. With only 1 32nm plant currently operational they will choose the chip categories that will benefit the most from the die shrink and these will be the most power sensitive chips. They have chosen the high end laptop chips (2 core) and high end desktop chips (6 core).

    It is too bad though, i was hoping for low power consuming 32 nm quads. Those 130 watt TDP's are ridiculous. I wanna see a 32nm 65 watt core i7 or i5 quad with clock speed of 2.4 GHz

  7. A core i5 is more than enough for about 99% of the market. I can already see the ridiculously high prices on these six core CPU's (maybe except AMD, but who knows).

  8. Useless 6 core processors when we are already struggling to make use of more than two cores for most applications

  9. This is curious to me. Must be an inventory thing or something.

  10. moore's law is dead, cpu cores haven't gotten any faster for years.... all we got now are more cores that don't actually do anything unless you happen to have 6 hands and run word, excel, photoshop all in parallel

  11. any news about AM2+ compatibility of six core thuban ??

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