Intel brings Penryn family to ME

Intel has officially launched its new Penryn range of processors based on 45-nanometer technology. The new chip family is said to offer better performance and energy efficiency when compared to older Core 2 processors.

At a press conference held in Dubai on Monday, Samir Al-Schamma, Intel's general manager for the GCC region stated: "We are one year ahead of others in 45-nanometre technology. Best yet, this feat, coupled with our industry-leading architectures, means faster and sleeker computers, longer battery life and better energy efficiency. Our objective is to bring consumers a new class of computers delivering a full internet experience in ever-smaller, more portable form factors."

The firm's Penryn range includes 12 quad-core and three dual-core Xeon chips for servers, which boast clock speeds ranging up to 3.20GHz and 3.40GHz, respectively. The 12 quad-core chips will be sold under the firm's Xeon 5400 series, whereas the three dual-core chips will ship under the Xeon 5200 line. Pricing will range from $177 to $1,279 dependent on processor type and volume.

According to Intel, its 45nm Xeon line-up offers a 38% increase in performance-per-watt, compared to its previous quad-core Xeon 5300 series.

On the desktop front, the firm released the $999 Core 2 Extreme QX9650, aimed at hardcore gamers and media enthusiasts. The QX9650 and Intel's new server processor range offer support for the firm's new Intel SSE 4 media instructions, designed to speed up video processing and photo editing. Intel's Penryn family comes just two months after rival AMD unveiled its Barcelona processor family, which is based on older 65-nanometer technology. According to industry experts, AMD won't shift to 45-nanometer technology until the third quarter of next year.