14 DAY TRIAL // INTEL has just released its latest roadmap concerning the value CPU segment. It's nice to know that they are thinking not only at the passionate overclocker but also at the home user who doesn't need that much power but would still enjoy the benefits of a Core 2 Duo CPU in his system.
The Conroe line will receive another 3 new members, all of them value oriented: E 6390 @ 2.13 GHz (FSB 1066); E4300 @ 1.8GHz (FSB 800) and E4200 @ 1.6GHz (FSB 800). All 3 have 2MB of level 2 cache and lack vPro and VT extensions. They however support Intel EM64T, SpeedStep and Execute Disable Bit technologies. The roadmap also contains an E4400 model but there are no details about it. The new CPUs are expected to launch in January.
In case you remember the "Pentium" brand, don't think that INTEL has forgotten about it. There are new Pentiums on the way, although they have essentially nothing to do with older Netburst parts other than the name itself. You could say that there is a relation between them since the new line will replace older 9xx and 6xx CPUs for good.
Two Pentiums will emerge, the E2160 @ 1.8 GHz and the E2140 @ 1.6 GHz, both of them will be dual cores and will have 800 MHz FSB. On the downside, they will only integrate 1MB of level 2 cache. The same technologies as their new Conroe brothers are supported. Who needs VT anyway?
The new CPUs will be quite cheap, but some of them may actually turn out to be quite good overclockers. For example, in order to reach 3500MHz using an E6300, you need a 500X7 setup that works flawless. And believe me, not all motherboards can do that. In contrast to that, the newcomer E4300 only needs something like 8X438 to reach the same speed and you can actually run that setup on any value P965 motherboard. That is a great plan. It's just a question of time and luck, provided the new CPUs turn out just as "potent" as their brothers when it comes to overclocking.