INTEL's roadmap always brings new stuff but with it also come the questions. What CPUs will live enough to see the light? Which CPUs won't make it to the finish line? No one can tell. Not even INTEL, especially because they have a way of making up their mind in the last second.

Anyhow, the latest roadmap that came from INTEL revealed the existence of two functional CPUs that are both build using the 45nm process. You've probably heard of "Yorkfield" and "Wolfdale" so I won't bother you with details regarding the unveiling of these CPUs both being based on the Penryn design. However, things have changed a bit since they first appeared on the roadmaps because now we know that INTEL has readied the first functional prototypes.

Paul Otellini (yes, you know the one I'm talking about) said that INTEL has working prototypes of Penryn CPU "and in a short period of time have already booted 4 operating systems (Windows Vista, XP, Linux and Apple Mac OS-X)." So this means that Penryn (which is a 45nm version of the Core 2 architecture) has obtained an x86 license.

INTEL did not comment much on the Penryn situation. Instead, they said the following: "These are good indicators of how healthy our 45 nm manufacturing and future product designs are looking so far as we plan to begin manufacturing production in the second half of the year ramping to three 300mm factories in 2008."

In order for INTEL to start mass production of the 300mm wafers (which are vital for 45nm production) Fab 32 Chandler, Arizona and Fab 28 in Qiryat Gat, Israel will be opened next year. Currently, the development of 45nm parts is done only at Intel's D1D facility in Oregon. All three facilities will be fully functional by the 2nd quarter of 2008 when the mass production will begin.