Intel Opens the Third 65-Nanometer Plant in Ireland

Intel announced it has opened the manufacture's third chip plant which will be based on 65-nanometer processes, producing a wide range of multicore microprocessors, informs ZDnet. The new facility is based in Leixip, Ireland, and its development needed $2 billion investment in order to boost the market share on the dedicated 65 nanometers segment.

This is the third plant to be opened, and the first in Ireland, as the manufacturer preferred, up until now, to build its facilities in the U.S., more precisely, in Arizona and Oregon.

"Our manufacturing capability is key to fueling Intel's success," Paul Otellini, Intel's chief executive, said in a statement.

"The new plant comes at a time when Intel is looking to regain its footing, with three new chips due this summer. These microprocessors are expected to mark one of Intel's most significant product launches in the company's history. Intel will introduce its Intel Core 2 Duo processors for the desktop and notebook (formerly code-named Conroe and Merom, respectively). Intel also plans to introduce its dual-core Intel Xeon processor 5100 series (formerly code-named Woodcrest)," further writes ZDnet.

Earlier this week, we discovered that Overclockers.co.uk web site is already taking pre-orders for Intel's processor - the Core 2 DUO E6xxx (Conroe) - which runs at 1066FSB.

"Intel's Conroe design makes their older Pentium chips look very, very ordinary. As far as gaming performance goes, Intel is looking very strong and as we have predicated and Intel told many people at the Computex show throughout the week, Intel is looking like they will be the gamer CPU of choice in the remainder 2006 and all of 2007," it was written on Overclockers web site.