Intel Preps Dual-Core Celeron E3000 Series for Q3

Santa Clara, California-based Intel appears to be really fond of its line of Celeron processors, despite the imminent launch of the next generation of Nehalem-based Lynnfield and Havendale CPUs. According to recent reports on the Internet, the world's leading chip maker is preparing to launch some more Celeron models in the third quarter of this year, featuring new dual-core CPUs. The new E3000-series will be based on Intel's 45nm manufacturing technology and provide a TDP level of 65W.

Despite no specific launch dates, the respective processors are expected to provide computer users with a more affordable alternative to low-power computing, thanks to core speeds of up to 2.5GHz. Chipzilla is initially expected to launch two new parts of its E3000 series, the E3200 and E3300, both of which will feature a processor bus of 800MHz and 1MB of L2 cache. As far as clock speeds go, the two models will be available at 2.4GHz and 2.5GHz, respectively.

One of the most interesting things about the new processors is that the chip maker hasn't dropped the support for the XD Bit to EIST and Intel VT technologies. With the support delivered by Intel's virtualization technology, computer users will be able to benefit from the Windows XP Mode feature that will be enabled by Microsoft in its upcoming Windows 7 operating system. This is a noteworthy feature, as not all Intel processors have been equipped with said technology.

Despite no details on pricing, these new CPUs should cost somewhere along the lines of $60 to $80, as they are meant for the low-end, mainstream market segment. In terms of performance, they should be able to enable some low-power PCs, good for Internet browsing, office applications and even some decent media or gaming software, granted they'll be paired with a discrete graphics solution.