Keep an eye out for Penryn

At the end of 2006, Intel announced that it was successfully producing prototypes of a new 45nm microprocessor line known by the code-name "Penryn." Intel has also announced that it will begin production of Penryn CPUs in the second half of 2007, leading to widespread speculation that the market will see the release of these new processors at the end of 2007.

Penryn is based on Intel's Core microprocessor architecture but shrinks the CPU die from 65nm to 45nm. Typically, a smaller fabrication process results in increased clock speeds as well as increased thermal efficiencies and decreased power consumption. Intel hopes that by rapidly moving to a 45nm fabrication process, the company will be able to secure a considerable competitive advantage. Rival chip maker AMD won't be able to produce 45nm parts until mid-2008 at the earliest.

A big factor in Intel's ability to rapidly move into 45nm production is the chip maker's recent announcement regarding the use of "high-k" metal technology to build more efficient transistors for its CPUs. (See "IBM, Intel separately reveal advances in microchips" for the full story.) These new high-k materials should result in increased power and thermal efficiencies across the new Penryn processors.

Much like Intel's Core architecture, Penryn will serve as the primary CPU architecture for all of Intel's processors -- mobile, desktop and server. Intel has released no details at all regarding specific Penryn mobile processors. In fact, it's entirely possible that the mobile market won't see this new architecture until early 2008.