Conroe (microprocessor)

Last updated
Conroe
ASRock 945GCM-S - Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe (SL9SA)-0322.jpg
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300
General information
LaunchedJuly 2006
DiscontinuedDecember 2009
Marketed byIntel
Designed byIntel
Common manufacturer(s)
  • Intel
CPUID code06Fx (Conroe-L: 1066x)
Product code80557
Performance
Max. CPU clock rate 1.2 GHz to 3.5 GHz
FSB speeds800 MT/s to 1333 MT/s
Cache
L1 cache 128 KB (64 KB (32 KB instructions + 32 KB data) x2)
L2 cacheAllendale: 2 MB
Conroe: 4 MB
Conroe-L: 512 KB
Architecture and classification
ApplicationDual-core desktop
Technology node 65 nm
Microarchitecture Core
Instruction set x86, x86-64
Physical specifications
Cores
  • 2 (Conroe-L: 1)
Socket(s)
Products, models, variants
Brand name(s)
Variant(s)
History
Predecessor(s)Cedar Mill (uniprocessor, single core)
Presler (uniprocessor, dual-core)
Successor(s) Wolfdale
Support status
Unsupported

Conroe is the code name for many Intel processors sold as Core 2 Duo, Xeon, Pentium Dual-Core and Celeron. It was the first desktop processor to be based on the Core microarchitecture, replacing the NetBurst microarchitecture based Cedar Mill processor. It has product code 80557, which is shared with Allendale and Conroe-L that are very similar but have a smaller L2 cache. Conroe-L has only one processor core and a new CPUID model. The mobile version of Conroe is Merom, the dual-socket server version is Woodcrest, the quad-core desktop version is Kentsfield and the quad-core dual-socket version is Clovertown. Conroe was replaced by the 45 nm Wolfdale processor.

Contents

Variants

ProcessorBrand nameModel (list)CoresL2 CacheSocketTDP
Allendale Xeon 3xxx 22 MB LGA 775 65 W
Conroe 3xxx 2-4 MB
Conroe Core 2 Duo E4xxx 22 MBLGA 77565 W
Allendale E6xx0 2-4 MB
Conroe-CL E6xx5 2-4 MB LGA 771
Conroe-XE Core 2 Extreme X6xxx 24 MBLGA 77575 W
Allendale-1M Pentium Dual-Core E2xxx 21 MBLGA 77565 W
Allendale-512 Celeron E1xxx 2512 KBLGA 77565 W
Conroe-L 4x0 135 W
Conroe-CL 4x5 LGA 77165 W

Conroe

The first Intel Core 2 Duo branded processor cores, code-named Conroe, were launched on July 27, 2006, at Fragapalooza, a yearly gaming event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. These processors were fabricated on 300 mm wafers using a 65 nm manufacturing process, and intended for desktop computers as a replacement for the Pentium 4 and Pentium D branded CPUs. Intel claimed that Conroe provided 40% more performance at 40% less power compared to the Pentium D; the E6300, lowest end of the initial Conroe lineup, is able to match or even exceed the former flagship Pentium Extreme Edition 965 in performance, despite a 50% clock frequency deficit. All Conroe processors are manufactured with 4 MB L2 cache; however, due to manufacturing defects or possibly for marketing purposes, the E6300 and E6400 versions based on this core have half their cache disabled, leaving them with only 2 MB of usable L2 cache. These Conroe-based E6300 and E6400 CPUs have the B2 stepping.

The lower end E6300 (1.86 GHz) and E6400 (2.13 GHz) were released on July 27, 2006. Traditionally, CPUs of the same family with less cache simply have the unavailable cache disabled, since this allows parts that fail quality control to be sold at a lower rating. When yields improve, they may be replaced with versions that only have the cache amount needed on the die, to bring down manufacturing cost. At launch time, Intel's prices for the Core 2 Duo E6300 and E6400 processors were US$183 and US$224 each in quantities of 1000.

Conroe CPUs have improved capabilities over previous models with similar processor clock rates. According to reviews, the larger 4 MB L2 cache vs. the 2 MB L2 cache at the same frequency and bus speed can give a 0–9% performance gain with certain applications and 0–16% performance gain with certain games. [1] [2] The higher end Conroe processors are the E6600 (2.4 GHz) and E6700 (2.67 GHz) Core 2 Duo models. The family has a 1066  MHz front-side bus, 4 MB shared L2 cache, and 65 watts TDP. These processors have been tested against AMD's then-current top performing processors (Athlon 64 FX Series), which were, until this Intel release, the highest performance X86 CPUs available. Conroe chips also produce less heat than their predecessors – a benefit of the new 65 nm technology and the more efficient microarchitecture. At launch time, Intel's prices for the Core 2 Duo E6600 and E6700 processors were US$316 and US$530 each in quantities of 1000.

E6320 and E6420 Conroe CPUs at 1.86 and 2.13 GHz respectively were launched on April 22, 2007 featuring a full 4 MB of cache.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 processor ASRock 945GCM-S - Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe (SL9SA)-0322.jpg
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 processor

To coincide with the release of the Intel Bearlake (x3x) chipsets, Intel released four more processors on July 22, 2007: the Core 2 Duo E6540, E6550, E6750, and E6850. The number ending in "50" indicates a 1333 MHz FSB. The processors all have 4 MB of L2 cache, and their clock frequency is similar to that of the already released processors with the same first two digits (E6600, E6700, X6800). [3] An additional model, the E6540, was launched with specifications similar to the E6550 but lacking Intel Trusted Execution Technology and vPro support. These processors were marketed to compete with AMD's Phenom processor line and were therefore priced below the corresponding processors with a 1066 MHz FSB. [4]

All remaining Conroe Core 2 processors were phased out in March 2009.

Conroe XE

The Core 2 Extreme X6800 was officially released on July 29, 2006. It uses the Conroe XE core and replaced the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition processors. The Core 2 Extreme X6800 has a clock rate of 2.93 GHz and a 1066 MT/s FSB, although it was initially expected to be released with a 3.33 GHz clock rate and a 1333 MT/s FSB. The TDP for the X6800 is 75 watts, higher than the 65 watts of regular Core 2 Duo CPUs. With SpeedStep enabled, the average temperature of the CPU when idle is essentially that of the ambient atmosphere with its fan running at 1500 RPM. [5] The less powerful E6x00 models of Core 2 Duo were scheduled for simultaneous release with the X6800.

At launch time, Intel's price for the Core 2 Extreme X6800 was US$999 each in quantities of 1000. Like the desktop Core 2 Duo, it has 4 MB of shared L2 cache available. This means that the only major difference between the regular Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme is the higher clock rate and unlocked multiplier, the usual advantages of the "Extreme Edition". The fully unlocked multiplier is of use to enthusiasts as it allows the user to set the clock rate higher than shipping frequency without modifying the FSB frequency, unlike mainstream Core 2 Duo models whose multipliers are downward unlocked only.

Allendale

Allendale was originally the name for the E4000 processors, which use a low-cost version of the Conroe core. They feature a lower front side bus frequency of 800 MT/s instead of 1066 MT/s and only half the L2 cache (2 MB, similar to the Core 2 Duo E6300 and E6400), offering a smaller die size and therefore greater yields. Most media have subsequently applied the name Allendale to all LGA 775 processors with steppings L2 and M0, while Intel refers to all of these as Conroe.

The Core 2 Duo E4300 [6] uses an Allendale core, released on January 21, 2007. Allendale processors are produced in the LGA 775 form factor, on the 65 nm process node. Initial list price per processor in quantities of one thousand for the E4300 was US$163. A standard OEM price was US$175, or US$189 for a retail package. The price was cut on April 22, 2007, [7] when the E4400 was released at $133 and the E4300 dropped to $113. A new E2000 series of Allendale processors with half their L2 cache disabled was released in mid-June 2007 under the Pentium Dual-Core brand name. The working cache memory was reduced by half again when the Allendale core was released under Intel's Celeron brand; the Celeron E1000 processors have a 512k L2 cache shared between its two cores.

Subsequent E4000 Allendale processors were introduced as E4500 and E4600. The final E4700 processor was using the G0 stepping instead of M0, which makes it a Conroe core. The E4000 processors were discontinued on March 6, 2009.

E6300 and E6400 CPUs, as well as their Xeon 3040 and 3050 counterparts, have been made using the original 4 MB B2 stepping with half their L2 cache disabled prior to Q1 2007, but using the 2 MB L2 stepping later. This caused contention regarding whether or not the previously available versions were specimens of the Allendale core. Only the newer cores are now commonly referred to as Allendale.

Quoted from The Tech Report:

You'll find plenty of sources that will tell you the code name for these 2 MB Core 2 Duo processors is "Allendale," but Intel says otherwise. These CPUs are still code-named "Conroe," which makes sense since they're the same physical chips with half of their L2 cache disabled. Intel may well be cooking up a chip code-named Allendale with 2 MB of L2 cache natively, but this is not that chip. [8]

Conroe-L

The Conroe-L Celeron is a single-core processor built on the Core microarchitecture and is clocked much lower than the Cedar Mill Celerons, but still outperforms them. It is based on the 65 nm Conroe-L core, and uses a 400-series model number sequence. The FSB was increased from 533 MHz to 800 MHz in this generation, and the TDP was decreased from 65 W to 35 W. Traditionally with Celerons, it does not have Intel VT-x support or SpeedStep. All Conroe-L models are single-core processors for the value segment of the market, much like the AMD K8-based Sempron. The product line was launched on June 5, 2007.

On October 21, 2007, Intel presented a new processor for its Intel Essential Series. The full name of the processor is a Celeron 220 and is soldered on the D201GLY2 motherboard. With 1.2 GHz and a 512 KB second level cache it has a TDP of 19 Watt and can be cooled passively. The Celeron 220 is the successor of the Celeron 215 which is based on a Yonah core and used on the D201GLY motherboard. This processor is exclusively used on the mini-ITX boards targeted to the sub-value market segment. [9]

Conroe-CL

Conroe-CL is a version of Conroe with the LGA 771 socket otherwise used in Woodcrest. Unlike real Woodcrest, they are only usable in single-CPU configurations. The three Conroe-CL processors that are known are sold as Core 2 Duo E6305, E6405 and Celeron 445. These processors will not work in regular LGA 775 mainboards but are typically used in blade servers that also use Woodcrest or other DP server processors.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celeron</span> Line of discontinued microprocessors made by Intel

Celeron is a discontinued series of low-end IA-32 and x86-64 computer microprocessor models targeted at low-cost personal computers, manufactured by Intel. The first Celeron-branded CPU was introduced on April 15, 1998, and was based on the Pentium II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentium 4</span> Brand by Intel

Pentium 4 is a series of single-core CPUs for desktops, laptops and entry-level servers manufactured by Intel. The processors were shipped from November 20, 2000 until August 8, 2008. It was removed from the official price lists starting in 2010, being replaced by Pentium Dual-Core.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentium III</span> Line of desktop and mobile microprocessors produced by Intel

The Pentium III brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile CPUs based on the sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 28, 1999. The brand's initial processors were very similar to the earlier Pentium II-branded processors. The most notable differences were the addition of the Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) instruction set, and the introduction of a controversial serial number embedded in the chip during manufacturing. The Pentium III is also a single-core processor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentium M</span> Family of Intel microprocessors

The Pentium M is a family of mobile 32-bit single-core x86 microprocessors introduced in March 2003 and forming a part of the Intel Carmel notebook platform under the then new Centrino brand. The Pentium M processors had a maximum thermal design power (TDP) of 5–27 W depending on the model, and were intended for use in laptops. They evolved from the core of the last Pentium III–branded CPU by adding the front-side bus (FSB) interface of Pentium 4, an improved instruction decoding and issuing front end, improved branch prediction, SSE2 support, and a much larger cache.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xeon</span> Line of Intel server and workstation processors

Xeon is a brand of x86 microprocessors designed, manufactured, and marketed by Intel, targeted at the non-consumer workstation, server, and embedded markets. It was introduced in June 1998. Xeon processors are based on the same architecture as regular desktop-grade CPUs, but have advanced features such as support for error correction code (ECC) memory, higher core counts, more PCI Express lanes, support for larger amounts of RAM, larger cache memory and extra provision for enterprise-grade reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features responsible for handling hardware exceptions through the Machine Check Architecture (MCA). They are often capable of safely continuing execution where a normal processor cannot due to these extra RAS features, depending on the type and severity of the machine-check exception (MCE). Some also support multi-socket systems with two, four, or eight sockets through use of the Ultra Path Interconnect (UPI) bus, which replaced the older QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) bus.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentium D</span> Family of Intel microprocessors

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">P6 (microarchitecture)</span> Intel processor microarchitecture

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intel Core 2</span> Processor family by Intel

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentium Dual-Core</span> Line of CPUs by Intel

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merom (microprocessor)</span> Code name for various mobile Intel processors

Merom is the code name for various mobile Intel processors that are sold as Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Solo, Pentium Dual-Core and Celeron. It was the first mobile processor to be based on the Core microarchitecture, replacing the Enhanced Pentium M-based Yonah processor. Merom has the product code 80537, which is shared with Merom-2M and Merom-L that are very similar but have a smaller L2 cache. Merom-L has only one processor core and a different CPUID model. The desktop version of Merom is Conroe and the dual-socket server version is Woodcrest. Merom was manufactured in a 65 nanometer process, and was succeeded by Penryn, a 45 nm version of the Merom architecture. Together, Penryn and Merom represented the first 'tick-tock' in Intel's Tick-Tock manufacturing paradigm, in which Penryn was the 'tick' to Merom's 'tock'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentsfield (microprocessor)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penryn (microprocessor)</span> Mobile processor from Intel

Penryn is the code name of a mobile processor from Intel that is sold in varying configurations such as Core 2 Solo, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Pentium and Celeron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfdale (microprocessor)</span>

Wolfdale is the code name for a processor from Intel that is sold in varying configurations as Core 2 Duo, Celeron, Pentium and Xeon. In Intel's Tick-Tock cycle, the 2007/2008 "Tick" was Penryn microarchitecture, the shrink of the Merom microarchitecture to 45 nanometers as CPUID model 23. This replaced the Conroe processor with Wolfdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkfield</span>

Yorkfield is the code name for some Intel processors sold as Core 2 Quad and Xeon. In Intel's Tick-Tock cycle, the 2007/2008 "Tick" was Penryn microarchitecture, the shrink of the Core microarchitecture to 45 nanometers as CPUID model 23, replacing Kentsfield, the previous model.

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