For the past few years, leading CPU makers-Intel and AMD have been trying to topple the other and win the performance race. AMD was initially successful with its dual core CPU offerings and its Athlon 64 CPUs trounced the Pentium D processors by a large margin. However, the scenario changed drastically after Intel launched its hugely successful Core 2 Duo CPU lineup. It was a runaway success and beat the AMD 64FX CPUs in every benchmark. Even the mobile Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs edged ahead of the AMD Turion processors convincingly.
AMD attempted to retaliate with its triple core Phenom CPUs but Intel’s immensely powerful Core i7 lineup thwarted this move. As of now, the Core i7 remains the performance king but both Intel and AMD has aggressive plans for upcoming desktop CPUs. Intel is desperate to retain the top spot while AMD is determined to woo the mainstream and power users.
The present generation of high performance Intel processors are all based on the Nehalem core. Intel’s flagship Core i7 CPU is produced using a 45nm process and features 8MB L3 cache. It also features Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. The relatively lower end Core i5 CPUs are almost as efficient as their i7 cousins, the only difference being they do not support hyper threading. The less expensive Core2 Quad CPUs are also there; though they are likely to be phased out in near future. AMD has tasted moderate success with the second generation Phenom CPUs, codenamed as Phenom II. The Phenom II series runs at par with the Core 2 Quads but cannot outperform the Core i7 CPUs.
While 2009 saw the emergence of quad core CPUs 2010 will witness the release of CPUs with six or more cores. The Gulftown Chip developed by Intel is hogging the limelight now and in 2010 several CPUs based on this architecture will hit the market. These CPUs are likely to feature a whopping 12MB of cache. AMD will strike back with its six core Thuban chips which will be built on the lines of AMD’s existing Istanbul chip used in Servers. The Thuban Chip will be used in AMD’s futuristic Leo platform. By late 2010 or early 2011 Intel and AMD will lock horns once more with their ‘Sandy Bridge’ and ‘Bulldozer’ coded chips respectively. However, these chips are still in the development stage.
As far as mainstream desktop CPUs are concerned the dual core CPUs will continue to exist for some more time. Naturally, the price of quad core CPUs will take a nosedive. Intel may revamp its affordable Pentium Dual Core CPU range in 2010. AMD will continue to bring out new dual core CPUs belonging to Athlon II series. Both Intel and AMD will try to boost their onboard graphics offering. AMD enjoys a clear advantage in this section post its acquisition of ATI. The upcoming chips from both Intel and AMD will have CPU and GPU on a single chip. The mobile CPU segment will also witness the release of multi core CPUs that offer a better balance of power efficiency and performance.
