Intel Core 2


Intel Core 2 is a processor family encompassing a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit x86-64 single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessors based on the Core micro-architecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a multi-chip module.
The introduction of Core 2 relegated the Pentium brand to the mid-range market, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines for marketing purposes under the same product name, which previously had been divided into the Pentium 4, Pentium D, and Pentium M brands.
The Core 2 processor line was introduced on July 27, 2006, comprising the Duo and Extreme, and in 2007, the Quad and Solo sub-brands. Intel Core 2 processors with vPro technology include the dual-core and quad-core branches.
Although Woodcrest processors are also based on the Core architecture, they are available under the Xeon brand. From December 2006, all Core 2 Duo processors were manufactured from 300 millimeter plates at Fab 12 factory in Arizona and at Fab 24-2 in County Kildare, Ireland.

Virtual Machine">Virtualization Technology">Virtual Machine or Virtualization Capabilities

Core 2 and other LGA 775 processors are capable of doing Virtualization, provide that the Virtual Machine software supports these processors.
Newer versions of VM software do not support processors older than Nehalem because the older processors lack support for Intel VT-x with EPT or also known as SLAT. Intel's VT-x with EPT was introduced on the newer, Nehalem micro-architecture released in 2008.

Models

The Core 2-branded CPUs include: "Conroe"/"Allendale", "Merom", "Merom-L", "Kentsfield", and the updated variants named "Wolfdale", "Penryn", and "Yorkfield".
The Core 2 branded processors feature Virtualization Technology without EPT, Execute Disable Bit, and SSE3. Their Core microarchitecture introduced SSSE3, Trusted Execution Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep, and Active Management Technology. With a maximum thermal design power of 65W, the Core 2 Duo [|Conroe] dissipates half the power of the less capable contemporary Pentium D-branded desktop chips that have a max TDP of 130 W.

Known Marks

With the release of the Core 2 processor, the abbreviation C2 has come into common use, with its variants C2D, and C2Q, C2E to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively. C2QX stands for the Extreme-Editions of the Quad.
The successors to the Core 2 brand are a set of Nehalem micro-architecture based processors called Core i3, i5, and i7. Core i7 was officially launched on November 17, 2008 as a family of three quad-core processor desktop models, further models started appearing throughout 2009. The last processor of the family to be released was the Core 2 Quad Q9500 in January 2010. The Core 2 processor line was removed from the official price lists in July 2011, and the last processors were discontinued in June 2012.