Sanata Clara (CA) - Intel today announced that it will offer support for 64-bit applications in its entry-level Celeron D processor line. The first chip to offer EM64T extensions is the 3.2 GHz Celeron D 351.
After introducing 64-bit support in its Pentium 4 and Pentium D series and urging software developers to create 64-bit applications back in March, Intel today announced that it will integrate EM64T support for its Celeron D chips. This is good news especially for corporations that are already running 64-bit apps and require support for such programs in lower-end computers.
Intel has not talked much about the Celeron's future recently. But the company is likely to upgrade the processors significantly within the next 12 months. With the Pentium D 800 (90 nm Smithfield core) and Pentium D 900 (65 nm Presler core, expected in Q1 2006) taking over the mainstream segment, Intel will have to fill a performance gap.
While the company declines to talk about the chip's future in detail, sources told Tom's Hardware Guide that a dual-core Celeron is very unlikely - at least for this technology generation. Instead, Intel may rebrand the current Pentium 4 as Celeron processor until a new architecture will be available. This architecture could be derived from "Conroe", a completely new Pentium architecture that is scheduled for the end of 2006 and will consume significantly less power than current Pentiums.
