Dual Core Notebook CPUs Explored

Intel Core Duo, Core 2 Duo

There are two different processors on the market, both carrying the Core processor brand. The Core Duo is based on Intel's first 65 nm mobile dual core CPU design, known as Yonah; it was the first mobile processor to offer a shared L2 cache design, which means that both processing cores can access the full 2 MB L2 cache dynamically. While Core Duo is still an attractive processor, we need to make very clear that Core 2 Duo - which is the second generation of Core processors - provides more performance at similar power requirements and thus is the better choice.

Do you recognize the socket? Intel has stayed with its 478/479 pin socket for several years.

Core Duo (65 nm Yonah Core)

Core Duo carries the T2000 model number.

Core Duo is available in multiple versions, for FSB533 Napa platforms (945G) and for the refreshed FSB667 version. At FSB533, there are versions between 1.6 and 2.0 GHZ, and the current FSB667 models cover 1.66 to 2.33 GHz. All of these processors are rated at a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 31 W. They were, however, replaced by the second generation Core 2 Duo after only half a year on the market. Some platforms can be upgraded from Core Duo to Core 2 Duo, but we recommend looking for the Core 2 Duo version, since Core Duo Yonah does not support the 64-bit instruction set EM64T.