Intel to release New Round of Quad-core CPUs in November--Are the Penryns coming to the Mac

Intel's newest multi-core CPUs based on a smaller 45-nanometer process code-named Penryn are due to ship in November according to a CNet article (here) based on an errant price sheet posted to Intel's Web site. The Penryn's are quad-core CPUs with 12MB of L2 cache memory and will first be released as server CPUs. Apple's Mac Pro is currently using Intel quad-core "Woodcrest" Xeon CPUs, single (5100) or dual (5300), based on the larger 65-nanometer process with 8MB of L2 cache memory and at clock speeds up to 3GHz.

A smaller process allows higher clock speeds (GHz) for the same electrical energy and heat or less energy and heat for the same clock speed. While the first chips will be for servers, as used in the Mac Pro, Penryns for notebooks will follow shortly thereafter.

It is unknown if Apple will take advantage of the newer CPUs but we hope so. [Bill Fox]