Intel to launch 32nm CPUs this week

The new series takes in 11 mobile processors running from Core i3 up to Core i7 in a variety of speed and voltage configurations and six new desktop models in the i3 and i5 ranges. The new chips are all dual-core designs, but Intel's Hyper-Threading technology lets them service four concurrent processes for smooth multitasking.

Most models also benefit from Intel's Turbo Boost system, which detects when one CPU core is being worked harder than the others and automatically diverts resources so that core is increased in speed while the others are throttled back to compensate. Only Core i3 chips lack this feature.

However, the desktop chips aren't compatible with old Core 2 systems. Instead, they use the newer LGA 1156 socket, and Intel's onboard graphics processor requires a motherboard with the new H55 or H57 chipset.

Page 2 Next

Darien began his IT career in the 1990s as a systems engineer, later becoming an IT project manager. His formative experiences included upgrading a major multinational from token-ring networking to Ethernet, and migrating a travelling sales force from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.

He subsequently spent some years acting as a one-man IT department for a small publishing company, before moving into journalism himself. He is now a regular contributor to IT Pro, specialising in networking and security, and serves as associate editor of PC Pro magazine with particular responsibility for business reviews and features.

You can email Darien at darien@pcpro.co.uk, or follow him on Twitter at @dariengs.