Intel begins phasing out 65nm high-end CPUs

Intel on Friday said it had already begun dropping its older performance 65-nanometer processors only shortly after the unveiling of its complete 45-nanometer line. The change will start with the company's more affordable workstation processors, including dual-core Xeon 3000-series workstation chipsets ranging from 1.86GHz to 2.66GHz; a better-equipped 2.66GHz chip and a 3GHz equivalent will remain intact as will three quad-core Xeon 3200 processors using the older archtecture. High-end Xeons in the 5000-series also remain untouched for now, Intel says.

The chipmaker has not directly explained the closeout process but is understood to be pushing a rapid transition towards 45nm processors, with a dual-core 3GHz Xeon 3100-series processor substituting for the older 65nm chips. Three quad-core Xeon 3300 chips running between 2.5GHz and 2.83GHz also fill out the lower range.

Intel has not provided a full roadmap for when it expects to completely scrap 65nm technology, though the technology should still exist by the end of 2008 in budget Core and Celeron consumer processors for desktops and notebooks. [via TGDaily]

Filed under: computers, industry
Other story tags: Intel, Core 2, Penryn, Celeron, Xeon