 Intel Core 2 Duo logo from 2009 to 2012 | |
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Launched | July 26, 2006 |
| Discontinued | June 8, 2012[1] |
| Marketed by | Intel |
| Designed by | Intel |
| Common manufacturer |
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| Performance | |
| Max.CPUclock rate | 1.06 GHz to 3.5 GHz |
| FSB speeds | 533 MT/s to 1.6 GT/s |
| Data width | 64 bits |
| Address width | 36 bits |
| Virtual address width | 48 bits |
| Cache | |
| L1cache | 64 KB per core (32 KB data + 32 KB instructions) |
| L2 cache | Up to 12 MB |
| Architecture and classification | |
| Application | Desktop Mobile |
| Technology node | 65 nm to 45 nm |
| Microarchitecture | Core: Merom (65 nm) Penryn (45 nm) |
| Instruction set | x86-64 |
| Instructions | MMX,SSE,SSE2,SSE3,SSSE3,SSE4.1 |
| Physical specifications | |
| Transistors |
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| Cores |
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| Packages |
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| Sockets |
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| Products, models, variants | |
| Core names |
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| Product code names |
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| Models |
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| Variant | |
| History | |
| Predecessors | Pentium D (desktop) Intel Core Solo/Duo (mobile) |
| Successor | Corei3/i5/i7 |
| Support status | |
| Unsupported | |
Intel Core 2 is a processor family encompassing a range ofIntel's mainstream64-bitx86-64 single-, dual-, and quad-coremicroprocessors based on theCore microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in amulti-chip module.[2] The Core 2 range is the last flagship range of Intel desktop processors to use afront-side bus (FSB).
The introduction of Core 2 relegated thePentium brand to themid-range market, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines for marketing purposes under the same product name, which were formerly divided into thePentium 4,Pentium D, andCore Solo/Duo brands.
TheCore 2 processor line was introduced on July 27, 2006,[3] comprising theDuo (dual-core) andExtreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts), and in 2007, theQuad (quad-core) andSolo (single-core) sub-brands.[4] Intel Core 2 processors withvPro technology (designed for businesses) include the dual-core and quad-core branches.[5]
Although Woodcrest processors are also based on the Core 2 architecture, they are available under theXeon brand. From December 2006, all Core 2 processors were manufactured from 300-millimeter plates at Fab 12 factory in Arizona and at Fab 24-2 in County Kildare, Ireland.
Core 2 and otherLGA 775 processors can supportvirtualization if thevirtual machine (VM) software supports those processors, e.g. if the processor supportsVT-x.
Newer versions of VM software do not support processors older than Nehalem (Core 2 and older), as they lack support for VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also calledSecond Level Address Translation (SLAT).
TheCore 2-branded CPUs include:Conroe/Allendale (dual-core for desktops),Merom (dual-core for laptops),Merom-L (single-core for laptops),Kentsfield (quad-core for desktops), and the updated variants namedWolfdale (dual-core for desktops),Penryn (dual-core for laptops),Penryn-QC (quad-core for laptops), andYorkfield (quad-core for desktops).[a]
The Core 2-branded processors featureVirtualization Technology withoutextended page tables (EPT) (with some exceptions), theNX bit andSSE3. TheMerom microarchitecture introducedSSSE3,Trusted Execution Technology, EnhancedSpeedStep andActive Management Technology 2.0 (iAMT2). ThePenryn microarchitecture, a shrink of the former, introducedSSE4.1. With a maximumthermal design power (TDP) of 65 W, the Core 2 DuoConroe dissipates half the power of the less capable contemporaryPentium D-branded desktop chips[7] that have a max TDP of 130 W.[8]
| Original logo | 2009 logo | Desktop | Mobile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code-name | Cores | Release date | Code-name | Cores | Release date | ||
 |  | Desktop version not available | Merom-L Penryn-L | Single (65 nm) Single (45 nm) | September 2007 May 2008 | ||
 | | Conroe Allendale Wolfdale | Dual (65 nm) Dual (65 nm) Dual (45 nm) | July 2006 January 2007 January 2008 | Merom Penryn | Dual (65 nm) Dual (45 nm) | August 2006 January 2008 |
 |  | Kentsfield Yorkfield | Quad (65 nm) Quad (45 nm) | January 2007 March 2008 | Penryn-QC | Quad (45 nm) | August 2008 |
 |  | Conroe XE Kentsfield XE Yorkfield XE | Dual (65 nm) Quad (65 nm) Quad (45 nm) | July 2006 November 2006 November 2007 | Merom XE Penryn XE Penryn-QC XE | Dual (65 nm) Dual (45 nm) Quad (45 nm) | July 2007 January 2008 August 2008 |
| Full list | List of desktop processors | List of mobile processors | |||||
With the release of the Core 2 processor, the abbreviationC2 has come into common use, with its variantsC2S (the present Core 2 Solo)C2D (the present Core 2 Duo), andC2Q,C2E to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively.C2QX stands for the Extreme-Editions of the Quad (such as QX6700, QX6800, QX6850).
The successors to the Core 2 brand are a set ofNehalem-based processors calledCore i3,i5, andi7. The Core i7 was officially launched on November 17, 2008, as a family of three quad-core processor high-end desktop models; further models started appearing throughout 2009. The last processor of the family to be released was theCore 2 Quad Q9500 in January 2010. The Core 2 processor line was removed from the official price lists in July 2011,[9][10] and the last processors were discontinued in June 2012.[1]
As of 2025, a handful ofLinux distributions will not run on Intel Core 2-series CPUs due to them requiring thex86-64-v2 microarchitecture level, which is not fully supported by any of the Core 2-series CPUs. Examples includeRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9[11][12] as well asopenSUSE Tumbleweed.[13][14] Attempting to run these distributions on a Core 2 CPU will result in an error message or crash during the boot process.[15][16]
Windows 11 will also not run on Intel Core 2 CPUs as it requires theSSE4.2 andPOPCNT instruction sets, neither of which are supported by Core 2 CPUs.[17][18][19]
1st public demonstration:Anandtech discovers Core 2 Duo performance under the supervision of Francois Piednoel
| Preceded by Pentium D (desktop) | ||
| Preceded by Core Solo/Duo (mobile) | Intel Core 2 2006–2011 | Succeeded by Core i |