The 65 nm NetBurst, Continued

But again AMD did it better, because the Pentium D clock speed had to be reduced from 3.8 to 3.2 GHz when compared to a single core Pentium 4, while AMD could launch the Athlon 64 X2 with hardly any performance penalty: It runs at 2.4 GHz while the fastest Athlon 64 single core's clockspeed was 2.6 GHz at the time of its launch.

Today's launch of 65-nm desktop processors (both Pentium 4 and Pentium D) does not make the Pentium 4 architecture any better, but it does provide more flexibility for the chip giant. The smaller transistor structures allow for a higher processor yield per wafer, which in turn allows for Intel to flood the market with Pentium 4 type chips. This is the reason why the firm decided to compose the Pentium D dual core by placing two Cedar Mill type Pentium 4 single cores into one processor package (that's why we call it dual core). While this is an inelegant approach, it provides ideal flexibility to react to market demands for single as well as dual core devices. Even though the Pentium 4 NetBurst architecture was declared a dead end, it still is good enough to compete again AMD from a market point of view due to better product and pricing flexibility.

The Intel website was redesigned together with the corporate identity as Intel hopes to make inroads in the consumer market in 2006.

These banners on display at the baggage claim area of the Las Vegas McCarran airport this week demonstrate Intel's new aggressive approach.