X-bit labs

Intel Pentium D – A Rush Job, Intel Admits.

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 08/19/2005 | 11:43 PM ]

Intel Corp. recently confirmed that its Intel Pentium D processor is actually two Intel Pentium 4 cores on the same package. The firm claimed that it had to quickly create a dual-core processor in order to stay competitive, which conditioned the design of the product Intel has chosen.

“We’re putting two cores in one package; it’s like trying to fit into the pair of pants you saved from college,” said Jonathan Douglas, a principal engineer in Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group, which makes chips for office desktops and servers, reports PCWorld.

Intel first announced intention to deliver dual-core processors for various markets in May, 2004. It is now revealed that the company began to work on the project around the same time, which gave the firm a very short time to complete the development and launch the product in mass production. That said, Intel had to use existing technologies and not develop a new processor system bus, integrate memory controller into the central processing unit or perform any other enhancements.

Intel first demonstrated its dual-core processor up and running in September, 2004, at its semi-annual Intel Developer Forum. After that an analyst expressed doubts whether a “real” dual-core microprocessor was demonstrated, or two existing Pentium 4 chips were placed on the same piece of substrate. Intel opposed the analyst, but now it had confirmed the assumption: the Intel Pentium D is basically two Intel Pentium 4 processors. Still, dual-core processor means there are two processing engines plugged into a socket, which is exactly what Intel supplies.

“We faced many challenges from taking a design team focused on making the highest-performing processors possible to one focused on multi-core designs,” Mr. Douglas added during Hot Chips conference.

Intel has over 17 dual-core and multi-core projects in development.