Penryn (microprocessor)
Intel's 45 nm mobile processor shrink of the Core architecture.
Penryn is the internal name for a line of mobile processors Intel sold under several brands, including Core 2 Solo, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Pentium, and Celeron. It was the 2007/2008 "Tick" in Intel's Tick-Tock development cycle, meaning it shrank the previous Merom design to a 45-nanometer manufacturing process (CPUID model 23). The name Penryn is also used loosely to describe any 45 nm chip built on the Core architecture.
These processors came in two sizes: one with 6 MB of L2 cache and another with 3 MB. Low-power single-core versions were called Penryn-L. Quad-core Penryn-QC chips were actually two separate dies packaged together, each die having two cores and 6 MB of cache. On desktops, the equivalent chip was Wolfdale; for dual-socket servers, it was Wolfdale-DP. Penryn-QC related to Yorkfield on desktops and Harpertown in servers. The MP server chip Dunnington was a more distant relative, using the same 45 nm Core microarchitecture but a different die design. Penryn was eventually succeeded by the Nehalem-based Arrandale (dual-core) and Clarksfield (quad-core) processors.
The Penryn core itself debuted as the successor to Merom in the Core 2 Duo T5000 and T7000 series. Details emerged at the April 2007 Intel Developer Forum, and the first 45 nm Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors launched on January 6, 2008, all with a 35-watt thermal design power. HP began offering the first model, the T9500, in late January 2008, which ran at 2.6 GHz and had 6 MB of L2 cache—more than all but the Extreme Edition Merom chips. Key improvements included SSE4 instructions (called Penryn New Instructions) and new materials, notably a hafnium-based high-κ dielectric.
All SL9xxx, SP9xxx, P9xxx, T9xxx, and X9xxx processors are full Penryn chips with 6 MB of L2 cache enabled. P7xxx, P8xxx, and T8xxx models could be either Penryn-3M or full Penryn with only 3 MB enabled; software cannot tell them apart, but the product code for full Penryn is 80576. On April 28, 2008, Intel released an Apple-only E8xxx chip that ran at 3.06 GHz, had a 1066 MT/s front-side bus, and 6 MB of shared L2 cache. Although used in desktops, it used mobile packaging and is considered a Penryn, not a Wolfdale.
On desktops, Penryn paired with the 2007 Bearlake chipset series, some models of which boosted bus speed to 1333 MT/s and added DDR3 support.
Quick Facts
- Produced-Start
- 2007
- Produced-End
- 2011
- Slowest
- 1.2
- Fastest
- 3.06
- Slow-Unit
- GHz
- Fsb-Slowest
- 800
- Fsb-Fastest
- 1.07
- Fsb-Slow-Unit
- MT/s
- Fsb-Fast-Unit
- GT/s
- Soldby
- Intel
- Code
- Penryn: 80576 / Penryn-3M: 80577 / Penryn-L: 80585 / Penryn-QC: 80581
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Penryn debuted on the 45 nanometer process as the successor to the Merom core for the Core 2 Duo T5000/T7000 series mobile processors. Many details appeared at the April 2007 Intel Developer Forum. The new 45 nm Penryn-based Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors were released on January 6, 2008, launching exclusively with a TDP of 35 W; later releases were more energy efficient. HP began to offer the first model, the T9500, from late January 2008, with a 2.6 GHz clock rate and 6 MB of Level 2 Cache.
Important advances included the addition of new instructions including SSE4 (also known as Penryn New Instructions) and new fabrication materials, most significantly a hafnium-based high-κ dielectric. All SL9xxx, SP9xxx, P9xxx, T9xxx and X9xxx processors are Penryn with the full 6 MB L2 cache enabled, while P7xxx, P8xxx and T8xxx can be either Penryn-3M or Penryn with only 3 MB cache enabled. They are indistinguishable by software, but Penryn uses product code 80576.
Intel released an Apple-only Exxx chip on April 28, 2008 that increased the clock rate to 3.06 GHz as well as increasing the Front Side Bus to 1066 MT/s, and changed the Cache to 6 MB shared L2. While used in desktop computers and having an E8xxx name, it uses the same packaging as mobile CPUs and is therefore considered a Penryn and not Wolfdale. On desktops, Penryn pairs with the 2007 desktop Bearlake chipset series, some of whose models include an increase in bus performance to 1333 MT/s and support for DDR3 SDRAM. In notebooks, Penryn initially paired with the mobile Crestline chipset series supporting DDR2 but not DDR3, and later with the Cantiga chipset series which added DDR3 support.
Reader's Guide
Penryn's significance lies in its role as the 45 nm 'Tick' in Intel's Tick-Tock cycle, bringing the Core architecture to a smaller process node with new materials and instructions. It introduced SSE4 instructions and a hafnium-based high-κ dielectric, which improved performance and power efficiency. The architecture spawned multiple variants: Penryn (6 MB cache), Penryn-3M (3 MB or less cache), Penryn-L (single-core, low power), and Penryn-QC (quad-core from two dual-core chips). These covered a wide range of mobile and some desktop applications, from ultra-low voltage Celeron and Pentium processors to high-end Core 2 Extreme models. Penryn was replaced by the Nehalem-based Arrandale (dual core) and Clarksfield (quad core). Its legacy includes establishing the 45 nm process for Intel's mobile line and providing a foundation for subsequent architectures.
Did You Know?
- Penryn is sometimes used to refer to all 45 nm chips with the Core architecture.
- The Penryn-QC quad-cores are made from two chips with two cores and 6 MB of cache per chip.
- Intel released an Apple-only Exxx chip on April 28, 2008 that is considered a Penryn despite being used in desktop computers.
- Microsoft released a microcode update (KB2493989) for Windows 7 addressing stability issues on selected Penryn and Merom CPUs.
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