Core i7 Processors from Intel

Intel have decided their new high-end processors will retain the Core brand name. The new processors will be branded Core i7 and will come with two, four or eight cores. According to the Intel press release:

Intel Corporation announced today that desktop processors based on the company's upcoming new microarchitecture (codenamed "Nehalem") will be formally branded "Intel® Core™ processor." The first products in this new family of processors, including an "Extreme Edition" version, will carry an "i7" identifier and will be formally branded as "Intel® Core™ i7 processor." This is the first of several new identifiers to come as different products launch over the next year.

Products based on the new microarchitecture will deliver high performance and energy efficiency. This "best of both worlds" approach is expected to extend Intel's processor leadership in future mobile, desktop and server market segments.

"The Core name is and will be our flagship PC processor brand going forward," said Sean Maloney, Intel Corporation executive vice president and general manager, Sales and Marketing Group. "Expect Intel to focus even more marketing resources around that name and the Core i7 products starting now."

Personally I am glad they finally branded it. In my industry their codenames (e.g. Nehalem, Penryn, Wolfsdale etc.) cause a great deal of confusion. I have even seen how Centrino platforms are confused (even by Intel representatives). For example a Centrino platform must have three essential chipsets: an Intel processor from a specified list, a mobile Intel chipset from a specified list and a wireless Intel chipset. However, last week an Intel rep. told one of our project managers that for embedded systems if the wireless chipset is replaced with an Intel southbridge then it could be called a Montevina system, which is codename for Centrino 2. When I asked the project manager (who then asked the rep) why we couldn't brand it Centrino 2 the rep. was confused saying it was a Montevina system but could not be branded Centrino 2.

Yeah, these code names really confuse the heck out of me and most people outside Intel. Evidence suggest some people inside Intel also get confused too. At least now we know the next Intel processor will be Core i7, that is easy enough to remember.

Intel Press Release: Next-Generation Intel PC Chips to Carry Intel Core Name