Intel unveils first 65nm processor Pentium D 955
Posted in Santa Clara (CA) - The successor of the first generation dual-core desktop processor Pentium D 800 has been in mass-production for well over three months. Intel announced the flagship of the upcoming second-generation Pentium D 900, code-named Presler: The Pentium D 955 rings in the transition from a 90 to a 65 nm production process and the final stage of the aging “NetBurst” architecture.
If it wasn’t for the new 65 nm production process, the features of the Pentium D 955 almost could be overlooked. In the end, the new chip, formerly code-named “Presler” can be viewed as transitional microchip that simply is here bridge the time until Intel’s new universal microarchitecture arrives in June or July of 2006.
Intel’s decision to first move the Pentium 4 architecture to 65 nm is in line with previous transition strategies, as the company typically uses the most mature processor to debut in the production process. The NetBurst architecture is the prime candidate, despite it is running out of steam in terms of scalability and can reach bunsen burner temperatures. It was introduced in November of 2000 with the first generation Pentium 4 (”Willamette”) and was produced in the hundreds of millions, which makes it less risky to transition than any other processor architecture Intel currently builds.
