Hewlett-Packard workstations due to be introduced on Nov. 13 will run on Intelis new quad-core processors, dubbed Xeon 5300, according to IDG News. Rival AMD, which is wrapping up its purchase of graphics card maker ATI, isnit expected to launch quad-core processors before the middle of next year.
Reporter Ben Ames noted that AMD claims to have the advantage in quad-core by using a design superior to Intelis, "which essentially glues two dual-core chips together," he wrote. Without hardware to run tests on and make comparisons, however, itis impossible to know which design performs better.
HPis computers will be aimed at high-end markets, where users are focused on CAD, digital content, and other hardware-intensive tasks. Mainstream desktops should see a version of the processor called "Core 2 Quad" during the first quarter of 2007, while a gaming version known as "Core 2 Extreme" will soon be shipped to OEMs.