Intel to launch dual-core Itanium 2 tomorrow

Intel has been sending out invitations to a product introduction tomorrow, Tuesday 18 July. While the invitation itself is worded in a very fuzzy, there appears to be little doubt that Intel will unveil its new dual-core Itanium 2 processor.

"Intel now offers the most advanced high-end computing platform in the world combined with unmatched 'freedom of choice.' Double the performance, increased power efficiency and the freedom to run thousands of applications on multiple operating systems is just the start," the invitation reads.

If there is any doubt what else Intel may have up its sleeve, the fact that senior vice president Pat Gelsinger, in charge of Intel's digital enterprise group, is hosting the event, should clear up any confusion. "Listen in as Pat Gelsinger and Intel customers tell the whole story about how Intel is empowering the high-end computing industry," an email to analysts and journalists stated.

The new processor, formerly code-named "Montecito" comes with the highest transistor count of any Intel processor so far - 1.7 billion. Montecito will receive the official name Itanium 2 9000 series and become Intel's latest offering to replace RISC processors in systems that can run up to 512 processors in parallel. The new dual-core CPU will be available with FSB400 and FSB533 and carryover the E8870 chipset from Itanium 2 9M systems.

Sources told TG Daily that Intel will introduce five models (9010, 9020, 9030, 9040, 9050) that will be clocked between 1.4 and 1.6 GHz. L3 cache sizes will reach up to 24 MB.