Coming Soon - 6 Core Processors!

Own a swanky dual core or a quad core processor? Having fun with your ultra fast iCore CPUs? There's news for you - chip giants Intel and AMD are prepping up SIX core processors for the consumer market.

Intel and AMD have enjoyed a lot of success (Intel more so) with their dual and quad core processors and it was only expected that they would follow it up by adding 50 percent more processors for future computers and faster performance. According to a report by Digitimes Intel would release the six-core CPUs (codenamed 'Gulftown') at the end of March. The chip, based on the Nehalem architecture would be named 'i7-980X' and would be priced about $1000+. AMD would whip out their six-core "Thuban" 45nm chips as Phenom II X6 1075T, 1055T and 1035T sometime in May. AMD will also launch the quad-core Phenom II X4 960T. Goes without saying, the new CPUs would turn your computer into a super machine (and would probably just about run Crysis).

Intel recently released their 32nm Westmere CPUs in January - Clarkdale for the desktop version and Arrandale for mobile (LGA1156 Core i3 and i5 dual core processors) which boast an inbuilt graphic unit as well as DDR3 memory controller. Westmere supports both Hyperthreading and Turbo Boost.

As we reported earlier (AMD) finally made a profit after three long years in the dry. The outfit reported a Q4 revenue of $1.65 billion which is an increase of 18 percent compared to the previous quarter and 42 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. As per AMD's press release, 'In the fourth quarter of 2009, AMD reported net income attributable to AMD common stockholders of $1.178 billion, or $1.52 per share, which includes a net favorable impact of $1.238 billion, or $1.57 per share. AMD reported operating income of $1.288 billion in the quarter, including a net favorable impact of $1.224 billion. The net favorable impacts were primarily from a legal settlement with Intel Corp.'

AMD's quarter marks another milestone in our transformation and underscores our growing momentum," said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and CEO. "We enter 2010 having completed the transition to a fabless business model, reached a historic antitrust settlement, and made significant progress strengthening our balance sheet. Our innovative strategy for designing the world's most vivid digital experiences continues to generate demand."