Build a Custom PC Upgrade CPU Comparison: Have you ever waited impatiently for your PC to complete a compute-intensive task? Well those long waits are now a thing of the past. In April 2005, Intel ushered in a new era of processor architecture by releasing our first dual-core processor. Dual-core processors are the first step in the transition to multi-core computing.

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A New Era in Computer Architecture

Have you ever waited impatiently for your PC to complete a compute-intensive task? Well those long waits are now a thing of the past. In April 2005, Intel ushered in a new era of processor architecture by releasing our first dual-core processor. Dual-core processors are the first step in the transition to multi-core computing. Intel is already conducting research on architectures that could hold dozens or even hundreds of processors on a single die. So what exactly is multi-core?

Intel multi-core architecture has a single Intel processor package that contains two or more processor "execution cores," or computational engines, and delivers—with appropriate software—fully parallel execution of multiple software threads. The operating system (OS) perceives each of its execution cores as a discrete processor, with all the associated execution resources.

Multi-core processor capability is central to Intel's platform approach. By enabling enhanced performance and more-efficient simultaneous processing of multiple tasks, multi-core processors promise to improve user experiences in both home and business environments. Learn more about the benefits of Intel multi-core processors and technologies.

Multi-Core Is the Future of Computing

Intel has more than 15 multi-core related projects underway and plans to increase our software and solutions enabling product lines, tools, investment and programs to further spur design and validation. In addition, we bring other unique capabilities and assets including our premier collection of technologies and world-class manufacturing capabilities.