Core 2 Duo on sale today, and new desktops are right behind it

Rich Brown, Senior Editor July 27, 2006

We've already reviewed a handful of Core 2 Duo systems, as well as the chips themselves. Today's official launch of Intel's new CPUs brings even more systems to light. Dell follows up its high-end XPS 700 with the mainstream XPS 410. HP adds Core 2 Duo to its full-size Pavilion line with the d4600y. Alienware and Velocity Micro pull out the stops with their high-end gaming boxes--Alienware's with a brand-new case.

We expect to see many more PCs with Core 2 Duo chips in them before long. Gateway has an updated FX510XL on the way to us, and we know of a handful of others en route, as well. If Velocity Micro's $999 Vector GX Campus Edition is any indication, we also expect to see Core 2 Duo across a broad spectrum of the desktops market. Throw in the recent price cuts from both AMD and Intel, and it seems clear that PCs are about to undergo a top-to-bottom change. We anticipate that a typical low-end PC will become much more capable and that the high-end will shatter the old performance records.

More Resources

Check out our reviews of Intel's Core 2 Duo chips,

Dell's XPS 700: new chips, new case,

Velocity Micro's budget Core 2 Duo box,

Intel drops prices on its old Pentium D chips