1066 MHz Processors

The Bottom Line: If you thought dual cores were over the top, get ready. Intel presents the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, a single CPU with four distinct processing cores. At $999, the first quad-core CPU will remain an enthusiast part for a while, but as a glimpse of the future, it's clear that clock speed is out and core counts are in.

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700

The Bottom Line: Intel's Core 2 Duo line marks the end of AMD's run of dominance through the dual-core desktop-processor landscape. Not only are Intel's new chips fast, efficient, and well designed, but they're also aggressively priced and sure to send ripples though the desktop PC industry. If you are buying or building a new computer, we recommend that a Core 2 Duo chip be at its center.

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Duo E6300

The Bottom Line: Intel's Core 2 Duo line marks the end of AMD's run of dominance through the dual-core desktop-processor landscape. Not only are Intel's new chips fast, efficient, and well designed, but they're also aggressively priced and sure to send ripples though the desktop PC industry. If you are buying or building a new computer, we recommend that a Core 2 Duo chip be at its center.

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Duo E6600

The Bottom Line: Intel's Core 2 Duo line marks the end of AMD's run of dominance through the dual-core desktop-processor landscape. Not only are Intel's new chips fast, efficient, and well designed, but they're also aggressively priced and sure to send ripples though the desktop PC industry. If you are buying or building a new computer, we recommend that a Core 2 Duo chip be at its center.

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Duo E6400

The Bottom Line: Intel's Core 2 Duo E6700 offers the best price-to-performance ratio we've seen in a desktop chip. For half the cost of AMD's top-of-the-line chip, you get identical if not superior performance and better power efficiency. AMD surprised us last year with its completely dominant dual-core chips, but Intel regains the crown with Core 2 Duo.

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Duo E6700

The Bottom Line: AMD's Athlon 64 FX line has worn the desktop CPU performance crown for over a year. The king is dead. Intel's new flagship Core 2 Extreme X6800 not only hands AMD a defeat on all of our benchmarks, but it's also a more efficient, better designed chip overall.

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800

Editors' Take: Intel's latest Pentium Extreme Edition 965 chip makes improvements in raw performance, but with a massive power-supply requirement, Intel's design looks inefficient compared to AMD's.

Specs: Processor, Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 965

Specs: Processor, Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955

Specs: Processor, Intel Core 2 Duo E7500

Specs: Processor ( Mobile ), Intel Core 2 Duo P8700, 478-pin Micro FCPGA