Intel Core is a line of multi-core (with the exception of Core Solo and Core 2 Solo) central processing units (CPUs) for midrange, embedded, workstation, high-end, enthusiast, gaming computer and entry-level server markets marketed by Intel Corporation. These processors displaced the existing mid- to high-end Pentium processors at the time of their introduction, moving the Pentium to the mid-range budget market. Identical or more capable versions of Core processors are also sold as Xeon processors for the server and workstation markets.
Core was launched in January 2006 as a mobile-only series, consisting of single-core and dual-core models. It was then succeeded later in July by the Core 2 series, which included both desktop and mobile processors with up to four cores, and introduced 64-bit support.
A new naming scheme was introduced in 2023, consisting of Core 3, Core 5, and Core 7 for mid-range to high-end processors, and Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7, and Core Ultra 9 for super-high-end processors, respectively succeeding the Core i3, i5, i7, and i9, which had been manufactured for desktops and laptops from 2008 to 2024.
Overview Although Intel Core is a brand that promises no internal consistency or continuity, the processors within this family have been broadly similar.
The first products receiving this designation were the Core Solo and Core Duo Yonah processors for mobile from the Pentium M design tree, fabricated at 65 nm and brought to market in January 2006. These are substantially different in design than the rest of the Intel Core product group, having derived from the Pentium Pro lineage that predated Pentium 4.
The first Intel Core desktop processor—and typical family member—came from the Conroe iteration, a 65 nm dual-core design brought to market in July 2006, based on the Intel Core microarchitecture with substantial enhancements in micro-architectural efficiency and performance, outperforming Pentium 4 across the board (or near to it), while operating at drastically lower clock rates. Maintaining high instructions per cycle (IPC) on a deeply pipelined and resourced out-of-order execution engine has remained a constant fixture of the Intel Core product group ever since.
The new substantial bump in microarchitecture came with the introduction of the 45 nm Bloomfield desktop processor in November 2008 on the Nehalem architecture, whose main advantage came from redesigned I/O and memory systems featuring the new Intel QuickPath Interconnect and an integrated memory controller supporting up to three channels of DDR3 memory.
Subsequent performance improvements have tended toward making additions rather than profound changes, such as adding the Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) instruction set extensions to Sandy Bridge, first released on 32 nm in January 2011. Time has also brought improved support for virtualization and a trend toward higher levels of system integration and management functionality (and along with that, increased performance) through the ongoing evolution of facilities such as Intel Active Management Technology (iAMT).
As of 2017, the Core brand comprised four product lines – the entry level i3, the mainstream i5, the high-end i7, and the "enthusiast" i9. Core i7 was introduced in 2008, followed by i5 in 2009, and i3 in 2010. The first Core i9 models were released in 2017.
In June 2023, Intel announced that the letter (or moniker) "i" in Core branding would be dropped, making it "Core 3/5/7/9". The company would introduce the "Ultra" branding for high-end processors as well. The new naming scheme debuted with the launch of Raptor Lake-U Refresh and Meteor Lake processors in 2024, using the "Core 3/5/7" branding for mainstream processors and "Core Ultra 5/7/9" branding for "premium" high-end processors.
+ Comparison of Intel Core microarchitectures Microarchitecture Core Nehalem Sandy Bridge Haswell Broadwell Skylake Sunny Cove Willow Cove Golden Cove Raptor Cove Microarchitecture variants Merom Penryn Westmere Ivy Bridge Tiger Lake Generation (Core i)--1st2nd/3rd4th5th/6th6th/7th/8th/9th10th/11th11th12th13th/14thYear of inception20062007201020112013201420152019202020212022 Fabrication process (nm) 65 45 32/22 22 14 14+/14++/14+++ 10 10SF 10ESF Cache μop colspan="3" 1.5K μops 2.25K μops 4K μops L1 Data Size 32 KB/core 48 KB/core Ways 8 way 12 way Latency 3 4 3/5 5 Instruction Size 32 KB/core ways 8 way 4 way 8 way 8 way Latency 3 4 5 TLB 142 144 L2 Size 2-3 MB/core 256 KB 512 KB 1.25 MB2 MB ways 8 way 4 way 8 way 20 way 10 way Latency 12 13 14 TLB 1024 1536 2048 L3 Size 2 MB 3 MB ways 16 way 12 way Latency 26-37 30-36 43 74 L4 Size None 0–128 MB None ways 16 Latency Type GPU Memory only cache Hyper-threading No Yes OoOE window 96 128 168 192 224 352 512 In-flight Load 48 64 72 128 192 Store 32 36 42 56 72 114 Scheduler Entries 32 36 54 60 64 97 160 Dispatch 8 way 10 way Register file Integer 160 168 280 280 Floating-point 144 168 224 332 Queue Instruction 18/thread 20/thread 20/thread 25/thread Allocation 28/thread 56 64/thread Decode 4 + 1 6 Execution Ports Numbers 6 88 10 12 Port 0 IntegerFP MulBranch IntegerFP MulBranch Port 1 IntegerFP Mul IntegerFP Mul Port 2 LoadAddress LoadStoreAddress Port 3 Store Address StoreLoadAddress Port 4 Store Data Store Data Port 5 Integer Port 6 colspan="4" rowspan="2" IntegerBranch Port 7 Store Address AGUs 2 + 1 2 + 2 Instructions SSE2 colspan="11" SSE3 colspan="11" SSE4 colspan="1" colspan="10" AVX colspan="3" colspan="8" AVX2 colspan="4" colspan="7" FMA colspan="4" colspan="7" AVX512 colspan="6" colspan="2" colspan="2" μArchitectureMeromPenrynNehalemSandy BridgeHaswellBroadwellSkylakeIce LakeTiger LakeAlder LakeRaptor Lake
+Overview of Intel Core microarchitectures Brand Desktop Mobile Codename Cores Process Date released Codename Cores Process Date released Core SoloDesktop version not availableYonah165 nmJanuary 2006 Core DuoYonah2 Core 2 SoloMerom-LPenryn-L1165 nm45 nmSeptember 2007May 2008 Core 2 DuoConroeAllendaleWolfdale22265 nm65 nm45 nmAugust 2006January 2007January 2008MeromPenryn2265 nm45 nmJuly 2006January 2008 Core 2 QuadKentsfieldYorkfield4465 nm45 nmJanuary 2007March 2008Penryn QC445 nmAugust 2008 Core 2 ExtremeConroe XEKentsfield XEYorkfield XE24465 nm65 nm45 nmJuly 2006November 2006November 2007Merom XEPenryn XEPenryn QC XE22465 nm45 nm45 nmJuly 2007January 2008August 2008 Core MDesktop version not availableBroadwell214 nmSeptember 2014 Core m3SkylakeKaby LakeKaby LakeAmber Lake222214 nm14 nm14 nm14 nmAugust 2015September 2016April 2017August 2018 Core m5Skylake214 nmAugust 2015 Core m7Skylake214 nmAugust 2015 Core i3ClarkdaleSandy BridgeIvy BridgeHaswellSkylakeKaby LakeCoffee LakeCoffee LakeComet LakeAlder LakeRaptor Lake2222224444432 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nmIntel 7Intel 7January 2010February 2011September 2012September 2013September 2015January 2017October 2017Jan. & April 2019April 2020January 2022Jan. 2023 & 2024ArrandaleSandy BridgeIvy BridgeHaswellBroadwellSkylakeKaby LakeSkylakeKaby LakeCoffee LakeCannon LakeCoffee LakeWhiskey LakeIce LakeComet LakeTiger Lake / BAlder LakeRaptor LakeMeteor Lake2222222222242222-46-85-6832 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm10 nm14 nm14 nm10 nm14 nm10 nmIntel 7Intel 7Intel 4January 2010February 2011June 2012June 2013January 2015Sept. 2015 & June 2016August 2016November 2016Jan. & June 2017April 2018May 2018July 2018August 2018May & Aug. 2019September 2019Sept. 2020, Jan. - May 2021January 2022Jan. 2023 & 2024April 2024 Core i5LynnfieldClarkdaleSandy BridgeSandy BridgeIvy BridgeHaswellBroadwellSkylakeKaby LakeCoffee LakeCoffee LakeComet LakeRocket LakeAlder LakeRaptor Lake42422-42-444466666-1010-1445 nm32 nm32 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nmIntel 7Intel 7September 2009January 2010January 2011February 2011April 2012June 2013June 2015September 2015January 2017October 2017Oct. 2018 & Jan. 2019April 2020March 2021Nov. 2021 & Jan. 2022Jan. 2023/2024 & Oct. 2023/2024ArrandaleSandy BridgeIvy BridgeHaswellBroadwellSkylakeKaby LakeKaby LakeKaby Lake-RCoffee LakeAmber LakeWhiskey LakeIce LakeComet LakeComet Lake-HTiger LakeTiger Lake-H/BAlder LakeAlder Lake-H/HXRaptor LakeMeteor Lake22222224442444444-610-128-126-128-1432 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm10 nm14 nm14 nm10 nm10 nmIntel 7Intel 7Intel 7Intel 4January 2010February 2011May 2012June 2013January 2015September 2015August 2016January 2017October 2017April 2018Aug. 2018 & Oct. 2018Aug. 2018 & April 2019May & Aug. 2019September 2019April 2020Sept. 2020 – May 2021January – September 2021January 2022January & May 2022Jan. 2023 & 2024Dec. 2023 & Apr. 2024 Core i7BloomfieldLynnfieldGulftownSandy BridgeSandy Bridge-ESandy Bridge-EIvy BridgeHaswellIvy Bridge-EBroadwellSkylakeKaby LakeCoffee LakeCoffee LakeComet LakeRocket LakeAlder LakeRaptor Lake446464444-644468881216-2045 nm45 nm32 nm32 nm32 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nmIntel 7Intel 7November 2008September 2009July 2010January 2011November 2011February 2012April 2012June 2013September 2013June 2015August 2015January 2017October 2017October 2018April 2020March 2021Nov. 2021 & Jan. 2022Jan. 2023/2024 & Oct. 2023/2024ClarksfieldArrandaleSandy BridgeSandy BridgeIvy BridgeHaswellBroadwellBroadwellSkylakeKaby LakeKaby LakeCoffee LakeAmber LakeWhiskey LakeIce LakeComet LakeComet Lake-HTiger LakeTiger Lake-H/BAlder LakeAlder Lake-H/HXRaptor LakeMeteor Lake42422-42-4242-4244-62444-66-844-810-1410-1614-2012-1645 nm32 nm32 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm10 nm14 nm14 nm10 nm10 nmIntel 7Intel 7Intel 7Intel 4September 2009January 2010January 2011February 2011May 2012June 2013January 2015June 2015September 2015August 2016January 2017April 2018August 2018Aug. 2018 & April 2019May & Aug. 2019September 2019April 2020September 2020January – September 2021 January 2022January & May 2022January 2023 & 2024 Dec. 2023 & Apr. 2024 Core i7ExtremeBloomfieldGulftownSandy Bridge-EIvy Bridge-EHaswell-EBroadwell-ESkylake-XKaby Lake-X46668106-8445 nm32 nm32 nm22 nm22 nm14 nm14 nm14 nmNovember 2008March 2010November 2011September 2013August 2014May 2016June 2017June 2017ClarksfieldSandy BridgeIvy BridgeHaswell444445 nm32 nm22 nm22 nmSeptember 2009January 2011May 2012June 2013Core i9 Skylake-XSkylake-XCascade Lake-XCoffee LakeComet LakeRocket LakeAlder Lake Raptor Lake101214-188108162414 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nm14 nmIntel 7Intel 7June 2017August 2017September 2017October 2018April 2020March 2021Nov. 2021 & Jan. 2022Oct. 2022 / Jan.&Oct. 2023 Coffee Lake-HComet Lake-HTiger Lake-HAlder Lake-H/HXRaptor Lake-H/HXMeteor Lake-H68814-1614-241614 nm14 nm10 nmIntel 7Intel 7Intel 4April 2018April 2020May 2021January & May 2022January 2023 & 2024December 2023 List of Intel Core processors
Core series
Core
The original Core brand refers to Intel's 32-bit mobile dual-core x86 CPUs, which were derived from the Pentium M branded processors. The processor family used an enhanced version of the P6 microarchitecture. It emerged in parallel with the NetBurst microarchitecture (Intel P68) of the Pentium 4 brand, and was a precursor of the 64-bit Core microarchitecture of Core 2 branded CPUs. The Core brand had two branches: the Duo (dual-core) and Solo (single-core, which replaced the Pentium M brand of single-core mobile processor).
Intel launched the Core brand on January 6, 2006, with the release of the 32-bit Yonah CPUIntel's first dual-core mobile (low-power) processor. Its dual-core layout closely resembled two interconnected Pentium M branded CPUs packaged as a single die (piece) silicon chip (IC). Hence, the 32-bit microarchitecture of Core branded CPUscontrary to its namehad more in common with Pentium M branded CPUs than with the subsequent 64-bit Core microarchitecture of Core 2 branded CPUs. Despite a major rebranding effort by Intel starting January 2006, some companies continued to market computers with the Yonah core marked as Pentium M.