Intel Core Duo and other Yonah processors will according to new information come with a new stepping; D-0. Today the original C0 stepping is still being used with Intel’s Yonah based processors and the transitions to D0 will be the first with Yonah. The new stepping will use a somewhat different packaging but the most interesting part is that it will bring some form of performance improving optimizations. The first units with the D-0 stepping is expected to appear sometime between April 24 and May 5, but when we will see it in stores remains to be seen. The only thing required by consumers to be able to use the new stepping is an BIOS update.
In order to incorporate speed enhancements for Yonah Based Processors, Intel is converting the Intel® Core™ Duo Processors T2600, T2500, T2400 from C-0 Stepping to D-0 Stepping.
- A BIOS update is required for D0-Step Products.
- The D-0 stepping is backwards compatible with the C-0 stepping.
- All C-0 products supported under Intel’s Stable Image Platform Program (ISIPP) will continue to be supported on D-0 stepping.
- To improve package quality, D0-Stepping products use a package with Reverse Geometry Caps. The visible package differences are cosmetic only.
Intel plans to conduct conversion of Intel® Core™ Duo Processors, Intel® Core™ Solo Processors and Intel® Celeron® M 400 series C0 processors over three phases.
:: Read Intel’s document (PDF)
Source: VR-Zone
