Should I wait for the new Penryn Core 2 processors?

hi,

I'm currently holding on buying a dell xps 1530 with a T7500/T7800 because i want to buy it with a 45nm penryn processor. But now im getting impatient. Is penryn really worth the wait (for its longer battery life, less power consumption etc etc)? or should i just go for the high end 65nm processor?

Jason

This is a great question, and one we find ourselves pondering every 18 months or so as new CPU ranges hit the market. Penryn, which as you know is the codename for the latest generation of Intel Core 2 processors, is scheduled to reach consumer laptops and desktops sometime before the end of summer 2008. But whether you should wait depends on a several factors.

Penryn CPUs are hot property because they're designed to be more efficient than previous CPUs. They use a smaller fabrication, or manufacturing, process that enables Intel to incorporate a greater number of transistors, or switches. They're also said to be faster and more energy efficient than previous Core 2 processors.

Exactly how quick and energy-efficient these are is hard to say. We've yet to run our own benchmarks on them. We're hearing whispers from within Intel that consumers can expect performance increases of up to 40% in gaming and video encoding tasks using Intel SSE4 optimised video encoders, 25% for 3D rendering, and 15% for image manipulation. That sounds highly optimistic if you ask us, but here's hoping it can be done.

Should you wait for a new laptop with a Penryn CPU? Probably, yes. They'll almost certainly be great, but even if you don't buy a Penryn model, laptops using the previous generation of CPUs should drop in price. You'll then have the choice of a super-fast new laptop, or a sufficiently-quick old model that saves you money.

Hope this helps.

I heard it was a 30% increase in overall performance... Either way tho, In my opinion its well worth the wait, especially for laptop users with the increased power efficiency It is claimed to offer.