The AMD Phenom may be struggling against the Core 2 steamroller, but Intel's first quarter of 2008 hasn't been going according to plan either. The continued stalling of its much-anticipated, all-out, 45-nanometer-process "Penryn" offensive; issues with the Core 2 Quad "Yorkfield"; the missing-in-action X48 Express chipset; and severe product shortages on the dual-core "Wolfdale" front all add up to a headache for the chip giant. But everything points to an Intel resurgence in the marketplace, with activity on all fronts.

Everything related to the Penryn family is eagerly anticipated, but the prospect of a mainstream, 45-nanometer-process, quad-core CPU is a particularly attractive one. The quad-core Yorkfield release had been postponed due to problems with the processor system bus, as some entry-level motherboards would not be able to handle the 1333MHz front-side bus. This wasn't a problem with high-end or enthusiast-level motherboards, but Intel decided to go back for a little fine-tuning.

The glitches have apparently been cleared up, and now that the latest stepping allows 45nm quad-core goodness across the Intel platform spectrum, the official Yorkfield launch is imminent. Processors include the Core 2 Quad Q9450 (2.66GHz) and Q9550 (2.83GHz), which feature 2x6MB of Level 2 cache and run on the 1333MHz bus. The Core 2 Quad Q9300 is a bit different, running at 2.5GHz on FSB1333 but with only 2x3MB of Level 2 cache.

Retail pricing is expected to be very competitive, with the three new Core 2 Quads sitting in the $300 to $600 range, giving Intel a nice selection of mainstream and high-end quad-cores. Currently, the 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad Q6600 is the only remotely affordable Intel quad-core processor, and is very popular with even enthusiast buyers. Once these Yorkfields hit the retail shelves, demand should be at a fever pitch, and could result in a similar situation to the Intel Wolfdale release.

The Enthusiast Who Cried Wolfdale

The current retail selection of 45-nanometer-process Wolfdale CPUs is virtually nonexistent. Sure, Intel has officially released these new processors, but demand has far outstripped supply. Like Old Mother Hubbard, enthusiasts are finding that the cupboards are bare, and whatever Wolfdale stocks do trickle in are quickly scooped up. These are now the hottest CPUs on the market, bar none. Some online forums are even tracking vendor Web sites for new shipments.

There have been rumors of 45nm production shortages, but initial supplies were in line with Intel's usual new processor releases. Enthusiasts had been chomping at the bit for months, reading the previews and anxiously waiting for Wolfdale to finally appear. When it did, they pounced, and hard. Right now, online price-search engines show no listings for either the Core 2 Duo E8400 or E8500, and word on the street is that it will be April before Intel fills all the outstanding orders.

Too many people banging down your doors to buy products is a problem that many companies would love to have, but these shortages could still represent lost revenue if AMD siphons off some of the buyers. But whether Intel's main competitor can actually take advantage of this situation is a different question: AMD is due to introduce the bug-fix B3 Phenom models soon and has the Phenom tri-core on tap, but its transition to 45-nanometer technology remains far off in the distance. Maybe that's why Intel doesn't sound too concerned.

The X48 Takes Flight

Meanwhile, Intel doesn't even officially list it on its Web site, but motherboard vendors have already sent out review boards with the new X48 Express chipset and are priming up for its official release. Intel's X38 chipset was released in much the same manner, so this type of semi-stealth introduction shouldn't be a surprise, especially since Intel is putting more emphasis on the chipsets rather than specific Intel motherboard versions of the technology.

The X48 is a very important product, as it fills a perceived gap in Intel's product line. Soon after the X38 was released, news filtered out that it didn't officially support FSB1600 and that the forthcoming X48 would. Most high-end X38 motherboards turned out to support FSB1600 anyway, and the X48 turned out to be essentially the same design, but the pair still caused some confusion.

When you add in the lack of any 1600MHz-bus Core 2 processors, the X48 chipset looks like a nonissue, but it did lead many Intel enthusiast buyers to wait things out just to be sure. Now that the X48 is due to be unleashed, it fills in any gray zones in the Intel product lineup and ensures that Nvidia won't have the top-end market to itself.

Intel Puts Four Cores in Your Lap

We've been anticipating a quad-core mobile processor since the technology first appeared at the desktop level. Early quad-cores simply consumed too much power and produced too much heat to be viable options for notebook users, especially given the high-efficiency, power-saving message associated with Intel's Centrino brand.

Now that Intel has dropped the Core 2 down to 45 nanometers and lowered thermal requirements, the prospect of a quad-core laptop CPU has become a reality, as rumors of a Core 2 Extreme QX9300 have started trickling in. This will be a 45nm Penryn model, at a reported clock speed of 2.53GHz and a 1066MHz front-side bus. The retail price may raise some eyebrows, as it is expected to follow other Extreme models to the neighborhood of $1,000.

Basic specifications will match the desktop versions, as the QX9300 will sport a full 12MB (2x6MB) of Level 2 cache with a maximum thermal design power (TDP) of an impressive 45 watts. How Intel will perform that little sleight of hand with TDP will be very interesting, as the 2.66GHz Core 2 Quad 65-nanometer-meter desktop processor sports a TDP of 130 watts and even the 45-nanometer version isn't far behind at 95 watts.

Another Extreme mobile processor is on tap, with the 3.06GHz X9100 dual-core expected to hit the market by early summer. These two CPUs will join the 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000 as the only Extreme models on the Centrino platform. Summer will also bring a new set of Penryn-based Core 2 Duo parts, ranging from 2.26GHz to 2.8GHz and filling the clock-speed gaps from the first wave of 45-nanometer processors.

All of this paints a very compelling picture, showing Intel getting all its ducks in a row and finally providing a top-to-bottom 45-nanometer-process solution. The upcoming release of the X48 chipset closes out the circle, and gives enthusiasts a high-end Intel platform for their latest CPU purchases. But as good as the scenario looks for Intel, it must be downright scary for AMD, especially as the Phenom is having a difficult time keeping up with the existing crop of Core 2 processors.