GamerNode recently reported on Intel’s plans to deliver their new quad-core processing unit, codenamed "Penryn," on a 45nm fabrication. One very important reason for the smaller size of the CPU is a newly-introduced material called halfnium.
Halfnium will be replacing the usual silicon dioxide, and will allow Intel to reduce transistor size while still maintaining the same level of performance and efficiency. The new matierial will also be put to use in many upcoming products, including the Dr. Douglas Binks -endorsed Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650.
Binks, the research and development manager of Crytek, had this to say:
"One of our goals was to optimize Crysis in order to deliver the ultimate quality, bringing mind-blowing game play to the latest hardware.
With the new processors, we use multi-core technology to enable physics, particle effects and audio on separate cores, helping Crysis to create an astounding gaming experience."
Intel’s Penryn chips are available now, with the Extreme QX9650 to be launched in the near future.
