Ballistics Report

Pros

Performance: Intel’s Core 2 processor core incorporates many architectural enhancements that are designed to improve the CPU’s performance. For starters, Intel’s knocked the number of pipeline stages down from 31 stages in Pentium D, to just 14 stages in Core 2. This allows Core 2 to deliver more instructions per clock cycle. In essence Core 2 gives up some clock speed, but it can perform more work per clock. Core 2 can also complete up to four instructions versus three in previous processors and features more accurate branch prediction.

Core 2 can also execute 128–bit SSE, SSE2 and SSE3 instructions within one clock cycle.

While it may not share all the performance-enhancing features of more expensive Core 2 Duo processors such as the larger L2 cache and higher clock speeds, Intel’s Core 2 Duo E4300 still put up very good performance numbers. Overall the E4300 outperformed AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 4200+ in our performance testing, which is more expensive and runs at a higher clock speed. In fact, in some cases it was even faster than the X2 4600+!

With such unassuming vital statistics, it’s surprising to see just how well the Core 2 Duo E4300 performs. But things get even better once you start overclocking…

Highly overclockable: Normally we don’t like to comment on the overclock ability of specific parts, as you guys get upset when you don’t hit the same OC speeds as we do, but in this case we’ve got to make an exception. Since day one, Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors have been marvelous overclockers. 500MHz+ overclocks aren’t only common, they’re usually the starting point for most enthusiasts.

Fortunately, Allendale continues this tradition, and with its 9.0x multiplier, the Core 2 Duo E4300 is truly built for overclocking. This is the CPU to get if you’re on a budget.

Price: Officially the Core 2 Duo E4300 carries a list price of $163. Keep in mind that this is the price Intel charges its distributors when CPUs are purchased in quantities of 1,000 and not the street price. This is $20 less than Intel’s previous budget champ, the Core 2 Duo E6300, and $61 less than the Core 2 Duo E6400.

Cons

The future: Intel’s got quite a bit planned for the near future. Next quarter it’s expected that Intel will introduce two new CPUs, the E6320 and E6420, both of which are based on today’s E6300 and E6400, only they’ve been outfitted with 4MB of L2 cache. In Q2’07 the E4300 will also be getting a bigger brother, the E4400, which will run at 2.0GHz.

It’s also expected that Intel will be slashing their CPU prices next quarter. Be sure to check out the link above to see the new rumored prices.

Later this year we’ll also see the debut of Intel’s Bearlake family of chipsets. Bearlake is expected to support 1333MHz FSB operation, as well as PCI Express 2.0 and DDR3 memory.