Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo - Merom Debuts

Intel's Mobile Core 2 Duo, otherwise known as Merom, is a completely revamped dual core processor based on Intel's "Core" micro-architecture.  This architecture differs greatly from the Core Duo "Centrino" processors that are built with a pair of Intel Dothan (Pentium M) core CPUs under the hood.

Core 2 Duo Mobile - Merom Architecture Bigger, Faster, Stronger

Merom, like the Core 2 Duo for Desktops, has a unified 4MB L2 cache that contributes to a significantly larger die size versus Core Duo Dothan-based dual core processors that have only 2MB of cache.  The additional cache offers substantial improvements in latency and bandwidth since more operations can be processed completely on-chip rather than having to go out to external system memory. 

 
Yonah (Core Duo) On The Left And Merom (Core 2 Duo) On The Right

 
Core 2 Duo Drops Right Into Existing Socket 479/945 Express System Boards

Finally, the good news for current Core Duo "Centrino" customers is that Merom/Mobile Core 2 Duo is also backwards compatible with most existing Core Duo-based notebooks that are built on Intel's Mobile 945 Express chipset.  Some systems may require a simple BIOS update, while others will be a completely plug-and-play affair.

Sony Viao SZ150 Notebook
Upgraded with Core 2 Duo T7600 "Merom"
No Modifications Or BIOS Updates Were Required 

For reference on how to actually perform a Core 2 Duo transplant, we invite you to check out our recently published Do-It-Yourself Whitebook article here.