Intel's consumer line of x86 CPUs (the high-end x86 line is branded with the Xeon name (see
Xeon). Starting in 2006, the Core chips superseded the 13-year run of the Pentium, and Pentiums were relegated to lower-cost, entry-level PCs. The Core name was assigned to three different architecture families summarized below, starting with the most recent. See
microarchitecture and
Pentium.
Core M
Introduced in 2014, Core M is a family of power-efficient CPU chips targeted for laptops and tablets. See
Core M.
Core i Series (i3, i5, i7, i9)
The i7, the first model of the i series was launched in 2008, which was the high end of the line. The less-powerful i5 and i3 models were introduced in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2017, the i9 was added as its top model. See
Core i3,
Core i5,
Core i7 and
Core i9.
The original microarchitecture of the Core i series was code-named Nehalem. Subsequent microarchitectures were Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell, etc. (see
Intel microarchitectures).
Core 2 - Before Core i Series
Prior to the i series, the 64-bit Core 2 family, introduced in mid-2006, was a major departure from the previous Core Duo chips. Using the Penryn microarchitecture, Core 2 chips became available in single, dual and quad core models. See
Core 2.
Core Duo
In early 2006, and based on the existing Pentium M (mobile) architecture, the dual core, 32-bit Core Duo was the first chip introduced with the Core brand. Used only in laptops, the Core Duo chips were superseded by the Core 2 family. See
Core Duo.