Intel to unveil new Merom laptop chip

With all the hubbub surrounding its Core 2 Duo processor, Intel isn't going to waste any time merely focusing on desktops at its launch event next week.

Merom, a laptop processor and the third leg of Intel's Core architecture triumvirate, will also get a thorough airing at a launch party planned at the chipmaker's headquarters this Thursday (27 July), CNET.co.uk's sister site News.com has learned. Intel plans to announce details about the branding strategy and systems that will appear with Merom processors, although the chips themselves won't be available until later, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

The three chips form the basis of Intel's most competitive product lineup in years, and all are based on a new chipmaking architecture. The company has already launched the Woodcrest server chip, and released several details about the Conroe desktop chip, both of which address markets where Intel had lagged behind the performance of AMD's processors.

Intel has maintained more of an advantage in laptops with its Pentium M and Core Duo processors, but Merom will represent additional improvements in performance and power consumption. Like Conroe, it also will use the Core 2 Duo brand, with model numbers in the 5000 and 7000 range that will indicate performance.

Intel has already begun to ship Merom processors to its PC customers, chief executive officer Paul Otellini said on Wednesday during the company's second-quarter earnings conference call. Systems with Merom should begin to appear around the end of August, according to sources.

News.com's Stephen Shankland contributed to this report.