Intel's just-released Quad-Core processors allow new x86-based workstations to offer unprecedented levels of performance. But such performance comes at a cost, both to acquire the new hardware and to ensure existing applications are rebuilt to take advantage of the new architecture. Identify the core business advantages before deciding to proceed with deployment.

Four Heads Are Better Than One

Intel's new offerings incorporate four unique processor cores on the same silicon die, which can significantly enhance performance in a number of demanding server and end-user usage scenarios. The product launch encompasses two major families of quadruple-core processors:

• Desktop – Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700. As this processor, previously known as Kentsfield, is being launched under the "Extreme" banner, it is ostensibly aimed at the gaming market. Workstation vendors, however, have also integrated this processor into their entry-level offerings as a cost-effective means of boosting performance for digital content creation and other graphics-intensive applications...