Intel revamped its chip road map in February, saying it would move to a 32-nanometer process more quickly than it had originally planned. The new chips will be built with that process.

Arrandale is expected to improve graphics performance while drawing less power than existing Core 2 processors. The chips will integrate the graphics processor and CPU on a single chip. Clock speeds could be similar to chips used in existing laptops, but are expected to offer better performance by running more threads on each core.

Otellini said earlier this year that Intel would spend US$7 billion over the next two years to revamp its manufacturing plants. It is prioritizing its move to the 32-nanometer process to lower chip-manufacturing costs and increase production.