As Cnet reports, Intel has updated its processor price list to include new ultra-low voltage (ULV) models of its Sandy Bridge Corei5 and Corei7 processors, and it’s quite likely that they’re headed straight for the MacBook Air.
The new processors are likely to show up in the next MacBook Air refresh, with consensus leading to the idea that the refresh will occur next month around the release of OS X 10.7 Lion. The new processors run cooler and use less power than the previous models.
The new processors, as included in the list are as follows:
- i5-2557M (3M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 1.70 GHz 32nm) – $250
- i7-2677M (4M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 1.80 Ghz, 32nm) – $317
- i7-2637M (4M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 1.70 Ghz, 32nm) – $289
The processors, if truly placed in the new Airs, would provide significant increases in clock speed, from 1.4 and 1.6ghz to 1.7 and 1.8ghz, with turboboost frequencies listed at 2.8 and 2.9ghz. Additionally, due to the Sandy Bridge architecture, they’ll also perform more efficiently.
