The Core 2 brand refers to a range of Intel's consumer dual-core and quad-core (2x2) 64-bit x86 CPUs based on the Intel Core microarchitecture, which derived from the 32-bit dual-core Yonah laptop processor. (Note: The Yonah comprised two interconnected cores — from the Pentium M branded microprocessor — coupled as a single die silicon chip or IC.) The 2x2 "quad-core" (dual-die dual-core[1]) comprised two separate dual-core dies next to each other in one CPU package. The Core 2 relegated the Pentium brand to a lower-end market, and reunified the laptop and desktop CPU lines separated by the Pentium M and Pentium 4 brands.

Unlike the preceding NetBurst architecture of the Pentium 4 or Pentium D branded CPUs, the Core architecture returned to lower clock speeds, and improved processors' usage of both available clock cycles and power. That translated into more efficient decoding stages, execution units, caches, and buses, etc, reducing the Core 2 CPUs' power consumption, while enhancing their processing capacity. With a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of up to only 65 W, the Core 2 dual-core Conroe consumed only half the power of less capable, but also dual-core Pentium D-branded desktop chips[5] with a TDP of up to 130 W[6] (a high TDP requires additional cooling that can be noisy or expensive).