On Sunday Intel launched new processors with smaller chips that go by the name Penryn that are produced with a 45 nanometer process which is significantly smaller than the 65 nanometer process used today. Intel announced plans for this launch earlier this fall which introduces such small circuitry thirty million of these 45nm-wide circuits could fit on the head of a pin.

There are multiple advantages to this smaller design. First, the smaller circuits allow Intel to create more chips using the same single platter of silicon making overall production more efficient and Intel is expecting as much as a 15 percent increase in processing speed with the new design. It also currently puts them undeniably in front of rival Advanced Micro Design in an ongoing head-to-head battle for the fastest and most efficient processors. AMD launched 65 nm chips earlier in the year as well as a triple core processor, and plans to also have 45nm chips in production by next year.

The new Penryn processor chips will be available in Intel’s Xeon and Core 2 processor brands powering servers in a dozen configurations ranging in price from under $200 to over $1200.

Intel