Intel has launched seven new dual-core Itanium processors, the first to use the Montvale architecture which succeeds the Montecino generation launched last year.

The new 9100 series processors are said to have new features that increase reliability and decrease power consumption.

They represent the sixth generation of the controversial Itanium design, originally developed with HP in a bid to break away from the classic x86 architecture used in PC chips.

Intel insists that the chip has been a success in the high-end markets for which it was designed, and three new generations are in the pipeline.

But the chip has not swept the world, partly because Intel's own multi-core x86 designs have been so successful.

A new feature called Core Level Lock-Step in the Montvale chips is said to preserve data integrity and boost the reliability of applications by eliminating undetected errors in the core.

Another, called demand-based switching, reduces power consumption during slack periods.

The Montvales clock up to 1.66GHz, with a 667MHz front-side bus and a 104W power envelope.