The Core 2 processor line was introduced on July 27, 2006,[3] comprising the Duo (dual-core) and Extreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts), and in 2007, the Quad (quad-core) and Solo (single-core) sub-brands.

[4] Intel Core 2 processors with vPro technology (designed for businesses) include the dual-core and quad-core branches.

Newer versions of VM software do not support processors older than Nehalem (Core 2 and older), as they lack support for VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also called Second Level Address Translation (SLAT).

[a] The Core 2-branded processors feature Virtualization Technology without extended page tables (EPT) (with some exceptions), the NX bit and SSE3.

[1] 1st public demonstration: Anandtech discovers Core 2 Duo performance under the supervision of Francois Piednoel