For the second half of this year Intel plans to launch its next-generation Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and Xeon products. The future microprocessors will be lead free.

This launch comes as a result of the high demand for Chips that provide a higher performance-to-power ratio reduce overall energy usage. In moving toward lead-free processors, Intel is apparently giving a nod to environmental groups that have called on the industry for years to reduce the use of dangerous materials found in computers, which often end up in landfills, despite recycling programs offered by many computer makers.
According to Intel, lead is used in a variety of "packages" that wrap around chips and ultimately connect them to the motherboard. The metal is also used in attaching chips to the packages. The package designs, which are in desktops, notebooks, and servers, will all be lead free in 45-nm chips starting this year, and in 2008 for 65-nm chipset products.
Intel produced its first lead-free flash memory products in 2002, and began shipping processors with 95% less led in 2004.