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Shocker! Retail Core i7 CPUs caught using DDR3-1600 memory
The kids over at Maximum PC have told us a sordid tale involving Core i7 processors, "extreme heat and smoke damage," and a pair of jumper cables -- we'll spare you the details -- and have come to the realization that, contrary to popular belief, the retail version of the budget-minded Core i7 920 processor (and its midrange brethren, the 940) is shipping with unlocked multipliers and memory ratios. According to some "Deep Throat"-esque shadowy figure at Intel, the company chalks it up to a "marketing decision" made after receiving "requests from some of our customers." If this is indeed the case, customers will be able to rock the fast-paced DDR3-1600 memory without shelling out big money on a Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 CPU. And that ain't the least of it -- hit the read link for plenty of talk about QPI speeds and benchmarks. You'll be glad you did.
Intel Core i7 CPUs reappear on NewEgg
Remember those Core i7 processors that showed up -- ever so briefly -- on NewEgg a few days ago, only to promptly disappear, leaving us to ponder what we'd done wrong? Well, even though they're not slated to officially hit shelves until November 17th, we've heard from a slew of vigilant tipsters (hipsters?) that they're back. The prices are the same as we saw before, but you might want to check 'em out yourself right away, just in case they disappear again and you're forced to wait until tomorrow.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Intel Core i7 listings show up on NewEgg to tease you, then split
Listings for Intel's new Core i7 processors popped up on NewEgg for a couple hours yesterday before getting pulled back into the pre-launch ether -- a cruel tease to desktop PC hardware aficionados counting down the nanoseconds till that red letter day, November 17th. We knew it wouldn't last, but we're glad of the error, 'cause now we've seen pricing info which should reflect what we'll be paying next week. The 2.66GHz 920 was listed at $319.99, the 2.93GHz 940 at $599.99, and the 3.2GHz Extreme 965 at $1,069. Benchmarks have shown even the 920 besting top-of-the-line Core 2 Quads, so the entry point is alluring, but if you're a True Gearhead we expect you'll embezzle a grand to afford the Extreme chip. [Thanks, Staff]
Intel Core i7 review roundup
We've already seen a few benchmarks of Intel's new Core i7 processor, but if you're still craving some more details about Intel's latest and greatest you now have plenty more than that to chew on, with reviews, overviews, and yet more benchmarks pouring in left and right. As you might expect, most sites are describing the CPU as a very big deal for Intel, with the folks at Maximum PC even going so far as to call it the company's "most significant CPU launch in, well, ever." What's more, as those early benchmarks hinted at, it doesn't look like there's too many folks disappointed with the new processors, with even the "low end" Core i7 920 able to defeat the higher clock speed Core 2 Quad Q9650 "over and over" according to TechSpot, a feat due in large part to the CPU's on-die memory controller and Intel's new QPI technology. The first few systems shipping with the processor also look to have been fairly well received, with Slash Gear finding that Gateway's new Core i7 920-based FX6800-01e delivered a reasonable but not revolutionary upgrade over its Core 2 Quad-based predecessor, and Computer Shopper also finding plenty of things to like in new systems from Falcon Northwest and iBuypower, though the price of each of those systems is another matter. That, of course, is just skimming the surface, and if you've got a few hours to spare, you can find plenty more to keep you busy by diving into the links below.Read - PC Perspective. "Nehalem Revolution: Intel's Core i7 Processor Complete Review"Read - Techgage, "Intel Core i7 Performance Preview"Read - Maximum PC, "Core i7 Dissected and Benchmarked"Read - Computer Shopper, "Intel's Core i7 Debuts: Systems, CPUs, and Motherboards Reviewed"Read - HotHardware, "Getting To Know Intel's New Core i7, Video Spotlight"Read - HotHardware, "Intel Core i7 Processors: Nehalem and X58 Have Arrived"Read - TechSpot, "Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition review"Read - Custom PC, "Intel Core i7 - all you need to know"Read - SlashGear, "Gateway FX6800-01e Review"
Intel Core i7 benchmarks make Core 2 Extreme look like a washed-up has-been
Presumably in an (utterly futile) attempt to bring down the power grid all around the Mediterranean, print magazine PC World Greece benchmarked three powerful Nehalem desktop processors -- the Core i7 Extreme Edition 965, and the apparently non-extreme Core i7 920 and 940. Names aside, performance from all three was extreme compared to most stuff currently on the market. The data for number nerds: in 3DMark06 the 920 finished ever-so-slightly behind the Core 2 Extreme QX9770's 4,922 marks with 4,818 while the 940 and the 965 both opened a can of you-know-what at 5,282 and 5,716 respectively. More titillating figures await enthusiasts through the read link, but for you normal folk only concerned that Nehalem wouldn't be fast enough to justify an upgrade (and you weren't), rest assured that it triumphed in this no-holds-barred CPU cage match.[Via techPowerUp! Forums, thanks sk]
