Intel prepping for launch of Core i7

Intel prepping for launch of Core i7




Codenamed 'Bloomfield's, now branded Intel Core i7 is set to be the biggest launch of Intel's processor core line up.
The chip family officially launches on November 17, 2008, setting you back $280 to $999 for the higher end model.

The chips come in 3 models, 920, 940, and the higher end model 965 Extreme Edition. All models of the chip feature 4 cores, 256 kb L2 Cache and 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, ranging from 2.66 GHz to 3.2 GHz, with 800-1600 MHz 3xDDR3 memory controllers, in a LGA1366 socket.

Even more amazingly, this chip features Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, which can run two simultaneous threads, per core. The chip can also power down each of its cores to a zero power state when the chip is idle, for maximum power efficiency.

Early tests show this chip can out-perform its predecessor Yorkfield up to 17% in single core tests. In the single-thread tests of Super-Pi 1M tests, the Intel Core i7 running at 2.66 GHz performed the test in 15.36 seconds.

With just a few days away, will Intel finally be able to bury its rival AMD, and continue its dominance in the hardware market? Time will show if the falling US economy has any effect on the release of what could be the biggest release of Intel's career.