Intel Core i7 'Nehalem' CPUs go on sale
Old-gen 'energy efficient' quad-cores coming
Intel's first 'Nehalem' processors, the desktop Core i7 series, is now on sale, but that hasn't stopped it adding new Core 2 Quad chips to its roadmap.
The 45nm four-core Core i7 line-up comprises the 2.66GHz 920, the 2.93GHz 940 and the 3.2GHz 965 Extreme. All three contain 8MB of L2 and L3 cache, and an on-board memory controller capable of hooking up to 1066MHz DDR 3. They consume up to 130W.
The Nehalem's use Intel's QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) bus to talk to the company's X58 chipset. The 965's QPI speed is 6.4bn transfers per second (GT/s), while the other two chips both operate 4.8GT/s buses.
The three chips are available now and cost $284, $562 and $999, respectively. That's when ordered in batches of 1000 - boxed parts will be slightly more expensive.
The Core i7s use a new interconnect - no surprise given the new bus - but that doesn't mean the old LGA775 is going away. In Q1 2009, Intel will release a trio of Core 2 Quad, all consuming no more than 65W and pitched as energy-efficient quad-core CPUs - denoted by an 's' suffix.
The Q8200s runs at 2.33GHz and has 4MB of L2. The Q9400s ups speed and cache to 2.66GHz and 6MB, respectively. The 2.863GHz Q9550s has 12MB of L2. All three CPUs run on 1333MHz frontside buses, Chinese-language site HKEPC reports.
They'll be priced at $245, $320 and $369, respectively.
Intel Core i7 CPU and X58 chipset review
COMMENTS
Nehalem
Hey, is that Nehalem or Nephilim?
... and if the Nephilim were still around....
Carbon neutrality?
May I refer Stuart to BOFH Episode 4...
[quote]
"A REAL computer has ONE speed and the only powersaving it permits is when you pull the power leads out of the back!" I blurt. "In fact, a REAL computer would have a hole in the front to push trees into and an exhaust pipe out the back for the black smoke to come out of."
[/quote]
Memory speeds
I think you'll find the Extreme edition supports 1333MHz DDR 3 natively, and up to 1800/2000MHz on some enthusiast motherboards.
All Hot & Bothered
So Quad Cores using "no more than 65w" are "energy efficient" and Intel are happy to push the market to 135w processors.
People were amazed at the original Pentium prolific 60w consumption. Seems a bit strange to re-label prolific as energy efficient. Looks like we ought to get CO2 emisions on the label and charge penal taxes on the leccy-guzzlers.
Mines the one with an (eeepc 901) Atom in the pocket.
