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Intel Core I7 Launched, Nehalem and X58 Tested

MojoKid writes "Today marks the official launch of Intel's new Core i7 processor, the most major overhaul of Intel's core processor architecture since the release of their Core 2 design. As has been reported, the Core i7 is a major departure from Intel's aging Front Side Bus architecture of old, now replaced by Intel's QPI (Quick Path Interconnect) serial links. This 20 lane bi-directional (40 lanes total) point-to-point connection provides 6.4 GT/s of bandwidth and scalability for future multi-socket designs as well. In addition, the Core i7 now has an integrated triple channel memory controller offering over 3X the bandwidth of the previous Core 2 architecture with DDR3 system memory. Though the product is set to ship in volume later this month, the early benchmark numbers show Intel's new chip is markedly faster clock-for-clock versus their previous generation CPU and much faster than anything AMD has out currently."

13 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Not out... by GenP · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not out until I can buy one from Newegg.

  2. Please stop using the GT/s performance indicator. by ciderVisor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not big and it's not clever. I like my bytes and bits, thank you very much.

    --
    Squirrel!
  3. Re:Please stop using the GT/s performance indicato by dkf · · Score: 5, Informative

    What is a GT/s? (Honest question, looking for an honest answer.)

    Giga-Transfers per second (or at least that's what google found).

    --
    "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
  4. new unit by dmbasso · · Score: 5, Informative

    actually, it's gigatransfers per second... thanx for dkf ( http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1016475&cid=25611995 ) for informing that link.

    --
    `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
  5. Re:Please stop using the GT/s performance indicato by ciderVisor · · Score: 5, Funny

    GoaT/se ?

    --
    Squirrel!
  6. Re:Sweet! by Wintergr33n · · Score: 5, Informative

    Funnily enough a gaming performance review found not that much difference in running Crysis on i7 (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/11/03/intel-core-i7-920-945-965-review/4) and in fact worse performance for the brand-new Far Cry 2 (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/11/03/intel-core-i7-920-945-965-review/5). It remains to be seen whether or not other new games show a similar effect or not...

  7. Being an innovator not always smart? by wikinerd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    AMD was brave enough to quit using FSBs in PC CPUs and replaced them with HyperTransport. Years later, Intel also says goodbye to FSBs and uses a similar technology. The innovator took all the costs, and now someone with more resources gets the marketshare. After all, the consumers only want a speedy CPU, they don't care who was the innovator, and speedy CPUs are more readily available by whoever has the most resources to build them. It is, therefore, seen that being the innovator is not always a smart movement in the business chessboard, at least not if you cannot build your innovation in sufficient quantity. That said, I congratulate Intel for finally bringing the cores closer to the RAM, which is a much better technical solution than using an FSB. They should, perhaps, have done that much earlier.

    1. Re:Being an innovator not always smart? by jcr · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The innovator took all the costs,

      Not hardly. There were a lot of other companies involved in developing Hypertransport, and Intel spent their own money to develop their alternative.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    2. Re:Being an innovator not always smart? by Enderandrew · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I thought HyperTransport was developed as open technology, allowing anyone to use it. I thought it was one of AMD's advantages, and I can't believe it took Intel so long to ditch the traditional FSB. What hurts AMD is pushing release dates back over and over again. What hurts AMD is not being able to keep up with Intel's fab processes. What hurts AMD is Intel using illegal tactics to bump AMD out of the market. AMD decides the only way to stay in the market is to sell their procs super-cheap, but then they don't make any money doing so.

      It didn't help that when AMD was kicking Intel's butt in performance (Athlon 64 vs P4) AMD didn't gain much in market share because guys like Michael Dell said he'd never ship an AMD processor in one of his desktops, regardless of price and performance. Now that Intel is kicking AMD to the curb on high-end performance, all AMD has going for it is the low-cost market.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  8. Anandtech Review by slashuzer · · Score: 5, Informative
  9. Lot of reviews out, but there is one with 64 bit by WittyName · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.planetx64.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1435&Itemid=14

    1) 64 bit macro-op fusion is new. See it tested here..

    2) Virtualisation is more efficient with nested pagetables.

    3) Gaming should benefit, since all x58 mobos support Crossfire
          and nVidia SLI.

    4) 12 gigs ram supported with 2gb dims - this is rare for desktop boards.

    Numerous other minor tweaks, but read it for yourself..

    Have fun with your upgrade dollars!

    --
    The law is a weapon of the government, not a protection for the likes of you. Surely you understand that.
  10. Why would you expect Core 3? by Phat_Tony · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why on earth would you be expecting the the Core 3 to follow the progression of:

    Core
    Core Duo
    Core2 Duo

    The correct answer should be the 2Core2 Duo, or the Core2 Duo Dos, or the BiCore2Duo. Maybe the DuoCore2 Duo? Anyway, follow the pattern- keep adding things that mean "2." In several years, we should have had BiDuo2Core2DoubleDuo Dos MarkII.

    Instead, it looks we're heading for the e8, or the pi9, or the ln10, or maybe the 11!. Except for that they'll change the pattern again, because now everyone's expecting math terms.

    --
    Can anyone tell me how to set my sig on Slashdot?
  11. Re:Sweet! by MikeDirnt69 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Run is too much for Vista... maybe a walk.

    --
    Am I eval()? - http://www.monst3r.com.br