Intel Starts to Sell Unlocked Core i7 Processor

Intel Corp. has quietly added a new “unlocked” microprocessor into its price-list, which means that the chip is available to customers worldwide. The Core i7-2700K "Sandy Bridge" chip will extend Intel’s leadership on the market of high-performance microprocessors designed for overclockers.

Intel Core i7-2700K central processing unit has four cores with Hyper-Threading technology, 8MB of cache, integrated dual-channel DDR3 memory controller. The default clock-speed of the processor is 3.50GHz and the Turbo Boost top speed is 3.90GHz. Since the chip belongs to Core i7 family, it fully supports all of Intel’s advanced technologies like virtualization, trusted execution and so on. The microprocessor costs $332 in 1000-unit quantities.

The new processor is only slightly (by 100MHz) faster compared to Intel’s own Core i7-2600K chip and since both chips sport unlocked multiplier and can be easily overclocked, actual performance difference between the models 2600K and 2700K is somewhat doubtful.

Intel’s Core i7-2700K was supposed to ensure that Intel has the fastest chip in the $300 - $400 segment after the company’s arch-rival Advanced Micro Devices unveils its highly-anticipated FX-series microprocessors powered by Bulldozer micro-architecture. As benchmark results by independent researchers revealed, even AMD’s top-of-the-range eight-core FX-8150 CPU can barely compete against Core i5-2500K and is unable to beat the model 2600K.

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Related Articles;

• Origin PC overclocks Core i7 to 5Ghz
• Intel's next generation chips to support DirectX 11
• Intel Expects a lot from the new 22nm processor architecture

Intels top-of-the-line Core i7 "Gulftown" 990X now shipping

A bunch of Polish retailers have apparently jumped the gun and started shipping Intel's flagship Core i7-990X Expensive Edition at prices starting about €900. However, we are still not sure when to expect availability in all markets.

The new processor has already been listed by several OEMs in their high-end rigs, but it was not available to the great unwashed in retail. The Gulfton-based six-core is clocked at 3.46GHz and it clocks to 3.6GHz with Turbo Boost. The TDP stands at 130W and it packs 6x256kB of L2 and 12MB of L3 cache.

This is the end of the line for Gulftown. Intel will replace the current generation with new Sandy Bridge E parts by the end of Q3 2011. Hopefully it won't sell them with broken chipsets.
via Fudzilla

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AMD's Bulldozer Microprocessors Expected to Offer 50% Higher Performance than Core i7, Phenom II Chips

The next-generation desktop central processing units (CPUs) from Advanced Micro Devices with Bulldozer micro-architecture are projected to offer around 50% higher performance compared to existing chips from AMD and Intel. While the promises seem very promising, they should be considered as extremely rough estimates.

An AMD document obtained by Donanimhaber web-site claims that an eight-core Bulldozer microprocessor offers 50% higher performance compared to quad-core Intel Core i7-950 with HT microprocessor in games, rendering and multimedia applications. The web-sites does not specify which benchmarks were used. In fact, 50% higher performance versus a quad-core chip does not seem to be bad, especially in games that do not usually take advantage of multi-core chips.

The web-site claims that AMD compares performance of the Core i7-950 with performance of AMD Phenom II X6 1100T chip, which is considerably slower than its rival, according to performance tests conducted by X-bit labs. It is unclear whether AMD showed the model 1100T being slower or faster than the i7-950. Test settings were not revealed. Typically, AMD publishes so-called "simulated benchmark results".

Rumours published earlier this month suggested that AMD plans to return the FX products family with extreme performance. Indirectly, this information confirms very high performance of new microprocessors from AMD.

Engineering samples of code-named Zambezi (desktop Bulldozer) chips became available for AMD's partners for testing in December, 2010. Production candidates should be ready by February '11 and the initial production of the company's first desktop microprocessors powered by the long-awaited Bulldozer micro-architecture is scheduled to start in April next year. Probably, the launch of the chip will occur around the same timeframe.

Eight-core Zambezi features four dual-core Bulldozer modules, each of which is believed to have 2MB of shared level-two cache, that will share 8MB L3 cache. In total, the whole chip will pack in whopping 16MB of SRAM, a 77% increase from the current six-core microprocessors that have 9MB of cache in total. Clock-speeds of the chip may be as high as 3.50GHz or even higher.

The first Zambezi microprocessors to be launched are expected to be eight-core products with 95W and 125W thermal design power as well as 8MB L3 cache. Later in the second quarter of 2011 AMD, according to sources with knowledge of the company's roadmap, will release six-core chips with 8MB L3 cache and four-core products with 4MB cache. All of the processors will feature TurboCore 2.0 technology, dual-channel DDR3 memory controller with up to 1866MHz memory support and will be compatible with AM3+ mainboards.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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Intel's Next-Generation Chip to Support DirectX 11

Intel Corp. plans to integrate a DirectX 11-class graphics processing unit (GPU) into its next-generation code-named Ivy Bridge central processing unit (CPU). The move will allow the accelerated processing unit (APU) to compete head-to-head with Advanced Micro Devices' Fusion-series of chips that already have DirectX 11 support.

"Intel will integrate the technology in next-generation laptop and desktop chips, as use of the technology in applications will spread by then. [...] When we look at the schedule, we did not think it was... the right time. There's not much usage." said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC client group at Intel, in an interview with the IDG News Service.

The latest Intel Core i "Sandy Bridge" microprocessors feature outdated DirectX 10.1-class graphics core and does not support GPGPU technology. By contrast, modern GPUs from ATI/AMD or Nvidia Corp. fully support DirectX 11 along with a number of other advantages that improve quality of video games as well as allow to use graphics processor for general-purpose computing.

Since Ivy Bridge will be made using 22nm process technology, Intel will be able to integrate more logic into the chip. For example, it is rumoured that Ivy Bridge will have 24 stream processors instead of 12 on the Sandy Bridge.

But even Ivy Bridge may not remove the gap between Intel and AMD chips in terms of graphics performance. In its next-generation APUs the Sunnyvale, California-based company may further improve performance and add new features to its integrated GPUs.

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ORIGIN PC Overclocks New Core i7 to 5.0 GHz

ORIGIN's Genesis PC

ORIGIN PC said that its ORIGIN Genesis and ORIGIN Big O high-performance PCs now offer Intel's 2nd-generation 32nm Core i7 processor featuring Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Integrated Memory Controller.

According to the company's CES 2011 press release, both models can be configured to sport an overclocked Core i7 processor reaching well over 5.0 GHz, however ASUS indicated that this feat was accomplished thanks to the P8P67 motherboard's onboard DIGI+ VRM and EFI BIOS for accurate performance tuning. Both models can also be configured with up to three-way SLI, customized liquid cooling options and more.

"Intel’s latest technology delivers gamers and creative professionals a new level of processing power and intuitive convenience," said Kevin Wasielewski, CEO and Co-Founder of ORIGIN. "ORIGIN delivers the most aggressive and rock solid overclocking in the industry and we have Intel's Core i7 processors running at over 5 GHz while remaining cool and passing every single one of our stability tests. The Intel Core i7 2600K processor is an amazing processor and with ORIGIN's award-winning overclocking our customers will dominate the playing field."

ORIGIN said that the EON15-S and EON17-S performance notebooks will also ship with overclocked 2nd-generation Core i5 and i7 processors in Q1 2011, however consumers can purchase the original EON17 now with Nvidia's latest mobile GPU. Currently this meaty laptop can be configured with a plethora of gaming goodness, offering up to Intel's Core i7 980X CPU, up to two Nvidia GeForce GTX 485M cards in dual SLI mode, up to a whopping 24 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory and up to three hard drives.

ORIGIN said that the revamped Genesis and Big O performance desktops will be available starting January 9, 2011. The updated EON notebooks with overclocked Core i5 and i7 processors will be ready for consumption in Q1 2011. For those attending CES 2011 this week, the Genesis desktops will be on display at the Fractal Design Suite in the Venetian while the Big O desktops will be on display at the Creative Labs booth in South Hall 1, 20913.

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