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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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The latest Intel Core i "Sandy Bridge" microprocessors feature outdated DirectX 10.1-class graphics core and does not support GPGPU technology.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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