Intel's newest microprocessors, the Nehalem-based Core i7 series, will be on the market in a very short period of time. The company has high expectations for the lineup, and while everybody is waiting for the launch, the chips make it to the headlines almost everyday. The Core i7 CPUs are reported not to do very well with high-voltage memory modules, but are said to be great overclockers.

In order to allow every user to take advantage of the overclocking capabilities of its Core i7 processors, the giant chipmaker developed an overclocking utility, the Desktop Control Center, which works directly from Windows. This application allows users that are not used to boosting the speed and power of their CPU to easily enable the adequate settings without having to enter BIOS to do so.

Intel showed a version of the DCC at IDF in Taipei, and the utility worked with a brand new Core i7 processor, namely a Core i7 965 Extreme Edition. The CPU was set up on a Smackover motherboard. Intel's DCC allows for a simple overclocking of the chip through changing different settings directly from Windows.

One of the options the Desktop Control Center comes with is the adjustment of the QPI voltage. Besides, it allows for the Turbo Boost to be switched on or off directly from the OS, but it is not certain yet whether this option will require a reboot or not.

The DCC utility also features a little tick box which shows the current override. Although it should be connected to the microprocessor, its exact role is not known as a fact. Intel's utility also allows users to change the memory timings and clock speed directly from it.

Intel showed its new utility on a system that didn't feature an overclocked Core i7. Even so, the130W TDP processors remained at a fairly reasonable 56 degrees C while cooled with a standard retail cooler. A screen shot with the utility is available here.