14 DAY TRIAL // If you have been paying attention to the most recent developments regarding Intel's upcoming Core i7 processors, developed on the new Nehalem architecture, you should know that the company is planning to launch the first models later this year, even before the Christmas holidays. A recently leaked slide suggests that the Santa Clara-based leading chip maker will try to officially unveil the first three Core i7 models sometime in November. In addition, it also details the company's next-generation processors.
As we mentioned in several of our previous articles, the new Core i7 CPUs will be manufactured using the 45nm technology, that is currently used for the company's Core 2 Duo processors. According to the leaked slide, which has been revealed by expreview, all three new Core i7 processors, which will debut at launch, will boast 4 cores and will require an LGA1366 socket. These new Intel processors, Core i7 920, Core i7 940 and Core i7 965, have been designed for three distinct market segments, namely mainstream, performance and extreme, respectively.
Other details include a TDP of 130W for all three models and a total of 8MB of L3 cache. As previous rumors indicated, the upcoming Core i7 920 mainstream CPU will be offered with a price tag of $284, while the other two will be sold for $562 and $999. These prices are available in thousand unit quantities, which means that the street price tag will most likely be higher. Unfortunately there are no details regarding a specific release date, but if you have already set your eyes on one of the above-mentioned units, you should prepare a strong budget, as you will also need to acquire one of the upcoming LGA1366-supporting mobos and probably some DDR3 modules.
Intel's Nehalem-based Core i7 have been announced since back in August, but the company hasn't officially unveiled any details regarding a specific release date, other than the fact that it's aiming for a Q4 production.