14 DAY TRIAL // After unveiling the much-awaited new 6-core Xeon 7400-series of processors, also known as Dunnington, Santa Clara-based chip maker Intel is now planning the release of the next-generation processor architecture, in the guise of the new Core i7 processors everybody has been talking about for quite some time now. Despite no official word from the company, it appears that more details about the new lineup have already emerged on the Internet, including chip models and pricing.
As we have mentioned in several of our previous articles as well, Intel is expected to release a new lineup of Core processors, which will be part of the company's Core i7-series. The upcoming Core i7 chips have been designed on the Nehalem architecture, and will be meant to meet the requirements of both regular and high-end consumers. These new chips should become available before the end of the year, and arrive in stores just in time for the holiday's shopping frenzy.
Now, if you have given the acquisition of a new desktop computer built on Intel's upcoming consumer platform any thought, you probably already know what to expect as far as pricing goes. Details about the new chips have already surfaced on the Internet, thus, now we also know more about the models and pricing of the processors. According to the Hardspell website, we will initially get at least three new Core i7 chips, with one being designed as an Extreme Edition.
The Intel Core i7-920 is going to deliver a core speed of 2.66GHz, and will feature 8MB of L3 cache with QPI (Quick-Path Interconnect) 4.8GT/s. This model will be the most affordable of the three, with a price tag of €260 (US$370). The Intel Core i7-940 is the other non-Extreme Core i7 CPU, which will provide a core speed of 2.9GHz, 8MB of L3 cache and QPI 4.8GT/s, with a price tag of €510 (US$811.56).
The Extreme Core i7-965 sports a core speed of 3.2GHz, and the same amount of L3 cache and QPI 6.4GT/s. However, this model will certainly not be the first choice of many computer users out there, as its price tag is set at €1,000 (US$1,424). No word on the official release date yet, but we will probably get an official announcement from Intel soon. The leaked details appear to confirm the ongoing rumors about the Core i7 specifications, but as far as pricing goes, we still can't say how accurate they really are.