14 DAY TRIAL // In the third quarter of this year, Intel plans to expand its Sandy Bridge processor portfolio with the addition of three new Core i3 chips that will feature faster operating speeds and improved graphics capabilities.
Making our way from top to bottom, the fastest processor that Intel plans to release will be called the Core i3-2130 and this is set to replace the company's current Core i3 flagship, the 2120.
Its operating clocks speed will be increased by 100MHz, from 3.3GHz in the 2120 to 3.4GHz, but otherwise will feature the same specs as its predecessors, including 3MB of Level 3 cache memory.
The processor will retail for the same $138, so the current Core i3-2120 will most probably get a lower MSRP.
The second Core i3 chip to be released is going to be called the 2125 and is also meant to replace the Intel Core i3-2120.
This time the two processors will feature the same 3.3GHz clock, but the new CPU will swap the HD 2000 integrated graphics found in the 2120 and replace it with the more powerful HD 3000 GPU that will have a base frequency of 850MHz (1100MHz in Turbo mode).
Finally, the last Core i3 processor to be launched in Q3 is the low-power 2120T which will work at a yet-undisclosed clock speed and will have a TDP of 45W. This too will carry 3MB of Level 3 cache.
All of Intel's Core i3 CPUs feature a dual-core design, can process up to four threads simultaneously, support the AVX and SSE4 instruction sets and also include Intel's QuickSync video transcoding technology.
The integrated memory controller can support 1333MHz DDR3 DIMMs in dual-channel mode.
In the coming months, Intel is also expected to launch the Core i3-2120K CPU that will come with an unlocked multiplier. (via HardwareLuxx)