Intels latest Core i7-980X processor is the new feather in its cap and this happens to be the 1st six core processor unveiled for the masses. With a price band of $999, this processor is going to replace the previous top performer Core i7-975 as this processor is considered to be the extreme edition processor once it hits the market. This processor is the member of the 64 bit x 86 CPU families which can support up to 8 cores and these chips come with an integrated GPU. The Core i7 supports three channels DDR3 RAM and contains a memory controller of its own which runs with separate clock in an idle area. One of the biggest features the core i7 processors possess is QuickPath interconnect, a hi-speed, packet oriented and point to point pathway which runs between multiple cores, memory and the I/O hub. Another feature, which is also available in select models, is Turbo Boost which enables the CPU in adjusting its speed and auto over clocking. The TDP (Thermal Design Power), dissipated by the cooling system, is claimed to be 130 watts.
For the people having i7-975, the same will remain to be the mean CPU but the i7-980X will literally surpass it. Both these CPUs use LGA1366 socket and the X58 express chipset from Intel and have the clock speed of 3.33 GHz but the new 7-980X has the ability to support 12 MB of cache instead of 8MB with higher core count resulting in increased threads allowing hyper threading. Its 12 threads symbolize an improvement over the i7-975 by almost 50%, translating a notable performance increase. Using the 32nm Westmere design, which was unveiled by Intel itself, the i7-980X possesses its own memory controller integrated supporting three memory channels of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. The processor which runs at 3.33 Ghz has 6 cores and 12 threads along with a huge 128MB L3 cache all these operating with a motherboard introduced around two years back. The old motherboard works well with 980X series CPUs but there are few bugs & quirks which the user can experience. The only downside one can complain about this processor is the price tag which is $999 but since it is a 6 core processor and is introduced in the market for the first time, the prices are likely to come down once competition increases.
The i7-980X processor comes packaged with a stock cooler, DBX-B thermal solution. This is also launched along with the processor. It uses the pressure sensitive screws which get combined with the back plate of the motherboard. Installing and re-installing this cooler may be a daunting task for the users uncomfortable in dismantling the system and they need to call the computer support services that can easily provide the necessary
PC tech support to install/reinstall any component.
