Intel Core i7 - all you need to know

Posted at: Monday 3rd November 2008 by Clive Webster and James Gorbold

Custom PC takes you through everything you need to know about Intel's amazing new processor

Core i7 (codenamed Nehalem) is a radical new design for Intel: for the first time, it’s producing a native quad-core CPU, in which all four cores sit on the same piece of silicon. With its Core 2 Quad and Extreme CPUs, Intel uses two dual-core dies to create a quad-core chip.

Core i7 processors are larger than Core 2s, so a new socket design is needed and new motherboards too. The result is stunning performance in both Windows-based applications and games. We’ll take you through the essentials of the new processor design, what you need to upgrade and what you should expect from a Core i7 upgrade.

Intel Core i7 essential knowledge

• Three Core i7 processors at launch - performance compared, all much faster than anything previously seen
• An integrated memory controller – triple-channel for massive memory bandwith
• A new processor socket for Core i7 – LGA1366
• A new chipset for Core i7 motherboards – Intel X58
• The X58 chipset can support both SLI and CrossFire multi-graphics
• The QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) – ditching the Front Side Bus
• Under the heatspreader – a new processor design
• Intel re-introduces Hyper-Threading – Core i7 is a quad-core processor, but can execute eight processes simultaneously
• How to overclock a Core i7 – Core i7 surprisingly easy to overclock by over 1GHz

Core i7 Reviews

• £1,500 PC: Scan 3SX X58 Core i7 – an amazing debut Core i7 PC, with superb application and gaming performance for only £1,500 inc VAT
• Processor: Intel Core i7 processor line-up
• Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe