Intel unveils Core i5 and Core i7 chips

Intel has taken the wraps off a range of processors, including the entry-level Core i5 family and two additions to the Core i7 'Lynnfield' range for desktops, and the Xeon 3400 series (PDF) for mainstream desktop and entry server markets.

All the new chips are based on the company's Nehalem architecture, and use Turbo Boost technology to help more effectively balance speed and power consumption depending on demand, Intel said.

The new processors work on a two-channel memory controller, rather than the three channels used by previous Nehalem chips, and integrate a 16-lane PCI Express 2 graphics port.

Intel also unveiled its P55 Express motherboard chipset to support the new CPUs, which uses a single chip to handle the I/O rather than the two required by most previous chipsets.

At the top of the new range is the quad-core Core i7-870 which features an 8MB cache and a base clock speed of 2.93GHz, but can be bumped up to 3.6GHz thanks to the Turbo Boost.

Next on the list is the i7-860, which boasts the same cache and a base speed of 2.8GHz which can be boosted to 3.46GHz.

The budget Core i5-750, meanwhile, which does not support Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, features a base speed of 2.66GHz which can reach up to 3.2GHz if needed.

On the server side, the new Xeon processors and Intel 3400 and 3420 chipsets are aimed at helping small businesses by providing an affordable replacement for desktop systems to run email, file, print or web services.

Intel said that the platform offers features such as Error Correcting Code memory and Raid capabilities, helping to provide a faster and more robust system for these crucial applications.