The performance PC industry is not shy about piling on the superlatives, and Intel isn't holding back with its new Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition chips. They are dubbed the "ultimate desktop platform", "best-in-class", and with "amazing Turbo headroom".
It remains to be seen exactly what this means for what you see on your PC screen, though. For those interested, Intel is holding a live event on its Facebook page today, also involving David Hollingworth from our friends Atomic. Intel's Kamil Gurgen, Channel Platform Manager, will demonstrate the technology.
To watch, head to the event page at 6:30pm AEST. Intel is also letting you submit questions in advance, if you submit them before 4pm AEST today. Click here for the Intel event.
The platform
The new X79 platform [Source: Intel]
The initial two new chips - the Intel Core i7-3960X and the Intel Core i7-3930K - usher in the first major new platform for performance enthusiasts in several years: the first six core 2nd generation Intel Core chips, and the first Intel chips for PC enthusiasts to work with quad channel memory. And there's a change in motherboard socket to LGA 2011.
At US$990 and US$555 1KU, it would be a dedicated person that would be willing to jump in and build a new system at launch prices. Still, it's interesting to see just how Intel thinks we'll benefit.
The example picked by Intel as evidence of the benefit of six cores is the game RAGE. id Software's John Carmack claims the benefits of the new Intel CPUs will be there to see.
“With two more available cores, a six-core system can transcode over 50 percent more texture data per second during gameplay than a four-core system, bringing new surfaces to full resolution quicker," John Carmack stated in a press release.
Click here for the Intel event.
