Intel Core i7

I recently built a new computer on the Intel Core i7 platform and I would like to share my experience. If you are not familiar with this new line of processors from Intel, just let me tell you... they are fast! There are currently 3 processors in this line, the 920, 940 and 965. Their default clock speeds are 2.66, 2.93 and 3.2GHz respectively. I picked up a 920 and paired it with a Gigabyte (GA-EX58-UD5) motherboard, 3GB of G.Skill 1333MHz DDR3 RAM and an EVGA Nvidia 9800 GTX+ (512MB) video card. The Core i7 processors are all quad core and they have Hyper-Threading. If you are unfamiliar with Hyper-Threading, it is a feature which enables each core to handle 2 processes at the same time, doubling the workload of each core. Windows will view this as 8 processing cores even though there are only 4 true cores. Another feature unique to this series of processor is the QPI (Quick Path Interconnect), which is essentially a replacement of the FSB (Front Side Bus). The QPI increases the bandwidth of the processors and moves the memory controller onto the CPU, which is a first for Intel. Also, the new processors are manufactured on a 45 nm technology allowing higher performance, better energy efficiency, and cooler operating temperatures. In addition, if you are interested in overclocking your CPU, the i7 920 has been known to exceed 4GHz on air cooling alone. This is amazing, considering you can get the processing power of the i7 965 for $800 less with the i7 920. If you are into gaming, I have good news. Even though current games are not written to utilize quad core processors, the Core i7 processors will handle the most demanding of games at high resolutions and fluid gameplay... wilth other apps running in the background. This is something I would have never dreamed of with my previous single core processor(AMD Athlon 64 3400+ @ 2.4GHz). I am now able to play my games, including Crysis, with all the settings at "Very High" and with extremely smooth graphics and gameplay. Overall, the Core i7 processors have proven to be excellent chips. They already have a reputation for being reliable overclockers, multitaskers, video encoders and gamers. I highly recommend the Intel Core i7 920 to anyone interested in upgrading or building a new system. Just keep in mind that you will need a new motherboard with an LGA 1366 socket and an X58 chipset as well as DDR3 RAM. These additioanl components are required and will cost a little more because they are new technology, but the end result is worth it if you want the cutting edge in computing.

~Nick