Saturday November 21, 2009 6:33 PM AEST

Core i7 CPU

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Core i7 CPU
 
Performance:
100%
Overclockability:
79%
Value :
62%
90
Verdict:
Despite the cost, we still adore this chip for its incredible performance. In time, every enthusiast will need one.
By Justin Robinson
Nov 3, 2008 | 17 Comments
Tags: intel | nehalem | core | i7

We take a look at the Intel Nehalem CPU - the i965.

Intel has been dominating the processor industry for the past few years, spurred on by its amazing 65nm Core 2 Duo and Quad releases. This was only furthered when it shrank down these processors, squeezing the same cores into the same space using a 45nm process, bumping up both the cache and performance significantly. Two years later, we enter a new phase, complete with a new core, and a whole new Intel.

Architectural Advances
Nehalem is built around the tried-and-true 45nm process, but is set into a completely new foundation – the LGA1366 socket. This socket (funnily enough) has 1366 pins inside it, and is physically larger than the current LGA775. It uses a similar lever securing method as 775, but also includes a metal bracket over the back of the motherboard – physical stability and strength is much improved. But the socket wasn’t increased in size and sturdiness on a whim – it was to hold a whole new chip inside.

The new architecture follows a slight reworking of the previous Core 2 setup, starting with the Instruction Fetch and Pre-Decode stage. Here, the processor will retrieve the code, and then store it in the 32KB Level-1 cache, an incredibly fast cache located directly next to each core. This cache is fed by a 256KB Level-2 cache (and each core has one of these), and that in turn is fed by a shared pool of 8MB Level-3 cache, that each core can have more or less of depending on their needs, potentially giving a single core access to 8MB of cache.

The instructions are then passed through the Instruction Queue, and through the Decode stage. Here, a Branch Prediction unit attempts to ‘guess’ the possible outcomes of the current data, and allows the cache to load what data is most likely to be needed next into the L2 cache, saving time and increasing performance. After this stage, the instructions are decoded, and analysed by the Loop Stream Detector, which looks for repeating sequences in code and can store them for indefinite repetitions – essentially removing all the steps up until this stage.

The final step is to send the code to the Execution Units, whose task is to perform the calculations, which are temporarily stored in the final 32KB Data Cache until they are sent away for storage in either the L2/3 caches, or system memory.

 
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Product Info
Supplier:
price check*
$23.90 Intel Core i7 Extreme CPU Stock Heatsink Fan for Socket LGA1366 (E31964-001...
Mwave Australia (NSW)
$30.00 Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition and Intel Core i7 Processor CPU Stock Fan
Penta Computers (NSW)
$95.00 Ultra-120 eXtreme 1366 RT with fan,120mm heatsink Supports Intel Core i7, U...
Megaware Computers (NSW)
$96.50 Ultra-120 eXtreme 1366 RT with fan,120mm heatsink Supports Intel Core i7, U...
Digitan Technology (NSW)
$99.00 Ultra-120 eXtreme 1366 RT with fan,120mm heatsink Supports Intel Core i7 96...
Australian Online VIP (NSW)
$102.85 Ultra-120 eXtreme 1366 RT with fan,120mm heatsink Supports Intel Core i7, U...
StoneBridge Computing (NSW)
*Products and prices sourced from staticICE and are in no way associated with Atomic MPC Powered by
 
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17 Comments
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
DanAus1983
Nov 3, 2008 3:40 PM
Great review! I hope the prices drop fairly quickly, I'm planning on building a new system in six months or so, but they should have dropped a fair bit by then.
Girvo
Nov 3, 2008 4:06 PM
That's wicked!

:)

This should see Wolfdale prices drop a fair bit, which makes me a happy camper. New build in late 2009 will see me grab an i7 I reckon. :)
emccat
Nov 3, 2008 4:31 PM
YAY woblblubluulb (thats ment to be a word)
Scuba
Nov 3, 2008 4:33 PM
Looks like an amazing chip. Current prices in AUD appear to be around $650 for the 920, $1100 for the 940 and $2500 for the 965 (with an outlier at $1990 from Penta!).

There looks to be quite a variation across the store prices for now, here's hoping the retailers have a nice price war and we see them come down over the coming weeks. Also - Go Aussie-dollar, go!
Fat_Bodybuilder
Nov 3, 2008 4:34 PM
Overlord is a pretty low atomic rank... =P

I woulda said Nehalem Colossus
^Faldo^
Nov 3, 2008 5:23 PM
http://digg.com/hardware/Nehalem_review_with_benchmarks_and_architecture_details

Go, go, go!
osama_bin_athlon
Nov 3, 2008 7:01 PM
sounds like it's everything we'd hoped it would be!
Argotha
Nov 3, 2008 7:20 PM
/orgasm

Yes that is the only thing that comes to mind. If there is anyreason to keep doing the paper run it is to save up for one of those babies (and hopefully will later be, my baby)
battlefield_gir
Nov 3, 2008 9:08 PM
Pants definitly tented!
I hope the socket is place a little bit lower on the majority of mobos due to problems fiting it in my case?
strifus
Nov 3, 2008 11:09 PM
those pics just give me goosebumps. so beautiful.
SceptreCore
Nov 4, 2008 1:30 AM
Awesome

I bet you guys can't wait to get your hands on a dual core to push Nehalem to it's highest frequency.
darklife41
Nov 4, 2008 4:37 AM
I'll take 2 pls. :)
colganaitor
Nov 4, 2008 11:07 PM
Woah . . .there's only one way to describe this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priapism

Hawt.

Can I has sexes with it?
Doc Forrest
Nov 6, 2008 10:30 PM
This will be the core of my new system.
Nath84
Nov 10, 2008 9:45 AM
:p Im in!
Mr Faunce
Nov 12, 2008 3:57 AM
I am an AMD boy, so i will never know.
davidald
Nov 13, 2008 1:47 AM
Great review but where did your price examples come from? The new I7 is available from $600 at my local PC store.
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Issue: 107 | December, 2009

Atomic is a magazine aimed squarely at computer enthusiasts, gamers, and serious PC upgraders.

Every month we bring you the latest reviews of new technology and PC components, in depth features on everything from overclocking to console hacking, and gaming previews and interviews.
 
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