Intel in processor heaven with the new Core i7

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! If you thought the successor to the Core 2 Duo might be something like the Core 3 Trio, or just ye olde Core 3, the new naming convention sounds a bit BMW instead: Core i7. Much speculation has ensued over what i7 really means and whether it’s iApple inspired, but Intel has promised all will become clear soon enough. The Core 2 Duo processor architecture is being upgraded to a whole new one. Previously codename “Nehalem”, Intel has decided to stick with the “Core” branding for its processors, but is giving its initial processor range the “i7” designation.   There will be several “Intel Core i7 processors”, including an “Extreme Edition” version (which some UK tech sites like to call the “Extremely Expensive” edition), but there will, according to Intel, be “several new identifiers to come” throughout 2009. The Nehalem core works with DDR3 memory, has an onchip memory controller (like AMD processors have had for years) and heralds the return of Hyperthreading. Slated to be available in a 4 core version with 8 “threads” for a performance boost, Intel is promising “high performance and energy efficiency” in a "best of both worlds" approach, which Intel says “is expected to extend Intel's processor leadership in future mobile, desktop and server market segments.” Of course Intel would say that – no-one would want to upgrade otherwise, but apparently there are 8 core and even 16 core models to come, taking us all into the true multi-core era at last. Sean Maloney, Intel Corporation executive VP and GM of Sales and Marketing said: "The Core name is and will be our flagship PC processor brand going forward. Expect Intel to focus even more marketing resources around that name and the Core i7 products starting now." Much speculation has ensued online over what i7 means. Some think that the Pentium I, II, III and IV are as named, the Core Duo is the 5th edition, the Core 2 Duo is the 6th edition and the Core i7 is... the 7th edition. But Intel hasn’t confirmed any of that. There's also speculation that we might see BMW-like designations of i3 and i5 among others, and also talk that Intel was influenced by iPods and iPhones, but it must be remebered that Intel has used the "i" designation for its processors over many years - does anyone remember the i386 or the i486, or other Intel "i" names and numbers, long before iPods ever existed? I do. Continued on page 2. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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