Intel's Latest Core i5 & i7 Processors
Almost a year ago, the Core i7 burst onto the scene and created a well-deserved stir with its incredibly bandwidth-rich system architecture and sometimes-astonishing performance in multithreaded applications. For the right sort of jobs, such as 3D rendering or scientific computing applications, the Core i7 delivered a performance leap beyond its precursors that was nearly unprecedented. With this new processor, Intel removed any semblance of doubt about who held the lead in CPU technology. Thus, the Core i7 has held undisputed technology leadership in desktop processors, but Intel's older Core 2 technology has remained the bread and butter of its product lineup. Against this less potent opposition, a resurgent AMD has made headway in the middle of the market all year with the steady improvements to the Phenom II. |
Today, however, Intel is officially taking the wraps off of a new weapon in its arsenal: the chip code-named Lynnfield, which looks to bring the native quad-core Nehalem microarchitecture into the mainstream. Thanks to some clever engineering and integration, this processor promises to enable systems that are faster, cheaper, quieter, smaller, and more energy efficient than prior desktop PCs.
You have, perhaps, heard such claims before, no? The question, then, is whether Intel has really pulled off such a feat with Lynnfield.
