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The first Intel Core i7 reviews are in from Legit Reviews, Mad Shrimps, OCC, HotHardware.com, LostCircuits, DriverHeaven, t-break, Neoseeker, Techgage.com, Benchmark Reviews, TechSpot, PC Perspective, Bjorn3D, Hardcoreware, TweakTown, and The Guru of 3D.



Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Processor Review @ Legit Reviews

The performance numbers speak for themselves as the Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition proved itself to be more than 35% faster than the equally clocked Core 2 Extreme QX9770 processor in a number of benchmarks. This is an impressive number and one that may be higher than many expected. When overclocked the Core i7 965 was wickedly fast and ripped through performance tests faster than anything we have ever seen...
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Intel Core i7 920 and 965 XE CPU Review

In a few weeks you can find a brand new Intel CPU at your local hardware shop, it still carries the Core name but it is drastically different compared to their previous Core 2 units. The Core i7 has an onboard memory controller and hyperthreading is re-introduced. We compare the performance of the entry level 920 model as well as the high end 965 XE.
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Intel Core I7 Review @ OCC

On the I7 965 Extreme the processor is unlocked so the multiplier can be increased substantially to increase the CPU speed without touching the base clock frequency while the I7 920 clock multiplier is locked at 20 so to really push the CPU you will need to push the base clock frequency to see an increase in performance. On the 965 I tried both increasing the base clock multiplier as well as the baseclock frequency to end up with a final stable speed of 3.970 GHz for my benchmark testing. This was accomplished by setting the base clock frequency to 147MHz with a clock multiplier of 27. Rather than using the voltage offset in the BIOS I set the voltage manually. To keep the CPU from throttling under load you can increase the "current limit" override as well as the "power limit" override in the DX58 Smackover motherboard BIOS. To increase the base clock frequency you can only go so far until you will need to add a little voltage to the IOH core voltage override and QPI voltage override in the bus override section of the BIOS. It's just a matter of learning the ins and outs of the BIOS and what the processor likes, 3.970GHZ and 3.100GHZ are what the two processors liked on air without cooking parts. Of course, no two chips are alike so your mileage may vary.
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Getting To Know Intel's New Core i7, Video Spotlight @ HotHardware.com

In addition to our in-depth article coverage of Intel's new Core i7 processor and platform architecture, we also have a video spotlight up that gives the viewer a hands-on look of various new Intel Core i7 hardware as well as a Core i7 system in action on the test bench.
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Intel i7 - Codename Nehalem (LostCircuits)

It is hard to describe Intel's release of the Core and Core2 series of processor as anything but a slam-dunk which has made the "blue" company the undisputed performance leader in the desktop segment. To further top it, with the migration to the P1266 45 nm process node including the Hafnium-based transistors, Intel has also set new standards with respect to power consumption. So, the bottom line is that Intel is currently the undisputed performance leader. One of the beauties, however, in the wonderful world of processors is that there is no standing still. The Red Queen rules and you have to run as fast as you can just to stay where you are.
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Intel Core i7 and Asus Rampage 2 Extreme Review @ DriverHeaven

Join us for our review as we cover why the Core i7 is such a great improvement over Core 2 as we put it though numerous tests against the best of the socket 775 CPUs, the QX9770. Testing includes real world comparisons in Photoshop, media encoding, 3d rendering, gaming and high definition playback to name but a few areas. In addition to this we will also look at the best motherboard you are likely to see in some time and if that is not enough, how about some overclocking of the new platform thrown in for fun, can we hit 4GHZ on air? Time to find out...
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Intel Core i7 Performance @ t-break

Codenamed Bloomfield, this well-anticipated successor in the ‘Core’ series has been officially labeled as the Core i7. Its is the first CPU to be based on Intel’s new Nehalem micro-architecture and it comes with a host of unique features
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Neoseeker's Intel Core i7 920 / 940 / 965 Review

In all but a couple of tests, the 2.66GHz Core i7 920 handily beats the 3.2GHz Core 2 Quad QX9770 - and in some tests by an embarrasing margin. Needless to say, the Core i7 965 tends to wipe the floor with the QX9770 in memory or processor bound applications, and I think that AMD is in for a nasty surprise on the server side...
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Intel Core i7 Performance Preview @ Techgage.com

With Core i7's launch due in just a few weeks, there's no better time than right now to take a hard look at its performance, which is what we're taking care of today. In addition to our usual performance comparisons with last-gen CPUs, we're also taking an in-depth look at both QPI and HyperThreading performance, and some of our results may surprise you.
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Intel Core i7 CPU & DX58SO X58 Platform @ Benchmark Reviews

We at Benchmark Reviews consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have been chosen by Intel as one of those review sites to showcase the Core i7 prior to its official launch. Once chosen our dilemma was how to best convey the myriad of information we ascertained to our readers. Obviously the best plan would be to release one all encompassing review of the entire product line. Because of time constraints this plan was impossible. After much deliberation we decided our best recourse was to present a series of reviews on this product line. In today's segment we will cover an overview of the technological aspects of the Core i7 processor series and the X58 motherboard that supports it. We'll test all three of the processors using a succinct series of benchmarks run a stock processor speeds and draw the necessary conclusions from their results. What else is left you might ask? Believe me when I say that's only scratching the surface. In future reviews we'll concentrate on individual product components and expound in much greater detail on that product's performance capabilities including overclocking.
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Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition review

Today marks the release of Intel's latest and greatest processor architecture to date. For the past two years Intel has dominated the CPU market with their Core 2 processors, reaping havoc on AMD's Athlon and Phenom products. Yet despite of this significant dominance, Intel will be pushing the Core 2 aside and make room for the new Core i7 processor series.

Today we will be introducing you to three new Core i7 processors based on the new Intel Nehalem microarchitecture, each featuring 4-cores and operating in the 2.66 to 3.20GHz range. Like the Core 2 family, these new processors feature model numbers, designed to keep things simple.

The Core i7 965 Extreme Edition runs at 3.20GHz and features a QPI (QuickPath Interface) throughput of 6.4GT/s, which is the key difference here. The mainstream versions of the processor include the Core i7 920 and 940, clocked at 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz, respectively. These more affordable processors feature a QPI throughput of just 4.8GT/s, so it will be
interesting to discover what kind of impact this has on performance.
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Nehalem Revolution: Intel's Core i7 Processor Complete Review

Intel's new Core i7 series of processors is a modern marvel of technology that brings previously inaccessible performance to the consumer. In areas where multi-threaded applications are dominant, heavy multi-tasking is the norm or multimedia encoding is the primary function, the move to a HyperThreaded Core i7 part is a no brainer. But Intel's biggest problem might not have anything to do with AMD or another outside source: the fact is that the Core 2 Quad processors are still fantastic performers, widely available and pretty damn cheap. Anyone that has a quad-core system will likely not find a compelling performance benefit to upgrade from it to a Core i7 unless they subscribe to one of the usage models mentioned above. Intel has definitely attempted to curb this dilemma with the introduction of the $284 Core i7-920 and I think that this CPU will find its way into many of our reader's machines.
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Intel I7 Coverage @ Bjorn3D

We have 3 seperate stories so here are the links.
Intel Core I7 965 (Nehalem)
Intel Core I7 940 (Nehalem)
Intel Core I7 920 (Nehalem)

Intel Core i7 "Nehalem" Review

Intel has decided to open the curtains early on their latest CPU microarchitecture codenamed "Nehalem". The NDA was originally scheduled to be lifted in a few weeks, but Intel is eager to let us tell you just how it performs. And for good reason.

Join us as we talk about the Nehalem architecture, what's new, what it means today, and what it will mean in the future. We also take a look at the first three CPUs to be released using this architecutre; Core i7, for desktop CPUs. Server and Mobile CPUs will come at a later time.

Not only is the design of Nehalem fascinating, its performance also makes for an interesting read. So check out our full review!
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Intel Core i7 Nehalem Arrives and FSB Departs

Today Intel’s CPU, formally known as Nehalem arrives and with it comes a new architecture along with a new bus. Intel’s latest addition to the Core architecture is the Core i7 series, which is based on the same architecture that made the Core 2 series so popular, but with a few major changes to the design.

To replace the aging FSB, Intel has designed a new point-to-point communication protocol which is known as Quick Path Interconnect or QPI. Intel’s first generation of QPI is a 20-bit interface with bi-directional communication running at either 4.8GT/s for the Core i7 range or 6.4GT/s for the Core i7 Extreme range of processors.
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Intel Core i7 920 and Core i7 965 review

Intel today launches their Core i7 products and x58 motherboard chipset, Core i7 as in their 7th architectural generation. A name that will catch on quickly and you'll get used to it just as quickly as well. No less then three processors are announced today in a good variety of pricing and Guru3D.com will take a look at two of them.

That in combo with triple channel memory and a scrumptious X58 mainboard chipset. We'll have several articles based on Core i7 products this week and oh man .. do these processors rock. It's definitely a very good step forward for that big company we all know as Intel.
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