With the introduction of the new Intel Core i7 processor architecture, the company affectionately known as "Chipzilla" has once again topped itself in terms of performance. Intel planted a gift in the Core i7 launch in the form of the Core i7 920. This is Intel's entry level Core i7 processor which runs at a stock speed of 2.66 GHz, not too far off from the high-end Core i7 965 Extreme model which runs at 3.2 GHz. While the high-end Core i7 965 sells for over $1,000, the Core i7 920 sells for a more palatable $300, considering the performance that this chip is capable of with a little elbow grease. In terms of their base technology, the Core i7 965 and 920 are the same chip--they simply run at different frequencies. While overclocking the Core i7 is a bit different compared to previous generation Core 2 processors, most of the same principles apply to these new systems.

We grabbed a new Core i7 920 processor off a retail shelf and decided to see how far we could clock it up. We want to give potential buyers an idea of what overclocking with the Core i7 is like, along with how much performance could be gained, how to deal with heat, and how power consumption comes into play. Come on by the site and take a look...