Intel® Core™ i7 Processor

For Desktops

Intel’s leading-edge PC processor for unmatched intelligent performance

Hardcore multitaskers rejoice. The Intel® Core™ i7 processor delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. You’ll fly through everything you do on your PC – from playing intense games to creating and editing digital video, music and photos.

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What the Experts are Saying

TweakTown | November 3, 2008

"Overall, the Core i7 is definitely a CPU you will want to own"

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Key Features

Unlimited creativity
Now you can really let your imagination go wild. Unleash leading edge digital media creation with up to 92% faster‡ video encoding, plus incredible performance for photo editing and publishing.

A smarter way to work and play
With the Intel Core i7 processor, you’ll multitask demanding applications up to 27% faster.‡ No more lost productivity while waiting for your computer to catch up.

Gaming on the edge – and beyond
Experience the full power of today’s most complex and immersive games with a 55% improvement in artificial intelligence for game characters and realistic physics for game worlds.‡

Performance on demand
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology◊ accelerates performance to match your workload, and you’ll also get more than 43% better performance‡ on highly threaded applications with the multi-threaded power of Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology.◊

Learn more about the breakthrough technology behind your ultimate gaming experience.

Processor Rating

Learn what the star rating tells you about this processor

Compare Processor Numbers

Is faster always better? Yes, but it's not always what you should buy.

So as you evaluate the performance of the components below, don't analyze them in isolation from each other, but consider them interdependent partners that make up your projected system. And, keep in mind that your future needs—adding software from a growing family or a growing business—might be different later.

Processor Family

Processor
Number

Cores/Threads

Clock Speed

Intel® Smart Cache

Silicon

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology

i7-950	4 Cores / 8 Threads	3.06 GHz	8 MB	45 nm
i7-940	4 Cores / 8 Threads	2.93 GHz	8 MB	45 nm
i7-920	4 Cores / 8 Threads	2.66 GHz	8 MB	45 nm
i7-870	4 Cores / 8 Threads	2.93 GHz up to 3.60 with turbo boost	8 MB	45 nm
i7-860	4 Cores / 8 Threads	2.80 GHz up to 3.46 with turbo boost	8 MB	45 nm

Intel processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across different processor families. See www.intel.com/products/processor_number for details.

Processor Number

Processor models vary according to cache size, clock speed and RAM speed. If you run compute-intensive programs, the more L2 Cache you have the better. If, however, you use your PC for gaming, streaming video or watching movies, the size of your L2 Cache is not as significant as having a speedy Front Side Bus and some juiced up Clock Speed. That being said, every year, software developers design programs and applications that demand more and more of all three of these elements. So, our advice is to think about tomorrow’s needs as well as today's. Still don’t know if you should err on the side of caution or throw it to the wind? Choose the best processor you can afford. No matter what, you’re bound to be blown away.

Here is some guidance to consider when looking at our notebook processors:

Intel® Core™2 Extreme mobile processor:
X9000 series: For ultimate mobile gaming and/or media performance

Intel® Centrino® processor technology:
T9000/T8000 series: Great for visually intense gaming and/or high definition media
T7000/ T5000 series: Create and store your photos, videos and music

Intel® Pentium® processor:
T2000 series: Aptly handles a variety of simple computing tasks simultaneously

Intel® Celeron® processor:
T1000 series: For when you want to run a few basic tasks simultaneously
500 series: For when you just need the basics

Multi-core processors are single chips that contain two or more distinct processors or execution cores in the same integrated circuit. While independent, each core can work separately or together on one large task.

Software developers chop up their code (known as threading) and run each piece concurrently through whatever processor core happens to be most available. And, increasingly, software developers rely on Intel® quad-core and dual-core technology so their multi-threaded program can do more things simultaneously producing faster, more efficient results for you.

Tip! For exceptional multitasking, look for Intel® dual-core processors. If you’re a mega-multitasker, gaming elitist, or media maven, look for Intel quad-core processors.

The simplest way to understand clock speed is to imagine a stopwatch measuring laps. Question is, where is the stopwatch: an Olympic pool, a racetrack or a track meet?

Just like a stopwatch, a clock speed measures how fast a processor performs an activity. But which activity?

That’s up to you; how will you use your computer? Will you make a video of your child with your new HD camera? Then find a benchmark test that tells the clock speed of the processor running a media-intensive program. Do you love re-touching photos? Then look up how a processor was benchmarked running the photo software you like to use.

Tip! Yes, you will find numbers. You will see rates in gigahertz (GHz) which means a billion cycles per second.

But numbers don’t tell the story. How you use your processor is what you want to find out. After all, you wouldn’t compare a lap time from a swim meet with an Indy car, would you?

Imagine the RAM of your computer as one city, and the CPU as another. Between them is a freeway: the Front Side Bus. When you’re making calculations, developing graphics—anything you and your software demands—the Front Side Bus transfers data quickly to meet that demand.

Tip! Whatever system you choose, make sure the components work together. For example, if you’re building a media computer, having a 1333 MHz Front Side Bus that can handle HD video is wonderful—but make sure the CPU is adequate for the challenge.

Imagine arriving at the grocery store and having all your favorite food fly off the shelves and fill the cart in minutes.

That’s L2 cache. It remembers the information accessed most frequently in your computer so you can easily get to it without those annoying lags. (Just don’t expect it to remember documents you didn’t save. It’s just a computer, not your mother.)

Tip! More L2 cache reduces bottlenecks and helps speed memory performance.

45nm – A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. The processors we have on the market are just 45-billionths of a meter wide. To get an idea of the size of the technology: you could lay over 2000 of our transistor gates side-by-side and almost equal the diameter of a strand of human hair. The new Hafnium-infused Intel 45nm process allows transistors to be packed more densely than the 65nm process. With the use of hafnium oxide replacing silicon dioxide (in use since the 1960s) the new transistors leak less energy, produce less heat and switch faster.

Nearly doubling the density of our processors means leaps in performance, an up-to-50-percent larger L2 cache, and new levels of breakthrough energy efficiency. Cool—in more ways than one.

WiMAX is the next evolution in wireless Internet, offering the best available mobile broadband experience. Just like cell phones have eliminated the need to find a phone booth when you want to make a call, WiMAX turns a city into one big hotspot. With high-speed wireless broadband built in, WiMAX-enabled laptops will provide the freedom and convenience of accessing your own Internet service from anywhere within the coverage area. It provides a similar experience to Internet you get on your home broadband connection, even for data-intensive applications such as streaming media, live video conferencing, and more, and that lightning-quick WiMAX connectivity goes with you while you’re on the move around town. Intel is working with partners around the world to roll out the new WiMAX network; you can view a list of providers here.

Performance Benchmarks

Best processors on the planet ^‡7

The performance results shown represent processor performance of the new Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor compared with the Intel Core™2 quad processor Q9450.

Great performance on compute-intensive workloads

If you have serious computing requirements, then you want the Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor. Whether it is physics, artificial intelligence, or fluid dynamics, rest assured, Intel® Core™ i7 processors are the choice.

Click here for SPEC* CPU2006 Performance system configuration.

Multitasking with Adobe Premiere Elements* 4 and ImToo* YouTube* to iPod* Converter

Run two applications at the same time instead of one at time. The Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor allows you to experience smooth performance with multiple applications running. These results display the time taken to edit a 1 minute video from an HD camcorder while you convert five 8 minute flash videos from YouTube.

Create spectacular slide-shows

Share memories with friends and family on DVD, PC, and the Web. Create visually compelling slide shows quickly with the new Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor. The results have been extrapolated to calculate the number of photos you can prepare in 5 minutes.

Video editing with Adobe Premiere* Pro CS3

Working with HDV 1080p content is CPU-intensive and requires lots of compute power. With the new Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor you can apply effects and render Hi-def video faster than before. The results have been extrapolated to calculate the time to edit and render 5 minutes of Hi-Def video.

Create cutting edge video content and visual effects

As a video professional you need to go through the time-consuming process of applying filters and effects over and over to achieve that definitive look you're going after. Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor helps you get through this pain-staking process quickly so you can preview your concepts and meet your intense deadlines. The results have been extrapolated to calculate the time taken to encode 30 minutes of Hi-Def video.

Click here for performance system configuration‡,‡.

Click here for detailed performance information.

+ Product and Performance Data

‡¹ Performance based on Cyberlink PowerDirector 7* test results, comparing Intel® Core™ i7-950 processor to the Intel® Core™2 processor Q9650. Actual performance may vary. See www.intel.com/performance/desktop/ for more information.

‡² Performance based on iTunes* 7.4.3 with Virtual Dub* 1.7.2 using the DivX* 6.7 codec. Test results compare the Intel® Core™ i7-950 processor to the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor Q9650. Actual performance may vary. See www.intel.com/performance/desktop/extreme/ for more information.

‡³ 3DMark* Vantage CPU test covers the two most common CPU-side tasks: Physics simulation and artificial intelligence. Measurements compared for the Intel® Core™ i7-950 processor and the Intel® Core™2 Quad processor Q9650.

◊¹ Intel® Turbo Boost Technology requires a PC with a processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology capability. Intel Turbo Boost Technology performance varies depending on hardware, software, and overall system configuration. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Intel Turbo Boost Technology. See www.intel.com/technology/turboboost/ for more information.

‡⁴ Performance based on Pov-Ray v3.7 Beta 28* test results, comparing Intel® Core™ i7-950 processor to the Intel® Core™2 processor Q9650. Actual performance may vary. See www.intel.com/performance/desktop/ for more information.

◊² Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) requires a computer system with a processor supporting Intel® HT Technology and an Intel® HT Technology-enabled chipset, BIOS and operating system. Performance will vary depending on the specific hardware and software you use. For more information including details on which processors support Intel® HT Technology, see www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading/.

‡⁵ Performance tests and ratings are measured using specific computer systems and/or components and reflect the approximate performance of Intel® products as measured by those tests. Any difference in system hardware or software design or configuration may affect actual performance. Buyers should consult other sources of information to evaluate the performance of systems or components they are considering purchasing. For more information on performance tests and on the performance of Intel products, visit Intel® Performance Benchmark Limitations.

‡⁶ Relative performance for each benchmark is calculated by taking the actual benchmark result for the first platform tested and assigning it a value of 1.0 as a baseline. Relative performance for the remaining platforms tested was calculated by dividing the actual benchmark result for the baseline platform into each of the specific benchmark results of each of the other platforms and assigning them a relative performance number that correlates with the performance improvements reported.

‡⁷ "Best processors on the planet" is based on SPECint_rate_base2006* scores. Any difference in system hardware or software design or configuration may affect actual performance.

‡⁸ SPECint*_rate_base2006 and SPECfp*_rate_base2006 are capacity-based metrics used to measure throughput of a computer that is performing a number of tasks. This is achieved by running multiple copies of each benchmark simultaneously with the number of copies set to set to the number of logical hardware cores seen by the operating system. SPEC* CPU2006 provides a comparative measure of compute intensive performance across the widest practical range of hardware. The product consists of source code benchmarks that are developed from real user applications. These benchmarks depend on the processor, memory and compiler on the tested system. SPEC, SPECint, SPECfp, SPECrate are trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. For more information go to: www.spec.org/spec/trademarks.html.

‡⁹ ImTOO* YouTube* to iPod* Converter and Adobe Premiere Elements* 4.0 - The Premiere Elements input file is a 1 minute, ~190MB 1440x1080 HD video imported from an HD camcorder. The output is a ~9.7MB 320x240 video in FLV format intended for YouTube. The ImTOO input consists of eight 5 minute, ~40MB 640x480 FLV files similar to those available via YouTube. The output is eight 5 minute 320x240 MPEG4 files ready for playback on an iPod.

‡¹⁰ Photodex ProShow Gold* 3.2 allows the user to combine photos, videos and music to create spectacular slide shows. The workload takes 29 high resolution jpeg photos and converts them to an mpeg2 DVD quality slideshow video file. The photos are in 3872x2592 resolution and total about 170MB. The output slideshow file is about 3 minutes and 9 seconds long.

‡¹¹ Adobe Premiere Pro* CS3 is a video editing tool for professionals with features like color correction and specials effects creation. In this test the project "F1 Demo 3wayCC.prproj" contains two 30-second segments HDV 1080p25 footage with a cross-dissolve transition applied across the entire 60s. The first 30s also has the effect "Three-Way Color Corrector" applied, independently adjusting the scene's shadows, highlights, and midtones. Additionally the 25fps input clip is converted to 29.7fps. The performance test measures the time to render a non-realtime preview of the first 7s (210 frames). This involves reading the two HDV source streams, applying the cross-dissolve, the Three-Way Color Corrector, and then encoding the result to a HDV file that is stored by Premiere Pro for later use when a preview of the rendered region is requested. Extrapolation of Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 rendering the first 7 seconds sed to calculate how long to render a 2-minute video based on the original 7 second workload.

‡¹² Adobe After Effects* CS3 is a comprehensive set of tools to efficiently produce motion graphics and visual effects for film, video, multimedia, and the web. Based on Adobe After Effects* 7, this test applies filters and effects to a variety of input file types including Adobe Photoshop* PSD, Adobe Illustrator* AI and EPS, TIF, and Apple* QuickTime* MOV files. Filters and effects include: blur, bulge, color key, frame blending, glow, motion blurring, fading, 2D and 3D manipulation, shadows, echo, median, radial blur, and invert. After each filter is applied, the composition is rendered to an uncompressed AVI movie file of the same resolution as the input files.