July 21st, 2009
Intel Core i5 ... coming Sept 6th?
The word from motherboard vendors is that Intel has set a launch date for the first Core i5 desktop processor.
Reminder: The Core i5 (codenamed Lynnfield) is basically a Core i7 part with the third memory channel removed and the QuickPath Interconnect dumped and replaced by a cheaper Direct Media Interface.
According to several sources, September 6th is the date that Intel will launch the Core i5 750. The unofficial word is that this is a 2.66GHz part that can be boosted to 3.20GHz using the built-in Turbo Boost feature. The processor will feature 8MB of L3 cache and is designed for Socket LGA 1156 motherboards, as opposed to the Socket LGA 1366 of the Core i7.
Core i5 750 is expected to be priced at $196 per tray of 1,000.
It seems that September 6th will also see Intel launch two new Core i7 processors. The 2.8GHz Core i7 860 which can be Turbo Boosted up to 3.46GHz and 2.93GHz Core i7 870 which can Turbo Boost to 3.60GHz. These are expected to the priced at $284 and $562 respectively, again per tray of 1,000.
Now for some confusion. Core i7 800 series pieces differ from the 900 series “Bloomfield” parts we’ve seen so far. While the 860 and 870 will support Hyper Threading just like the 900 series pieces (which means two threads per core, eight in total), they won’t support QPI and triple-channel memory, and will fit the Socket LGA 1156 rather than the Socket LGA 1366 of the 900 series Core i7’s.
If you think this is confusing, just wait until 2010 for Intel to release energy-efficient variants of the Core i5 750 and Core i7 860. These new variants will have a TDP of 82W compared to the current 95W.
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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