The Intel CPU Core i7 950, all new, but more of the same @ Magicmc.com Reviews

The Intel CPU Core i7 950, all new, but more of the same

The advent of the Intel Core i7 950 is a first ever for a CPU, namely by using doubled reference frequency (266MHz steps) to jump over the 3 GHz threshold by default ahead and beyond the 930 at 2.8. While there are higher end CPUs that you would expect to have a higher Hz rating than the Intel Core i7 950, but due to the heat restrictions of the processor framework, they have not achieved these higher limits without The Xeon Intel CPU is such a chip set. While the CPU might be more than capable of operating at a higher rate, the TDP will not allow it.

Utilizing three channel memory is another consideration while looking at the i7 950 and motherboard compatibility. While 3 channel memory usage might indeed seem like a time saver from the offset, the memory framework might make you pull out the calculator to see if its 1.5X throughput is accurate below the surface.

Intel does not plan on supporting DDR3-1333 memory in the Intel CPU i7 line, but will in the i5, which happens to only have dual channel usage. But at the higher memory standard, dual channels utilizing higher DDR3 values will actually be the same or perform at a higher standard than the triple channel DDR at a lower rating.

While much of this might seem like a give and a take, the extra cost associated with the Intel Core i7 might not spell actual extra value in the upcoming tussle between memory allocation use against the lower priced dual channel, but higher rated DDR3 that the i5 will be able to exploit.

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