Intel Core i7 processors hit online retailers

The Intel Core i7 processor is being bid up at online retailers--about a week before its official launch.

Though Intel isn't slated to launch the Core i7 processor until November 17, processors are ready for order at online retailers. The Core i7 represents the vanguard of Intel's new Nehalem microarchitecture.

PC Connection is selling the 2.66GHz Intel i7-920 processor with 8MB of cache memory for $334. The sales status is currently "on order." The official pricing from Intel--its pricing will likely be updated early next week--is expected to be lower at about $285 for the 920.

Falcon Northwest's Mach V PC will use the Core i7

(Credit: Falcon Northwest)

Stepping up to the i7-940, PC Mall is hawking the 2.93GHz "BOX CORE I7 940" for a pre-order price of $722. PC Connection lists it for $661. Intel's list price is expected to be approximately $560.

The higher prelaunch street prices are not surprising as this reflects pent-up demand for the product.

The high-end 3.2GHz 965 "Extreme" version of the i7 is available at various e-tailers, ranging in price from $1,090 to $1,300. Intel pricing should be just less than $1,000.

Want to get a taste of the i7's performance? CNET Reviews gushed that the Falcon Northwest Mach V tower system with a Core i7-965 is the "fastest all-around desktop we've tested to date; first PC to hit 60 frames per second on our high-resolution Crysis test; pristine build quality."

And the downside to Mach V tower? It's priced at more than $8,000.

[montex66]

According to Wikipedia, "Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game..."

Games are fun and all, but is this really the best use for a brand new super chip? Video games? Really?

I think there are some misplaced priorities here.

[globalist_agenda]

We should be using this new super chip computer power to figure out how to take toxic mortgage debt and bundle it up as insured, collateralized securities. Oh wait, that's already been done.

[gggg sssss]

anti missle shield computing? What will Barack say?

[smbober]

I signed up for an account here just to reply to this comment. :) Seriously. You spend your money on one of these super processors to figure out how to save the endangered otter pups (or whatever good cause you see fit) and I will spend them on my gaming rig blowing up virtual people like you. If ever free market capitalism applied, it would be right here.

Gamers demand the most from just about any system, the manufacturer fills this need. Gamers pay top dollar for it. Later, after gamer demand has waned, the Save The Otters Foundation can come in and get them for cheap. If the otters were really that important, the Save The Otters Foundation would be driving demand. But they are not.

How about this? You buy me one and I promise I will put it to good use. ;)

Sorry for the bitterness. But, it drives me nuts when people think they know what is the best use for any particular resource.

[Galaxy5]

New Mac Pros in January?

[Edwin-]

New Mac Pros are gonna rock with the i7! I'm getting two!

[WillKill07]

The Mac Pros wouldn't get the Core i7 anytime soon. Apple would have to charge even more money on a computer that does not justify the cost. Though, if you feel like spending even _more_ money on a ridiculously expensive computer, more power to you.

[murbo]

@willkill07
with that equipment inside, pc's are the same exact price. mac pro's are expensive because they are not desktop computers, they are high end workstations not with crappy core2 quads but with xeons in them... geez, server high end equipment is expensive both in pcs and macs
so please stop with the "macs are overpriced", "macs don't have a second mouse button", etc. already

[Art Dir]

Actually, macs do have a 2 button mouse. You can buy a mouse from any number of vendors, including Microsoft with even more buttons; or better yet, a Wacom tablet. We'll probably see the new chips in Macs at the next MacWorld Expo. You don't have to guess. You can google the matter and see an outlined road map for the next several intel chips in macs as far out as 2012, maybe 2014 if memory serves me. Chip makers don't just go buy the seat of their pants. They have future architecture already mapped out, as does Apple.

[gggg sssss]

get a Dell, dude

[3rdalbum]

The speed of gaming is mostly determined by the graphics card(s), not by the CPU. Let's see some hardcore video encoding tests!

Hmm... my current computer turns 1 year old in January. Should I build a new machine with an i7 at this time? It's enticing!

[i_am_still_wade]

My computer is 3 years old. I'm debating the i7, Core 2 quad, and Phenon (Denab core). Rumors say Denab is overclocking friendly and with performance on par with the Core 2. With the i7, the cost I worry about is the motherboard and memory. Those will not be cheap. So I likely will skip i7. If Denab can equal Core 2 performance for a price at or less than Core 2, then I will choose that over Core 2.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Save your money...for gaming you are better of with a good CD2 , and the price has come way down.
The limiting factor is the video card(s). SLI gave almost exactly double the frame rates.
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTU4MCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

[AppleSuxLeo]

C2D oops !

[vminvic]

There is presently no more demanding task for a personal computer CPU than GAME IMAGE RENDERING. Nothing any normal user (business applications, photoshop, net surfing, Multimedia decode/playback) does is as processor intensive. Sounds "silly" that games are the number crunching pinnacle - but true. A lot of data has to handled and be done with in 1/60 th of a second, while the operating system is still doing its usual administration. Thats why special high power gaming video cards are all the rage. Idea is to offload most of the work to a specialized , ultrafast, separate computer on a board. A game is one heck of a good "benchmark" test.