Intel’s marvelous execution continues with the release of the Core i7-975 Extreme Edition and Core i7-950 processors. Both of these chips are terrific performers, delivering performance improvements of 4-5% over the processors they replace. Now normally some cynics may scoff at a 5% performance improvement, but considering that Intel’s charging the same price for these new processors, you’re basically getting a free performance upgrade. Who can complain about getting free performance?
Intel’s new D0 stepping appears to be the real deal also. Overclocking our 975 EE sample was a breeze. The processor effortlessly clocked to 4.36GHz on air, and we have a hunch that with better cooling we could’ve gotten 4.5GHz stable. While Intel doesn’t officially condone OC’ing, they know that a portion of their fan base does it, and it’s growing. As such, they’ve built the Core i7 CPUs with maximum frequency headroom in mind and it shows. These chips are just blazing OC’ers.
The Core i7 platform really doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses right now. Sure, the X58 motherboards sell for over $150, but that’s a far cry from where prices were at the beginning of the year. Motherboard prices on current boards will likely trickle down a little further as newer X58 motherboards are released with 6Gbps SATA in the coming months. DDR3 prices have come down quickly also.
Considering the size of their performance advantage, Intel could easily sit back and get comfortable, but they’re not. They’re continuing to innovate, and with today’s arrival of the Core i7-975 Extreme Edition, they’ve actually widened their lead over the competition. Right now, Intel’s only competition at the high end of the CPU space is themselves.
If you can afford it, the Core i7-975 Extreme Edition is easily the best CPU money can buy. Priced at over $1,000 though, you’ll need to fork over some serious cash to experience it firsthand. Fortunately the Core i7-950 is a more reasonably priced alternative at $562. That’s nearly the same price you’d pay for a Core 2 Duo E6700 three years ago! Isn’t it amazing how far we’ve come over the years?
Gigabyte P55 Lynnfield-ready Motherboard Roundup
If you're in the market for a new P55 motherboard to go along with your new Lynnfield CPU you'll definitely want to check out today's article. Inside we've devoted over 7,000 words to four different Gigabyte motherboards. From high-end to low, it's all covered here!
Left 4 Dead 2 PC Review
Valve says Left 4 Dead 2 contains so much new content, it's worthy of a sequel rather than DLC. Is this true or false? Judge for yourself in today's review!
ATI Radeon 5970 Performance Preview
After a 10-month hiatus, ATI's once again got the world's fastest graphics card. The Radeon 5970 fuses two RV870 chips onto one board for max performance, and is built for OC'ing. See how this board fares in the latest games including Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and DX11 titles like STALKER: Call of Pripyat in this article!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 PC Review
With no dedicated servers, no lean, and 18-player cap for multi, does Modern Warfare 2 for PC live up to its predecessors? Most of the reviews online have praised Infinity Ward's latest shooter but those reviews were focused for console players -- how does the PC port fare? Find out in today's review!
Sapphire Radeon 5870 Vapor-X 1GB Review
With its custom vapor chamber cooling+heatpipes and factory OC'ing, Sapphire's 5870 Vapor-X is targeted towards gamers looking for a 5870 card with a little more oomph than the stock 5870 card can provide. Best part of all is that the card sells for just $10 more than the stock Radeon 5870. See how much cooler and quieter the Vapor-X card runs inside!
Phenom II Gets A New Revision: 125W AMD Phenom II X4 965 Performance Preview
Promising lower power consumption, lower temps, and most importantly for enthusiasts, more OC'ing, AMD is back with a new CPU revision for the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition, which now boasts a 125W TDP. Is AMD able to deliver on their promises though? Find out in today's article!
Shattered Horizon Review
FutureMark, well known for their popular 3DMark benchmarks, is venturing into new territory with Shattered Horizon. This multiplayer shooter is perhaps best known for its system requirements -- the game supports DX10 only -- but there's more underneath the surface of this game than fancy visuals. Is it worth its $20 price tag though? Read Vandy's take inside!
Borderlands PC Review
Is it an RPG or is it an FPS? Borderlands blends the best elements of both in one entertaining package. Vandy has spent the past week playing the PC version of the game and came away rather impressed. Read his full thoughts on the game in today's review!
AMD Athlon II X3 435/Athlon II X2 240e Performance Preview
Today AMD is introducing 8 new Athlon II CPUs intended to service different segments of the budget CPU market. For HTPC users, new 45W dual, triple, and quad core offerings should deliver good performance along with low power, while performance junkies on a budget will want to look at AMD's new Athlon II X3 CPUs. See how the new chips stack up in terms of performance and OC'ing in this article!