Much of Intel's desktop attention has been focused on launching and supporting the Lynnfield-based Core i5 and Core i7 chips, released at the start of September 2009.

Rather more quietly, the chip giant has bolstered the range-topping LGA1366 Core i7 line, known as Bloomfield, with the Core i7 960.

Model number	Cores / threads	Clockspeed	Turbo Boost	Process	Cache	Interface	Memory controller	Official memory support	TDP	Socket	Price (as of today)
Core i5 750	4/4	2.67	3.20	45nm (Lynnfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	DMI	Dual-channel	DDR3-1,333	95W	LGA1156	£149
Core i7 860	4/8	2.80	3.46	45nm (Lynnfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	DMI	Dual-channel	DDR3-1,333	95W	LGA1156	£210
Core i7 870	4/8	2.93	3.60	45nm (Lynnfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	DMI	Dual-channel	DDR3-1,333	95W	LGA1156	£420
Core i7 920	4/8	2.67	2.93	45nm (Bloomfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	QPI	Triple-channel	DDR3-1066	130W	LGA1366	£199
Core i7 950	4/8	3.06	3.33	45nm (Bloomfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	QPI	Triple-channel	DDR3-1,066	130W	LGA1366	£420
Core i7 960	4/8	3.20	3.46	45nm (Bloomfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	QPI	Triple-channel	DDR3-1,066	130W	LGA1366	£420
Core i7 975 EE	4/8	3.33	3.60	45nm (Bloomfield)	1MB L2 8MB L3	QPI	Triple-channel	Unlocked (1,600+)	130W	LGA1366	£699

Coming in at the same 3.20GHz frequency as the Core i7 965 Extreme Edition, which has now made way for the 975 EE processor, the new chip will effectively replace the Core i7 950 as the middle LGA1366 CPU.

The introduction of the Core i7 960 casts further doubt on the relevance of the LGA1156 Core i7 870, and we should expect to see the latest 9-series chip in systems costing around £1,500.

Still too expensive to recommend to most enthusiasts, Intel's ability to charge £400-plus for a single chip is directly related to AMD's inefficacy to compete in the high-performance sector.