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Review: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770: is there a need?

by Tarinder Sandhu on 28 November 2007, 06:57

Tags: Core 2 Extreme QX9770, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

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Conclusions



The Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770's review could have been summed up in one sentence, really. Its announcement serves to extend Intel's dominant position at the very high-end of the desktop market. It does everything the QX9650 does - being based on the same Penryn core - but doe so that little bit faster.

We've seen that AMD will need to pull a Phenom rabbit the size of Gibraltar out of a hat if it's to challenge the incumbent Kentsfield-based QX6850 in pure performance stakes. That rabbit will need to be raised on nandrolone and nurtured with EPO if it's going to munch on the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 carrot for breakfast, for its enhanced core, faster clockspeed and front-side bus combine to offer the highest single-socket processor benchmarks we've ever seen - a familiar tune for QXs of late.

Released in Q1 2008 to coincide with the AMD quad-core Phenom 9900, the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 will remain the fastest desktop processor until some bright spark decides a 3.4GHz SKU is necessary.

The flipside is that it will cost around £750. Intel knows it can charge extortionate prices at the very high end, simply because there's a distinct lack of competition from AMD.

95 per cent of readers will look at the benchmark numbers and await lower-clocked Yorkfield/Wolfdale processors - also released in Q1 2008 - with more-palatable price-tags. The other 5 per cent will want the fastest processor around. No prizes for guessing which one that is..

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HEXUS Forums :: 8 Comments

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I was really under the impression that Barcelona isnt doing too bad in the server side of things.. I supposed the whole native quad core thingy didnt pay off in the desktop field..

I kind of remembered that I read somewhere that the Barcelona scaled really well with clock speed and multiple sockets as well..

We'll see.. AMD is turning mostly into an OEM company than an enthusiast company..
4 gig overclock…..!!!

Hell, that's a BEAST!!!!!!

My Quad at 2.67 is a monster…

4 gig!!!??

Mind boggling.
QX9770 can not only requires the national grid, it also adds to global warming….

Still wouldn't say no to one as my x2 4400 is looking old now…

only 2.67 Zak??
yup, and tbh, it's so damn fast, I struggle to use it all :)
I love my Quad….these new ones must be unfeasably fast :)

I'd love to use one for Folding@Home :)
Zak33
tbh, it's so damn fast, I struggle to use it all

I found a program called MediaCoder that appears to use all four cores, and is useful for ripping DVDs, and is free (Y).

There is clearly a need for Intel to avoid waiting for AMD to catch up, for them and for us - the consumers. It will be interesting to see if Intel can learn from AMD and combine the benefits of onboard memory controllers and “native” quad cores with their huge Core2 advantages in their future processors.

It is sad for me that Intel is now releasing stock-clocked CPUs that are faster than the one I own, but it had to happen eventually. :)