Intel has introduced three new quad-core processors that promise to give next-generation desktop PCs a boost, beginning this autumn. Formerly code-named Lynnfield, Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 processors are squarely aimed at consumers in search of high-performance machines with the latest digital media, productivity and gaming applications.
According to Intel, the new Core i5 and i7 chips can accelerate performance intelligently in response to demanding tasks, such as playing games and editing photos. For example, the new quad-core chips promise to boost the user’s speed when conducting multitasking activities by up to 28 percent, boost conversion rates for video transfers to the Web by up to 37 percent, and speed the transformation of CD music tracks into MP3 files by up to 17 percent, the company said.
The performance improvements come courtesy of the chipmaker’s Turbo Boost technology, which accelerates processor clock speeds by up to 20 percent to match current computing workloads, Intel said.
Revolutionary Chipset Design
The new processors, which are based on Intel’s Nehalem microarchitecture, integrate both a 16-lane PCI Express 2 graphics port and a two-channel memory controller. As a result, core functionality that was previously hosted on companion chipsets comprised of two or more devices will now fit on Intel’s single-chip P55, the company said.
The radical change in design philosophy produces several benefits, according to Matthew Wilkins, a principal analyst at iSuppli.
“As more of the functionality gets integrated onto the processor, you are able to use a lower number of chips in the chipset,” Wilkins said. “A single-chipset solution means potentially lower heat generation and power consumption, and reduced cooling requirements.”
What’s more, the P55 chipset offers support for dual graphics cards, up to 14 USB 2.0 ports, and as many as six SATA 3GB/s ports. Connects between the Core i5 processor and the P55 chipset…