Product Description

Intel Core i7-965 Processor Extreme Edition 3.2 GHz, 6.4 QPI, 45nm, SSE4, 3 Channel Memory, 8 MB L3 Cache, Turbo Boost Technology, EIST in a LGA-1366 package

Product Details

• Brand: Intel
• Model: BX80601965
• Platform: Windows
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 7.75" h x 8.26" w x 25.00" l, 1.60 pounds
• Processors: 1

Features

• Intel Core i7-965
• 6.4 Intel QuickPath Interconnect
• 3 Channel Memory
• 8MB L3 Cache
• LGA-1366 package

From the Manufacturer
From the Manufacturer With multiple computing “brains” inside one processor, new Intel multi-core processors deliver big performance for anyone interested in running the most demanding software applications with ease. New Intel Core® i7™ 45nm quad-core processors from Intel combine exclusive innovations to deliver the best possible performance, plus an extra performance boost when needed. Unleash incredible new levels of brilliant performance
Conquer the world of extreme gaming with the fastest desktop processor on the planet: the Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition. With faster, more intelligent multi-core technology that dynamically accelerates performance to match your workload, it delivers an incredible breakthrough in gaming performance.

Versatile performance inside
But performance doesn’t stop at gaming. Free yourself to multitask without limits and run the latest digital media creation software with ease. In fact, you’ll experience maximum performance for whatever you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology. Together, these technologies put full processing performance exactly where and when you need it most.

Gaming on the edge—and beyond
The extremely capable Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition not only takes on today’s most complex and immersive games, but it also handles tomorrow’s advanced gaming applications with ease. By distributing artificial intelligence, lifelike physics, and rendering across 8 software threads, the Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition offers unprecedented performance headroom. As a result, you are free to concentrate on taking down the bad guys while your PC handles all the visual details like texturing and shading that all add up to a highly immersive gaming experience. Prepare to completely lose yourself in the action.

Intel Technology
Intel® QuickPath Interconnect. This Intel-exclusive innovation makes it easier for data to move quickly from the processor to the Intel X58 chipset, delivering better performance and responsiveness with the most demanding applications.

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology. By allowing each of the four processing cores to process two application “threads” simultaneously, the Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition can accomplish more simultaneously—allowing users to run more demanding applications simultaneously while experiencing superior responsiveness.

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. This new technology dynamically increases the processor’s frequency when needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom when operating below specified limits. As a result, you get extra performance headroom when you need it most.

8 MB Shared Intel® Smart Cache. By placing more data closer to the processing cores and enabling multiple cores to dynamically share this resource, Intel’s exclusive cache design ensures that multiple processing cores have ready access to data when it is needed.

A smarter way to work and play. Whether you’re casually checking email and surfing the Web or running multiple compute-intensive applications like HD video encoding, you want a processor that enables maximum PC performance. With the Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition, you’ll get just that. An unprecedented 4-core, 8-threaded design featuring Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ensures incredible performance, no matter what your computing needs. And with more than double the memory bandwidth for faster memory access, you’ll achieve more while waiting less.

Shatter the limits. It’s time for digital content creation that’s limited only by your imagination. Experience total creative freedom with the power to encode video up to 98% faster and render images up to 49% faster.^1,2 Plus, enjoy incredible performance on other multimedia tasks like photo retouching and editing.

¹ Performance based on PowerDirector 7 test results, comparing pre-production Intel® Core™i7 processor Extreme to the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor QX9770. Actual performance may vary. See http://www.intel.com/performance/desktop/extreme/index.htm for more information.

² Performance based on POV-Ray v3.7 Beta test results, comparing pre-production Intel® Core™i7 processor Extreme to the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor QX9770. Actual performance may vary. See http://www.intel.com/performance/desktop/extreme/index.htm for more information.

Customer Reviews

WOW! - This is one amazing processor. BEAST!
I upgraded to this processor from a Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0 GHz 6M L2 Cache 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Dual-Core Processor. This processor is an amazing upgrade. I recommend the RAM for this processor Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-10666 1333MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Memory Kit. This is one serious processor, the cost in my opinion is totally worth it. Just like all black box Intel processors this one is for serious gaming/ video editing. There are several Intel Core i7 processors out there that are more moderate and significantly less costly. You will see amazing boot times and access times that are really short. Games have no stutters or any significant lag.

I got a 3D Mark Vantage score of around 19,000 amazing!

Lets get to the specs:
965 Extreme Edition
Process: 45 nm
Cores: 4
Threads: 8
Clock (GHz): 3.2
Cache: 256 KB L2/core 8 MB shared L3
Memory: 3xDDR3 800/1066 MHz
Quickpath*: 1x 6.4 GT/s
Socket: LGA 1336 **

* QuickPath is a point-to-point processor interconnect developed by Intel to compete with HyperTransport. It allows the sub processors on the motherboard to have a quick access point to the main processor.
** make sure your motherboard has this socket before ordering.


Pro's -
Amazing power for your desktop
Speed

Con's -
Costs
Requires new motherboard
Requires new memory

If your ready to step up to the latest killer system then this is the processor for you!

Thank you for reading my review I hope it helped.

Worth the price? Maybe.
There is no question that this CPU is incredibly fast, and is likely the fastest consumer chip ever released by Intel (or anyone else for that matter). It is simply an amazing piece of technology. However, I'm not sure it is worth the price. There are discernible difference between this and the Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz processor, but are they worth 3x the price? Let's evaluate.

The I7 965 operates at 3.2ghz, and has a quick path speed of 6400 MT/s vs. the I7 920 which operates at 2.67ghz and has a quick path speed of 4800 MT/s. In every other aspect they are the same chips. Same 8mb cache size and both are 45nm chips. Essentially the main difference between the two CPUs is the quick path speed, which is roughly equivalent to FSB. That's a simplification I know, but it's accurate enough for this comparison. The higher frequency speed is nice, but high end ghz isn't as important as it used to be now that almost all software (and especially games which is what this card is intended for) are written for multi-thread processors.

Given the fact that overclocking these chips is very easy and that they're very, very stable at 20-30% over their stock operating speed, and given the fact that virtually all new games being written for multiple core gaming, I'm just not convinced that the price difference between the I7 920 and the I7 965 is justified.

The I7 965 strikes me as ideal for someone who wants top shelf speed but doesn't want to pursue overclocking. Basically your paying a premium for an enthusiast chip. You can get remarkable performance out of the I7 920 if you spend a bit of time to tweak it. For me, tweaking a I7 920 is a much better option, considering the price point on the two CPUs. However, if you are trying to build the 'ultimate' machine, and have the cash, the I7 965 is crazy-amazing. Both are fantastic CPUs, and you'll have to decided for yourself if the price of the I7 965 is worth it.

Renders HD video in under a minute for minute
Purchased to hopefully improve HD video rendering time from a typical rate of 5 minutes for 1 minute of HD video to closer to one+ minute for 1 minute of video. In fact, with an ASUS P6T6 MOBO, the rate is consistently 47 seconds for 1 minute of HD video. Incredible!