Intel Core i7-920 vs Intel Core i7-960

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Core i7-920 compared with Core i7-960

	IntelCore i7-920	IntelCore i7-960
Overview
Released
Released	November 2008	October 2009
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	4	4
Threads
Threads	8	8
Base clock
Base clock	2.66 GHz	3.2 GHz
Boost clock
Boost clock	2.93 GHz	3.46 GHz (better)
L3 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	8 MB
Cores
Cores	Four cores with Hyper-Threading; eight simultaneous threads. PCStats confirms a locked CPU multiplier; base-clock overclocking is possible, so locked does not mean all overclocking is disabled.	Four cores and eight threads with Hyper-Threading. Hardware-Magazin's exact-model introduction explicitly describes a fixed multiplier; base-clock overclocking remains possible.
Clocks
Clocks	Intel's product brief gives up to 2.93 GHz single-core Turbo Boost. Intel's 17 November 2008 sale notice names the 920 and confirms immediate system and boxed retail availability.	3.2 GHz base and up to 3.46 GHz Turbo Boost. Intel lists Q4 2009. The October on-sale month uses Tom's Hardware Italia's 20 October 2009 availability report and TweakTown's 21 October report of a listed OEM chip. Japan's boxed retail availability followed in February 2010.
Cache
Cache	–	8 MB shared L3 cache.
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
Built-in graphics	No	No
Graphics
Graphics	No processor graphics; a separate graphics solution is required. Intel's desktop comparison chart lists graphics as not applicable.	Intel's exact-model comparison chart lists no processor graphics.
Platform
Socket
Socket	LGA1366	LGA1366
Base power
Base power	130 W	130 W
Unlocked
Unlocked	No	No
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	–	Yes
Memory support
Memory support	Three channels of DDR3-1066 in Intel's exact-model product brief. A later Intel comparison chart incorrectly lists two channels; the original product brief is used here.	Three channels of DDR3-800 or DDR3-1066; up to 24 GB in Intel's 45 nm Core i7-900 datasheet. Faster memory used by reviews is not the maker's rated limit.
PCIe
PCIe	Intel's product brief describes X58 chipset PCIe 2.0 graphics connectivity, including two ×16 links. These are chipset connections, not CPU-integrated PCIe lanes. CPU-to-chipset QuickPath Interconnect runs at 4.8 GT/s for the 920.	–
Process
Process	45 nm; Nehalem architecture.	45 nm; Bloomfield.
Cooler
Cooler	Requires an LGA1366/X58 platform; incompatible with LGA775 motherboards. Intel's retired specification page could not be read, so optional package temperature and separate maximum-power values are omitted.	Intel's boxed-processor datasheet includes an unattached fan and heatsink. An LGA1366 motherboard is required.