A six-core Gulftown desktop processor with Hyper-Threading, 12 MB shared L3 cache and an LGA1366 socket.
Cores
6/12
Boost
3.46 GHz
L3
12 MB
Power
130 W
Socket
LGA1366
What reviewers say
Reviews found strong threaded performance close to the 980X, but a high price and limited gaming gains over quad-core alternatives. Overclocking results differed substantially: bit-tech's sample reached 4 GHz and disappointed it, while Clubic reported much higher clocks and praised headroom. Neither result guarantees what another chip can achieve.
Six cores and twelve threads with Hyper-Threading. Clubic and bit-tech explicitly describe a multiplier locked upwards; base-clock overclocking remains possible.
Clocks
3.2 GHz base and up to 3.46 GHz Turbo Boost. Intel lists Q3 2010. July on-sale precision uses TechSpot's contemporary 19 July 2010 report of the exact processor in stock; a maker-confirmed first-sale day was not found.
Cache
12 MB shared L3 cache.
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
No
Graphics
Intel's exact-model comparison chart lists no processor graphics.
Platform
Socket
LGA1366
Base power
130 W
Unlocked
No
Cooler in the box
Yes
Memory support
DDR3-1066 rated maximum in Intel's exact-model chart; Clubic confirms three-channel memory. Optional maximum capacity is omitted.
PCIe
Intel's WX58BP processor compatibility table lists a 4.8 GT/s QPI connection for the exact i7-970. PCIe expansion is provided by the chipset, so no CPU lane count is assumed.
Process
32 nm; Gulftown.
Cooler
Intel's 32 nm Core i7-900 datasheet includes an unattached fan heatsink with boxed processors. Clubic describes the supplied copper-base tower cooler; second-hand and tray packages may differ.
