Intel readying Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition for Q4

[Jos]

Intel is preparing a new flagship processor for Q4 2012, according to report by DonanimHaber. The upcoming Core i7-3970X is based on the 32nm Sandy Bridge-E architecture and will pick up where the current i7-3960X left off, offering the same six cores with a dozen threads but with slightly higher clock speeds at 3.5GHz stock and 4.0GHz turbo.

Being an Extreme Edition processor it will also ship with an unlocked base-clock multiplier for easy overclocking. The rest of its feature set is consistent with the 3960X, including the LGA2011 package, 15MB shared L3 cache, and quad-channel DDR3 controller supporting up to 64 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz memory. The new chip will likely replace the current 3960X flagship at the $1,000 price point.

Intel launched LGA 2011 as a replacement for LGA 1366 for the performance segment in November 2011. There are currently three Sandy Bridge-E processors available for the platform: an entry-level quad-core Core i7-3820, a mainstream Core i7-3930K with six cores and the top-of-the-line Core i7 Extreme 3960X.

Although Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture was launched earlier this year, enthusiast-level Ivy Bridge-E parts are not expected to arrive until sometime in the first half of 2013. At that point they’ll likely overlap with new Haswell desktop parts, just like 22nm Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge-E platforms coexist right now.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/49495-intel-readying-core-i7-3970x-extreme-edition-for-q4.html

 

[Guest]

absolute crap...and I guess they can since nothing else is out there.

 

[venomblade]

@ Guest

Doesn't mean you have to buy it. Just stick with the overall pillars of price/performance, SB/IB.

 

[gwailo247]

If I was making a comfortable six figure income, I'd probably buy one. Why not?

If you're spending 80K on a car or 2 million on a house, why not spend a few extra K on a computer, especially if you're a hobbyist?

 

[Blue Falcon]

IMO, Intel has gotten the entire LGA2011 platform wrong. As the most premium product, it should have the latest technologies and processors. How in the world are they still selling 6-core Sandy Bridge CPUs on there in Q4 2012 and don't plan on launching IVB-E until 2013?

That's going to be a flop of major proportions when Haswell's 10-15% increase in IPC and overclocking room will make it faster in games and many programs that don't take advantage of more than 4 threads (most programs) next year.

I guess Intel really meant it when they said LGA2011 is a server/workstation socket. It's a shame that because of AMD's Bulldozer, Intel is artificially keeping the 6-core CPUs at $500 level on the LGA2011 platform. Considering Q6600/6700 processors launched in 2007, by now 6-core CPU from Intel should cost $350, not $500+. Also, there is no reason at all that LGA1150 won't be able to fit a 6-core CPU sans the graphics card. This artificial segregation is pure money grab on their part so that they can charge and arm and a leg for X79 chipsets and 6-core CPUs for those who actually need the cores for rendering/encoding, etc.

 

[slh28]

If I was making a comfortable six figure income, I'd probably buy one. Why not?

If you're spending 80K on a car or 2 million on a house, why not spend a few extra K on a computer, especially if you're a hobbyist?

Because the 3930K has the same performance when overclocked? Rich people don't get rich by spending money.

 

[gwailo247]

Because the 3930K has the same performance when overclocked? Rich people don't get rich by spending money.

And why buy a Mercedes when a Kia will get you from point A to point B? We can go in circles about this...

 

[dividebyzero]

IMO, Intel has gotten the entire LGA2011 platform wrong. As the most premium product, it should have the latest technologies and processors.

I'm sure if you gave Intel the balance of the $US7 billion it cost to get 32nm on stream they'd be happy to oblige.

That's going to be a flop of major proportions when Haswell's 10-15% increase in IPC and overclocking room will make it faster in games and many programs that don't take advantage of more than 4 threads (most programs) next year

Nice try....except that there's always something new coming down the pipe. Sandy Bridge-E/Ivy Bridge-E/Haswell-EX are about productivity and probably shouldn't be compared to the mainstream CPU/chipset. Sandy Bridge-E has virtually nothing to offer the average enthusiast over IB, yet it doesn't stop the platform selling. The same will apply to Ivy-E and Haswell

I guess Intel really meant it when they said LGA2011 is a server/workstation socket

This has always been the case. Intel's "Extreme" CPU's are processors that couldn't be binned as Xeon- either for voltage or stability

It's a shame that because of AMD's Bulldozer, Intel is artificially keeping the 6-core CPUs at $500 level on the LGA2011 platform. Considering Q6600/6700 processors launched in 2007, by now 6-core CPU from Intel should cost $350, not $500+

False logic. If Bulldozer was competitive with Xeon/Extreme they would be priced as such. The last time AMD had performance parity with Intel was 2005-07
June 2005: Athlon 64 FX 57 $1031...Pentium 4 EE 840...$999
Jan. 2006: Athlon 64 FX 60...$1031...Pentium 4 EE 955.....$999
May 2006: Athlon 64 FX 62...$1031...Pentium 4 EE 965.....$999
The other side of the coin is that if Intel sold 6-core Core i7 for $350, what would they have to sell 4 core i7, i5 and i3 for to keep them competitive? And given these supposed price cuts, how long do you think AMD would survive ?

Also, there is no reason at all that LGA1150 won't be able to fit a 6-core CPU sans the graphics card

Except market segmentation. It's the same reason that both AMD and Intel lock multipliers on most SKU's.

This artificial segregation is pure money grab on their part so that they can charge and arm and a leg for X79 chipsets and 6-core CPUs for those who actually need the cores for rendering/encoding, etc.

Welcome to the world of tech. Want to encode/transcode/render and still use a mainstream CPU/chipset-then use software that leverages GPGPU. I would venture that most people who NEED to have the advantages of a 6 (or 8) core - and that is the larger cache more often than the threads in flight aspect aren't overly concerned with the platform cost. A 6-core 3930K+ "budget" X79 isn't that much more expensive than a 3770K+ enthusiast Z77 platform.

 

[Darth Shiv]

If I was making a comfortable six figure income, I'd probably buy one. Why not?

If you're spending 80K on a car or 2 million on a house, why not spend a few extra K on a computer, especially if you're a hobbyist?

Because the 3930K has the same performance when overclocked? Rich people don't get rich by spending money.

You could overclock the 3970 too...

Still waiting for a decent number of PCIe slots off the CPU and a decent number of SATA 3 onboard. They've been dragging the chain there for a while.

 

[slh28]

And why buy a Mercedes when a Kia will get you from point A to point B? We can go in circles about this...

That's a bit different though... comparing a Merc to a Kia is like comparing the 3970X to the FX-4100. They'll do the same job but one does it faster. The 3930K and 3960X are basically the same chip and will perform the same when both are at their max overclocks.

 

[Zeromus]

I thought we were done with LGA2011 lol. Bulky motherboards with a fat CPU to fit, I hope it's way faster than the 3960.

 

[gwailo247]

That's a bit different though... comparing a Merc to a Kia is like comparing the 3970X to the FX-4100. They'll do the same job but one does it faster. The 3930K and 3960X are basically the same chip and will perform the same when both are at their max overclocks.

My rich theoretical self says that you win and he's going to go outside and burn $500 in a bonfire.

 

[bugejakurt]

When will Core i8 or the next major advancement in processor architecture will be available?

 

[Blue Falcon]

bugejakurt,

Depends on what you consider a major advancement. Intel works on a 2-year "Tick-Tock" strategy where Tocks are their "major" architectural advancement and Ticks are the refreshes with minor changes to the Tocks. Sandy Bridge was a Tock, Ivy Bridge is a Tick. The next Tock will likely bring 10-15% increase in performance per clock and 2-3x faster onboard graphics performance with Haswell, rumored to launch around April 2013.

If by major you mean like moving from Pentium 4/D to Core 2 Duo, then at today's pace, you have to wait 5 years to realize this. If you have a modern CPU such as Core i5 750/i7 920/i7 860 and it's overclocked, then there is still no reason to upgrade. You are better off getting a larger SSD, upgrading your monitor to 2560x1440/1600 or getting a faster videocard. CPU performance matters less than ever now unless you play mostly MMOs and strategy games.

 

[slh28]

When will Core i8 or the next major advancement in processor architecture will be available?

It won't be called Core i8, if Intel's recent naming scheme continues then it will be the Core i3/i5/i7 4xxx series