Power Consumption and Conclusions
Despite what these graphs show, the idle power consumption of the new Core i7-975 is not that much higher than the other Core i7 parts. Our using a different motherboard for this particular test is definitely the culprit and in this case the Gigabyte EX58-EXTREME just flat out more power at idle than the original Intel-built X58 motherboard. When we look at the load power consumption, for example, the i7-975 uses less power than the i7-965 when Turbo Mode is disabled and uses about 14 watts more power than the i7-965 with the feature turned on. Yes the Core i7-975 is a power hungry part but we are not even close to returning to the days of the Pentium 4.
Overclocking
Unfortunately, before heading off to Taiwan for Computex I didn’t have enough time to properly test the overclocking performance of this new CPU. I have it on good authority though that the newly refreshed design on the Core i7-975 and i7-950 should have SIGNIFICANTLY more overclocking headroom than the previous high-end Core i7 parts. The words “a GHz more headroom” were muttered to me in fact…
Expect more details and overclocking testing upon my return!
Performance
Without a doubt the Intel Core i7 processor is the most powerful line of desktop CPUs on the market and the new i7-975 is easily the fastest desktop processor we have ever tested. The Core i7-975 obviously does best in those applications and scenarios where thread counts at 4 or higher can be utilized; that is when the quad-core HyperThreaded cores really get the job done. In our media encoding tests, with programs like VirtualDub, HandBrake or anything that uses the DivX encoding engine, the Core i7 simply ran away from the competition going as much as 2.5 faster than the best Core 2 Quad offering.
Other applications like 3D rendering and scientific tests, most of which uses highly-threaded processing engines, also see significant performance gains on the i7 over the Core 2 line.
Of course there a lot of applications though where the Core i7 isn’t making a significant impact – basically anything that is not EXTERMELY memory bound and that is using 1-4 threads of processing will see only modest gains from the added features of the Core i7 architecture. In that regard, nothing has changed with the Core i7-975 or i7-950 to alter the outcomes from our initial Nehalem processor review or subsequent analysis.
The Core i7 line will more than likely improve your overall system performance, even if only slightly in some cases, and the additional help of the unique Turbo Mode feature that allows the CPU to clock higher when fewer CPUs are loaded will help the consumer balance between use cases of multi-threaded applications and single-threaded ones.
Core i7 Platform Pricing
When Nehalem was first launched in November the primary draw back was definitely on the cost side. You couldn’t really find an X58 motherboard for under $300 and DDR3 memory in three packs was still very expensive. Since then we have witnessed motherboard vendors like Gigabyte, ASUS and MSI slowly bring down the cost of motherboards while companies like OCZ and Corsair have released newer, lower priced memory kits. Though the Gigabyte EX58-EXTREME we tested with here today is DEFINITELY not considered a budget motherboard, there are several options from various vendors finally breaking the $200 level (here and here, for example). DDR3 memory prices have also been falling and it’s now possible to get a good Core i7-based system started for around $600.
As for the two processors released today, neither will permit that $600 build price. The Core i7-975 will take over the $999 spot that Core i7-965 has been holding while the Core i7-950 will go for $5xx, replacing the often overlooked Core i7-940. The Core i7-920 remains at $285 or so and Intel hasn’t indicated that it will be replaced anytime in the near future.
I will be curious to see if the i7-965 or i7-940 goes on sale at all when these new parts hit the street or if Intel and its partners are just fine with letting the parts sit on shelves and sell slowly until they die out. Keep your eye out for a “bargain” – to use the term cautiously.
Final Thoughts
Thousand dollar processors aren’t for everyone, or even for most, but if you want what is without a doubt the world’s fastest desktop processor, the new Intel Core i7-975 Extreme Edition is the one you want. Save those pennies, get some high frequency memory and solid motherboard with lots of BIOS options and then overclock your heart away; you won’t be disappointed.
Performance – Intel Core i7-975 Processor
