Late last year Intel introduced the Core i7 7xx family of processors utilizing LGA 1366. The main new feature of these processors was an integrated memory controller supporting triple channel memory. There were other really cool features too, including Turbo Boost, the capability of the processor to overclock itself when under heavy loads, and Hyper-Threading, a technology that adds an extra processing thread to each core, allowing the processor to actually work like an 8-core processor with four actual cores and four virtual cores. (Intel introduced Hyper-Threading with the P4, but it has finally come of age)
The massive processing power of these processors coupled with the awesome memory bandwidth of triple channel made for an incredibly powerful system, previously unimagined in a single-CPU PC.
Unfortunately, this family of processors was released right in the middle of a global economic collapse. They were on the expensive side, ranging from $350 for the i7 920 to $1500 for the i7 Extreme Edition 965. X58 motherboards were rather expensive too, starting at around $250 and running up to the mid $400s. Though lower speed triple channel memory kits could be had for under $200, the high performance kits ran from $350 to over $500.
In August, Intel introduced a new, less expensive line of processors using LGA 1156. This family so far consists of three processors, the i7 870, i7 860, and the i5 750. The i7 8xx processor is a slightly scaled-down version of the i7 9xx, the main difference being a new memory controller that supports only dual-channel memory. But it really isn’t quite that simple, the LGA 1156 processors have taken on several tasks that were performed by the NB, allowing the motherboard chipset and hopefully the motherboards themselves to be less expensive.
Today I will be looking at the entry level LGA 1156 i7, the Core i7 860. I am anxious to see the differences between it and the i7 920, which I reviewed in the early part of this year. Will this new Core i7 impress me as much as the earlier one did? Read on to see!
Specifications:
Series: Core i7
Name: Core i7-860
Model: BX80605I7860
CPU Socket Type: LGA 1156
Core Name: Lynnfield
Cores: Quad-Core
Operating Frequency: 2.8GHz
Memory Supported: Dual-channel unbuffered DDR3-1,333MHz
QPI: 4.8GT/sec
L1 cache: 32KB L1 data, 32KB L1 instruction per core
L2 cache: 256KB per core, inclusive
L3 cache: 8MB accessible by all cores, inclusive
Thermal Design Power (TDP): 95w
Manufacturing Tech: 45 nm
64 bit Support
Hyper-Threading Support
Virtualization Technology Support
Heatsink and Fan included
Manufacturer Warranty:
Parts: 3 years limited
Labor: 3 years limited