New Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs launched

Today Intel silently launched three high-performance Core microprocessors. New models are six-core Core i7-970, energy-efficient quad-core Core i7-870S and quad-core Core i5-760.

Core i7-970 is the second Intel's six-core CPU for consumer market. The processor is clocked at 3.2 GHz, a bit slower than Core i7-980X Extreme, and it has a locked clock multiplier. The CPU comes with all performance-enhancement features available in Westmere micro-architecture - 12 MB level 3 cache, Turbo Boost and HyperThreading technologies, SSEx instructions up to and including SSE4, and new AES instructions. The i7-970 processor is priced at $885, or $114 cheaper than the i7-980X.

Another Core i7-branded CPU, introduced today, is Core i7-870S. This processor is based on older Lynnfield 45nm core, and it runs at 2.66 GHz. This processor also has HyperThreading and Turbo Boost enabled, but doesn't have AES instructions, and has smaller size of L3 cache, 8 MB, as opposed to 12 MB on the i7-970. The i7-870S CPU offers lower power consumption (82 Watt) than standard-power Core i7 microprocessors, but at the expense of lower performance. Official price of the Core i7-870S is $351 for tray CPUs in 1000 unit quantities.

Quad-core Core i5-760 is built on the same Lynnfield core, as the i7-870S, but lacks HyperThreading technology. Other features of this model are close to i7-8xx microprocessors: 2.8 GHz core frequency, 8 MB L3 cache and Turbo Boost technology. The processor is priced at $205.

As if adding three new Core i5 and i7 CPUs was not enough, Intel also lowered prices on the following processors:

Model	Old price	New price
Core i3-540	$133	$117
Core i7-640UM	$305	$289
Core i7-870	$562	$294
Pentium E6600	$84	$75
Pentium E5500	$75	$64
Xeon X3470	$589	$328

A number of CPUs were dropped from the price list. These are Core 2 Duo E7400, Pentium E6300, Celeron E3200, and large number of 5200-series and 5400-series Xeons.

Update (July 20): Intel published specifications for the Core i7-970, i7-870S and i5-760 CPUs on ARK website.