Intel Core i7-3970X in Q4 2012; Ivy Bridge-E in Q3 2013
This week VR-Zone published a slide from the latest Intel desktop roadmap. The slide is only for the Extreme and performance segments of the market, nevertheless it does have some interesting information. According to the roadmap, Intel will release Core i5-3350P and Core i7-3970X processors in the 4th quarter 2012. Details of these processors were previously disclosed by DonanimHaber here and here. The slide also reveals that Ivy Bridge-E extreme processors are coming in the third quarter 2013. Finally, the roadmap confirms Haswell microarchitecture launch in the Q2 2013.
Core i7-3970X is a Sandy Bridge-E processor with 6 CPU cores and unlocked clock multiplier. This SKU is slightly faster than currently produced Intel i7-3960X. The 3970X operates at 3.5 GHz, a 200 MHz increase over the 3960X, and it also has 100 MHz higher Turbo Boost frequency. As a direct result of higher clock speed, the processor's TDP was raised to 150 Watt. Remaining Core i7-3970X features are identical between both models: 15 MB L3 cache, Hyper-Threading, support for DDR3-1600 memory, and compatibility with socket 2011. The processor will be released in the forth quarter.
Next generation of Extreme processors will be built on Ivy Bridge-E core. These 22nm chips are coming in the third quarter 2013, and, in accordance with preliminary reports, they will be compatible with current socket 2011 motherboards with Intel X79 chipset.
Core i5-3350P is built on Ivy Bridge architecture, that has improved power efficiency and CPU performance, and beefed up graphics performance. Unfortunately, the i5-3350P will have integrated GPU disabled, but it will make use of other Ivy Bridge features. The processor incorporates 4 CPU cores, clocked at 3.1 GHz, and 6 MB L3 cache. The i5-3350P doesn't support Hyper-Threading technology, therefore it is limited to 4 simultaneous processing threads. The CPU has Turbo Boost feature, that can raise clock speed up to 3.3 GHz. Because it doesn't have GPU running, the i5-3350P has lower power requirements than other Core i5 SKUs. The microprocessor has 69 Watt TDP, and it is works in socket 1155 motherboards. According to DonanimHaber, the Core i5-3350P will be launched in the 3rd quarter. Intel roadmap places it in the 4th quarter, however "Q4" in Intel roadmaps often means that the part may be launched at the end of Q3.
Specifications of new processors are provided below:
| Model | Cores | Threads | Frequency | Turbo Frequency | L3 cache | Socket Type | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i5-3350P | 4 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 3.3 GHz | 6 MB | Socket 1155 | 69 Watt |
| Core i7-3970X | 6 | 12 | 3.5 GHz | 4 GHz | 15 MB | Socket 2011 | 150 Watt |
Nov 01, 2012: Features of Ivy Bridge-E processors
Oct 10, 2012: Intel Core i7-3970X spotted on Intel website
Sep 11, 2012: Details of upcoming Core i7 Extreme processors
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Mistake
You wrote 3.5 MHz in that article. Please change it to 3.5 GHz. Thanks
I fixed it. Thank you for the correction!
Frequency Error
You have mentioned the following in the article - "The 3970X operates at 3.5 GHz, a 200 MHz increase over the 3960X, and it also has 100 MHz higher Turbo Boost frequency", whereas in the Specifications it shows 4 GHz. Is this intentional or a typo.
i7-3960X has 3.3 GHz stock / 3.9 GHz Turbo Boost frequencies, so the 3970X has 200 MHz faster stock, and 100 MHz faster Turbo clocks.
Terminology
Greetings gshv, et al.
I appreciate your article. Regarding:
"...The CPU has Turbo Boost feature, that can raise clock speed up to 3.3 GHz."
Since when has "speed" been equated to frequency or more specifically clock rate? Conversely, does this mean that when I tune my radio, I tune it to a different speed?
The point, it doesn't take a Jr. High school science/physics class to realize that there's probably a reason for the distinction in naming conventions or metrics.
Consider the definition for "speed" - even on Wikipedia, mathematics and all. I don't seem to see any reference to computing. Perhaps there's a reason for that. Conversely, note the definition on Wikipedia for, clock rate.
For those that may not know, the sinusoidal waveform created from an on board oscillator get translated (analog to digital conversion - A/D) to a corresponding square wave known in the computing world as a clock rate. Since, computing circuits tend to run on the rising and decay of square waves, that's the reason for the distinction in terminology.
This is merely an observation and a suggested consideration. Perhaps, it's time to forgo the marketing parlance and understand the actual terminology used by the designers.
RE: Speed
You said it yourself, Mr G- "...clock rate".
Certain terminologies don't technically fit, but the actual verbage is grandfathered in.... Like a quad-core processor may have 1 or 4 dies, in 1 to 4 sockets... We'd all still call the system a quad.
'Speed' can refer to a system's ability to process, which may be only loosely related to it's absolute clock speed, absolute clock speed being what's normally meant when we say "the speed of the processor".
hi
Am I the only one who read these comments and thought gshv is a pretty cool guy and Mr G is a bit of a pretentious homo?