Intel Core i7-3970X is available

Intel today released their fastest desktop microprocessor, Core i7-3970X. Designed for socket 2011 platform, the processor features slightly better performance than Core i7-3960X, thanks to 200 MHz higher operating frequency and 100 MHz higher maximum Turbo Boost frequency. Intel today also launched DX79SR desktop motherboard.

The main difference of the i7-3970X from its predecessor is increased base and Turbo Boost clocks, at the expense of 20 Watt higher Thermal Design Power. The CPU operates at 3.5 GHz, or up to 4 GHz with one active core. Since this part has the the clock multiplier unlocked, it can be easily overclocked to achieve even higher frequencies. The i7-3970X integrates six CPU cores, 15 MB of last level cache, and quad-channel memory controller. The cores have Hyper-Threading technology enabled, which allows the processor to execute 12 threads at once. Supported x86 extensions include SSE4, AES and AVX. Beside Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost features, the CPU supports basic and I/O virtualization. Like other Core i7 Extreme Edition chips, the i7-3970X utilizes socket 2011. The processor is priced at $999, the same as Core i7-3960X.

Intel DX79SR motherboard is based on X79 chipset, and it works with all socket 2011 desktop processors from Core i7 and i7 Extreme Edition series. The board has 3 PCI Express 3.0 x16 connectors and 8 DDR3 DIMM sockets. When used with 8 GB memory DIMMs, this allows up to 64 GB of system memory. The board also has 8 SATA ports, half of which support 6 GB/s SATA interface. Other on-board interfaces are 6 USB 3.0, 14 USB 2.0, 2 IEEE 1394a, and 2x Gigabit LAN. The board is produced in ATX form factor.