THE CORE i7-SERIES

At launch there are three Core i7 CPUs: the 2.66GHz Core i7-920; the 2.93GHz Core i7-940; and the 3.2GHz Core i7-965 Extreme Edition. CPC's source put the Core i7-920 at around £250 inc VAT, the Core i7-940 at around £400 inc VAT and the Core i7-965 Extreme Edition at around £750 inc VAT. However, today marks the announcement of Core i7, all Core i7 products will actually only go on sale on 16 November. Pricing is therefore yet to be completely confirmed and you can’t buy anything yet.

All three processors have high multipliers – 20x, 22x and 24x respectively. This multiplier works with the 133MHz base clock to give the overall frequencies. This means that even a small increase in this core clock results in a big overclock to the overall frequency of the processor.

Only the Extreme Edition has an unlocked multiplier for easy overclocking, but all three CPUs have a TDP of 130W – similar to a quad-core Core 2 Extreme. Click here for CPC guide on how to overclock a Core i7 processor.

PERFORMANCE

Click here to open the Core i7 CPU benchmark results (opens in new window)

Unfortunately, Intel couldn’t send CPC a Core i7-940, so they had to drop the multiplier of the Extreme Edition to 22x in order to simulate the performance of a Core i7-940. CPC managed to get their hands on a Core i7-920 as well as the Extreme Edition, however, which means that they were able to run their benchmarks at both stock and overclocked speeds.

CPC ran the same tests on an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770, the fastest LGA775 CPU, installed in a Foxconn Blackops X48-based motherboard with 4GB of DDR3 memory running at 1.8GHz.

At stock speeds, the Core i7 range is incredibly quick, with even the relatively cheap Core i7-920 racing ahead of the QX9770. The latter scored 1,341 in our Media Benchmarks, while Core i7-920 scored 1,388.

The Core i7-965 Extreme Edition scored a massive 1,677 overall. Core i7 CPUs are also great for gaming – the Extreme Edition managed a minimum frame rate of 43fps in Crysis, compared to just 36fps for the QX9770.

OVERCLOCKING A CORE i7

CPC started off overclocking the Extreme Edition to 4.1GHz, raising the overall score to a phenomenal 2,037 – the fastest ever recorded. However, the 2.66GHz Core i7-920 also proved highly overclockable, as they could also boost its frequency to 4.1GHz by raising the base clock from 133MHz to 205MHz (click here for more on how to overclock a Core i7 processor). At these settings, the overclocked Core i7-920 proved incredibly fast, running Crysis at a minimum frame rate of 51fps, and scoring 2,005 in CPC's Media Benchmarks.

In comparison, even when overclocked to 4GHz, the QX9770 could only manage a minimum of 39fps in Crysis and 1,679 in the Custom PC Media Benchmarks (which you can download to compare these scores with your own PC). The 6.218 seconds taken to run WPrime on the Core i7-920 overclocked to 4.1GHz was the second fastest time on the planet at the time of writing.

CONCLUSION

The graphs show the new range of Core i7 CPUs in direct comparison to what was previously the fastest processor in the world, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770. CPC's testing proves conclusively that Core i7 is significantly faster clock for clock than any other CPU series, and great for everything from video encoding to gaming. Although there are three models available at launch, the Core i7-920 overclocks so well that we have no hesitation in recommending that you visit your favourite etailer and buy one right now.

About the Game

Call of Duty is back, redefining war like you've never experienced before. Building on the Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War immerses players into the most gritty and chaotic WWII combat ever experienced. Players band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and Pacific fronts. The title offers an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through the all new four-player cooperative campaign. The addictive competitive multiplayer has also been enhanced with new infantry and vehicle-based action, a higher level cap, more weapons, and a host of new Perks, maps and challenges.

• Harsh New Enemies, Environments and Tactics: Face off against ruthless and tactically advanced enemies that will stop at nothing to defend their homelands, from swamp ambushes and tree-top snipers to fearless Kamikaze attacks. Play as a U.S. Marine and Russian conscript across a variety of Pacific and European locations against the fearless Imperial Japanese and elite German soldiers in epic adrenaline-filled infantry, vehicle and airborne missions.
• Co-Op Campaign Mode, Call of Duty Style: For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op play, bringing fresh meaning to “No One Fights Alone”. Campaign co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing campaign missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. Co-op mode incorporates innovative multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats for deeper re-playability and multiplayer experience bonuses. Co-op mode also features Competitive Co-Op that will show who is really the best player on your team.
• Enhanced Innovative Multiplayer: Call of Duty: World at War continues the addictive class-based multiplayer action the series is famous for. The addition of vehicle combat with tanks rounds out the highly-successful Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer experience, and features such as persistent stats, player rankings, upgradeable weapons, squad-based gameplay, customizable classes and Perks, have been further enhanced to set a new standard in Call of Duty online warfare.
• Unprecedented Cinematic Quality in a World at War: Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes cutting-edge technology including highly-detailed character models, self-shadowing, environmental lighting and amazing special effects to deliver jaw-dropping visuals. Depth of field, rim-lighting and texture-streaming technology bring the adrenaline-pumping combat to life, while physics-enabled battlefields and fire that spreads through environments realistically, immerses players into the harrowing and dynamic combat.

System Requirements:

• Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista
• Processor: Pentium 4 @ 3 GHz/AMD 64 3200+
• Memory: 512 MB (1 GB for Vista)
• Hard Drive: 8 GB Free
• DirectX version: DirectX 9.0c
• Sound: on-board or better
• Graphics Card: 256 MB (nVidia GeForce 6600/ATI Radeon X1600)

About the Game

From Valve (the creators of Counter-Strike, Half-Life and more) comes Left 4 Dead, a co-op action horror game for the PC and Xbox 360 that casts up to four players in an epic struggle for survival against swarming zombie hordes and terrifying mutant monsters.

Set in the immediate aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, L4D's survival co-op mode lets you blast a path through the infected in four unique “movies,” guiding your survivors across the rooftops of an abandoned metropolis, through rural ghost towns and pitch-black forests in your quest to escape a devastated Ground Zero crawling with infected enemies. Each "movie" is comprised of five large maps, and can be played by one to four human players, with an emphasis on team-based strategy and objectives.

New technology dubbed "the AI Director" is used to generate a unique gameplay experience every time you play. The Director tailors the frequency and ferocity of the zombie attacks to your performance, putting you in the middle of a fast-paced, but not overwhelming, Hollywood horror movie.

Left 4 Dead will be released worldwide on PC and Xbox 360 this November.

• Addictive single player, co-op, and multiplayer action gameplay from the makers of Counter-Strike and Half-Life
• Versus Mode lets you compete four-on-four with friends, playing as a human trying to get rescued, or as a zombie boss monster that will stop at nothing to destroy them.
• An advanced AI director dynamically creates intense and unique experiences every time the game is played
• 20 maps, 10 weapons and unlimited possibilities in four sprawling "movies"
• Matchmaking, stats, rankings, and awards system drive collaborative play
• Designer's Commentary allows gamers to go "behind the scenes" of the game
• Powered by Source and Steam

System Requirements:

Minimum:

• Supported OS: Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / Vista64
• Processor: Pentium 4 3.0GHz
• Memory: 1 GB
• Graphics: 128 MB, Shader model 2.0, ATI 9600, NVidia 6600 or better
• Hard Drive: At least 7.5 GB of free space
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

Recommended:

• Supported OS: Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / Vista64
• Processor: Intel core 2 duo 2.4GHz
• Memory: 1 GB
• Graphics: Shader model 3.0, NVidia 7600, ATI X1600 or better