CORE I7
Intel has adopted a base clock speed of 133.33MHz that is used to drive the CPU speed, memory speed, QPI and the bizarrely named Uncore. Each part works in conjunction with a clock multiplier so, for instance, the 3.2GHz Core i7 965 Extreme runs at 24 x 133MHz, while its memory controller might run the 1066MHz DDR 3memory at 8 x 133MHz. Each processor core has its own multiplier, so the speed of the cores can be adjusted independently of each other, just like Phenom, which may sound intriguing to the overclockers among you but that’s only part of the story.
Intel’s Turbo Mode technology adjusts the speed of the cores in the new processor dynamically and can raise the speed of a core by up to three multiples of the base clock, ie. 400MHz. Turbo Mode assists both performance and power saving as there are times when you're better off with two fast cores rather than four slower ones. The processor speed and power draw can adapt to the workload while monitoring the temperature of the cores to avoid overheating.
Inside the Core i7
The Power Control Unit accounts for one million transistors and holds its operations in firmware loaded from the motherboard Bios, so the way the CPU operates can be updated with relative ease.
The Core i7 965: overclock block removed
The core of the CPU is the computational units, branch prediction, the cache, and other bits and pieces such as the registers. Everything outside the core is classed as the Uncore, but two big chunks of Uncore are the DDR 3 memory controller and the QPI link between the CPU and the system logic chipset's northbridge. That leaves some rather important odds and ends such as the L3 cache, power management and - potentially - integrated graphics.
Core i7 gives every indication that it's a modular design which can be developed in a number of different directions. So server chips might have even more L3 cache and QPI links, while a highly integrated desktop chipset could cut the amount of L3, slim down the memory controller and add a graphics core.
The Core i7 965: overclock block removed
Core i7 gives every indication that it's a modular design which can be developed in a number of different directions. So server chips might have even more L3 cache and QPI links, while a highly integrated desktop chipset could cut the amount of L3, slim down the memory controller and add a graphics core.
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