Intel Unwraps Quad-core 3 GHz Mobile Processor Core i7

Intel (News - Alert) has finally unwrapped the long awaited Core i7 Mobile Extreme Edition processor. Labeled Core i7-3940XM Extreme Edition, the quad-core processor breaks the 3 GHz barrier and supersedes the 2.9 GHz Core i7-3920XM chip, according to a ZDNet.com report.

As per this report, the new processor is the latest Ivy Bridge part fabricated using Intel's 22-nanometer (Nm) process technology, a die shrink of the successful Sandy Bridge architecture. The processor also features 256 KB L2 cache per core, and 2 MB of L3 cache per core.

Furthermore, the report shows that the newest Extreme Edition processor – the Core i7-3940XM – features an unlocked multiplier that allows it to be easily over-clocked. Other key features offered by the new chip include ‘Turbo Boost,’ which can boost performance up to 3.7 GHz for four active cores, 3.8 GHz for two active core, and 3.9 GHz for a single active core.

The processor also has a total dissipated power of of 55 Watts, and is aimed at very high end 17-inch+ notebooks. On paper, the new processor should offer a three percent advantage over the Core i7-3920XM.

Like other Ivy Bridge members, the new processor offers built-in GPU, Intel's HD 4000 series GPU. Kingsley-Hughes wrote, “While not up to the task of high-end gaming, this GPU is more than adequate for day-to-day use and eliminates the need for a separate graphics card.”

The Core i7-3940XM is priced at $1,096 – identical to the Core i7-3920XM, Core i7-2960XM, and Core i7-2920XM.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that the newly designed Petascale high-performance computing system for U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be

powered by the combination of current 32-nm and future 22-nm generation Intel Xeon processors as well as the new Intel Xeon Phi co-processors. It is dedicated to researching renewable energy and energy efficiency, and is scheduled for delivery in summer 2013.

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