Intel Core i7 Processor Launches Today, Up to 52% Faster then previous processors.

"By the time you read this, PC systems with Intel's new Core i7 quad-core processor with hyperthreading should be on store shelves, or at least on the ordering page of your favorite online system manufacturer.

The new Core i7 "Nehalem" processor will formally launch at an event Monday night in San Francisco. Many of the details surrounding the new chip have already been released, including a rundown of the new Core i7s and their prices.

The Nehalem/Core i7 architecture has been extensively benchmarked. The complementary X58 chipset which will be used in motherboards tied to the Core i7, has also been reviewed.

The Core i7 improves multi-threaded performance in multimedia apps and games over the previous generation Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors. Core i7 requires the new X58 chipset (and consequently new motherboards), since the memory controller is now built in to the CPU.

Systems from high end and mainstream PC builders will be available, including Alienware, Dell, Falcon Northwest, Gateway, iBuyPower, Overdrive PC, Polywell, PowerSpec, and Velocity Micro. Predictably, many of the first few models will be gaming rigs with the 965 Extreme Edition version of the Core i7, but the other two CPU models (920 and 940) will appear in mid-priced and high-end multimedia desktops as well."

From PCMag