Intel have released a new turbo powered processor that will revolutionize game playing, but will also set you back $1723, about the price of a brand new MacBook Pro.
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
Intel announced the new CPU at the Computex trade show in Taiwan on May 30th. The new processor, called the Intel Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition (previously called broadwell-e) has 10 cores (or computing brains) on the silicone chip, and is now ready to be deployed to create your perfect gaming experience.
The chip will be commercially available and pretty much blows all the competition out of the water in terms of ability (but also price!). It will have the ability to provide 4k video and games 25% quicker than anything Intel have previously offered, and rendering 3D content 35% faster too.
PC World explained further about the capabilities, saying the chip could “handle scenarios where the chip is being asked to one, process 4K games at 60 frames per second; two, encode that gameplay; and three, stream it out at 1080p resolution to a live stream.” Forget multitasking, this is what the industry is calling ‘mega-tasking’.
The 10 cores all run at 3GHz in standard mode, but can be boosted to 3.5GHz, and even 3.8GHx in overclocking mode. This is possible through the Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and the 25MB of cache. The chip also has 140 watts of TDP, thermal design power
Virtual reality
With virtual reality coming, and coming in a big way, this is exciting news for (wealthy) gamers looking to build a machine to handle all the latest technology.
The processor is designed to work well with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR headsets. It is thought that most (about 90%) home computers do not currently have the capability of running VR properly, due to the large demands made on graphics cards and processors.
Cheaper Options
The PC gaming market has certainly cooled from its peak years, but this chip is probably not for your average game player. Enthusiasts, however, are still willing to pay top dollar for the best equipment out there.
For those not in this category, the price is sure to be out of some people’s reach; there are cheaper, but less powerful options available. You can get the 8-core option at a more modest $1000 and a 6-core model exists which is available for $600.
