Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850: first impressions
So, here comes the time we raise the standards in the Intel's
CPU sector. Today, we are introducing a review of Intel's new quad-core
CPU of the "extreme" series - Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850, reporting
its capabilities and briefly the test results, as well as reminding the
forthcoming updates in Intel's CPU line.
The Extreme series processors can hardly be referred to as
belonging to the mass category – even after some time once
they appear on sales, their prices are reluctant to go down, and by
that time something new of comparable specifications comes up which is
much cheaper. Primarily, the goal of releasing Extreme chips is to
demonstrate the power that Intel's technologies have attained, provide
the opportunity to run in-depth experiments and explore the
architectural capabilities of the new CPUs and chipsets at test labs.
Anyway,to some extent the Extreme series can be called a product for
extreme users, overclockers, and simply well-to-do buyers who want all
here and now.
But for engineering tests the Extreme chips are of a different
value: they are normally used to trial-run something new. On the other
hand, such chips are normally shipped with the multiplier unlocked,
which lets run a series of exciting comparative experiments, because
CPUs like these are superb at overclocking - both in the multiplier and
the bus.
That was the case with Core 2 Extreme X6800 (Conroe XE core)
presented in July 2006 as a replacement to the previous single-core and
dual-core flagships Pentium Extreme Edition which differed from the
"regular" Core 2 Duo in grater clock speeds and the FSB multiplier
unlocked. We can also recall the release of the first 4-core CPU of the
extreme series – 2.67 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700
(Kentsfield XE, November 2006) which in fact appeared to be two Conroe
XE cores of Core 2 Extreme X6800 on a single bus with the multiplier
unlocked.
 What is the newly-born extreme Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850
remarkable for? Above all, we should note that we mean the Kentsfield
core with the TDP 130 W (in fact, doubled TDP of the original Core 2
Duo cores). The new Core 2 Extreme QX6850 chip, by analogy with the
predecessors, is a representative of the Quad Core Technology line and
appears to be two Core 2 Duo chips with the shared bus under a common
"lid" LGA775. The overall L2 cache size has remained the same
– 8 MB (2 ? 4MB). This CPU supports a number of technologies
customary for this architecture - MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, Enhanced Intel
SpeedStep Technology (EIST), Intel 64, XD bit, iAMT2 (Intel Active
Management), Intel VT (Virtualization Technology), Trusted Execution
Technology.
 The clock speed of the new CPU has been raised to 3.0 GHz, but
most importantly it is the first chip with a core like that which
supports FSB 1333 MHz. The area of the chip remained the same - 2 x 143
mm2. As compared to its predecessor, Core 2 Extreme QX6800, which
offers the clock speed 2933 MHz, supports FSB 1066 MHz, has the
multiplier11?, core voltage 1.1 - 1.372 V and TDP 130 W, the multiplier
in the new CPU Core 2 Extreme QX6850 has been changed to 9?, which with
the respective 1333 MHz bus gives the clock speed 3000 MHz; while the
other specifications of the chips, including the stepping G0, being the
same.
This also applies to the exterior: it doesn't make sense
bringing in the photo of the front side of the new CPU with the ?
"Confidential" label, whereas photos of the chips taken on the side of
contact pads will unlikely let you guess without additional explanation
as to on which side there is QX6850 and where the QX6700 which took
part in today's tests.
For the mainstream sector, Intel is planning a release of CPUs
of the Core 2 Duo E6x50 series which also support FSB 1333 MHz at a
much lower price than that of the Extreme series. In fact, it's just
Core 2 Extreme QX6850 which now becomes a "nominal CPU" for experiments
and making the most of forthcoming motherboards based on the new
generation of top-end representatives of the Intel 3 Series (Bearlake)
chipsets- Intel X38.
Henceforth, the line of CPUs on the Kentsfield core looks like
this:
| Model name |
Clock
speed |
L2
cache size |
FSB
|
| Core 2 Quad Q6600 |
2.40 GHz |
2 ? 4 MB |
266 MHz QDR |
| Core 2 Quad Q6700 |
2.66 GHz |
2 ? 4 MB |
266 MHz QDR |
| Core 2 Extreme QX6800 |
2.93 GHz |
2 ? 4 MB |
266 MHz QDR |
| Core 2 Extreme QX6850 |
3.0 GHz |
2 ? 4 MB |
333 MHz QDR |
It should be noted that closer to the end of the year Intel
intends to launch a release of "genuine" (not compound) 4-core Core 2
Extreme processors of the working name Yorkfield. According to the
preliminary data, the chips will be based on the Penryn architecture,
support FSB 1333 MHz and be manufactured following the 45 nm process
technology.
This is about all with the introduction, so we'd better get
round to the experiments. For those who are interested to refresh the
knowledge of the Kentsfield architecture and the results of practical
tests of the previous Core 2 Extreme QX chips, we can recommend a
number of out previous publications on this and related topics:
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