Intel launches power efficient Core i7 chip

By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 19 November 2008, 22:36 IST
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Mumbai: About hardly one week after chip manufacturer AMD launched its 45 nm Quad-Core processor, its main competitor Intel has introduced its new family of Core i7 processors which is offering lower power consumption and ability to handle multiple tasks as that of AMD's 'Shangai'. The new Intel chip, formerly code-named as 'Nehalem' has four processing cores on a single piece of silicon and automatically cuts down power usage when the chip is doing less. AMD has also boasted both of these features. The x58 chipset, which works with the processor, has been co-developed at its Bangalore design centre. Each of the Intel chip's four cores can handle two different threads or processes, at once. Intel claimed that the new features translate into improved speed for such calculation intense operations as video editing and games, without using more power. While AMD is planning to offer its consumer version for desktops next year, Intel will offer its desktop version first. However, AMD plans to shrink its chips to 32 nanometers in late 2010. Currently, Intel sells about 80 percent of the chips. Prakash Bagri, South Asia Director, Marketing, Intel said, "India and China are economies that are still growing, even if growth may be slower." Sales of the systems are initially expected to happen to the animation, gaming and entertainment industries, as well as home users with systems running games and media-rich application requiring faster rendering.