INTEL QX9770 QUAD CORE EXTREME 3.2GHZ PROCESSOR

CONCLUSIONS & AFTERTHOUGHTS

As with every new Quad-Core Extreme release from Intel, the newer processor does bring a sizable jump in speed. There is no smoke and mirrors and no one can deny that Intel's industry leading chips just keep on getting faster and faster. It is to the point that one has to wonder when is a processor too fast for the industry. Would faster memory and a faster hard drive improve your overall computing experience more than a faster CPU? Would Solid State drives finally unlock the potential that this processor has stored deep down in the cockles of its cache? Only time will tell, but from my point of view, processors are not the bottleneck of today's computing, the hard drive's are. You could have a 10Ghz processor and it will still be dragged down by antiquated software and hard drives that act like a 500lb ball and chain slowing the computer down.

But the real concern I am seeing now is that every processor is tied to new chipset. With the QX9650, you needed a new motherboard to handle the 1333Mhz FSB and now you need yet another motherboard that supports the new 1600Mhz front side bus specification. And now that the new six-core processors are to be released within the upcoming months, are they too going to need a new motherboard and chipset as well? Only time will tell. I just hope this isn't going to be a new trend in today's computing.

Don't get me wrong, I do like faster processors, but just not ones that force the consumer to fork out another $200 for a new motherboard to use it.

Pros:

- Blistering Fast
- Quad-Core FTW
- Rock Stable
- Availability
- Increase in on-board cache.

Cons:

- Very Expensive
- Needs yet a newer motherboard that supports 1600Mhz FSB.

If you have any further questions about this processor, please feel free to post them in our forums HERE.

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 Quad Core Processor (3.2GHz, 4x3MB, 1600MHz FSB, LGA775 Socket T)
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Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Quad Core Processor (3GHz, 2x6MB, 1333MHz FSB, LGA775 Socket T)
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