Intel Qual-Core Extreme QX6800 Announced - Clocked at 2.93GHz!

Intel on Monday debuted its fastest Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core processor yet, further distancing itself from rival AMD. The 2.93GHz QX6800 will be produced using the company’s 65-nm process and carry a pricetag of $1,199 USD.

The Santa Clara, Calif. chipmaker says the processor would be ideal for the next-generation of PC games, which are now beginning to take full advantage of what multicore and multithread processors offer. Intel has partnered with several game developers to assist them in rewriting code.

Some of the first games that will be able to take advantage of the new processor include Crytek’s Crisis, Gas Powered Games’ Supreme Commander, Flagship’s Hellgate London, and Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X with Service Pack 1 applied.

The QX6800 is not the first quad-core Extreme model from Intel - the first one was shipped back in November and ran at speeds of 2.66GHz. Meanwhile, AMD’s quad-core processor, the Opteron “Barcelona”, is not expected to be available until mid-year.