With faster, intelligent multi-core technology that applies processing power where it's needed most, new Intel® Core™ i7 processors deliver an incredible breakthrough in PC performance. They're the best desktop processors on the planet.
Δ You'll multitask applications faster and unleash incredible digital media creation. And you'll experience maximum performance for everything you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology, which maximizes performance to match your workload.
Δ "Best performing processor on the planet" is based on SPECint_rate_base2006* scores. Any difference in system hardware or software design or configuration may affect actual performance.
Φ SPECint*_rate_base2006 and SPECfp*_rate_base2006 are capacity-based metrics used to measure throughput of a computer that is performing a number of tasks. This is achieved by running multiple copies of each benchmark simultaneously with the number of copies set to set to the number of logical hardware cores seen by the operating system. SPEC* CPU2006 provides a comparative measure of compute intensive performance across the widest practical range of hardware. The product consists of source code benchmarks that are developed from real user applications. These benchmarks depend on the processor, memory and compiler on the tested system.
SPEC, SPECint, SPECfp, SPECrate are trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. For more information go to:
∇ Photodex ProShow Gold* 3.2 allows the user to combine photos, videos and music to create spectacular slide shows. The workload takes 29 high resolution jpeg photos and converts them to an mpeg2 DVD quality slideshow video file. The photos are in 3872x2592 resolution and total about 170MB. The output slideshow file is about 3 minutes and 9 seconds long.
λ Blender* workload consists of a ~6.9 MB character model of a flying squirrel.
§ CyberLink PowerDirector* 7 workload consists of a one minute high-definition AVC-HD 1080P video clip from a HD camcorder where the second pencil sketch effect is applied over the duration of the movie as the movie is exported out to an HD MPEG-2 1080i video file.
± Adobe Premiere Pro* CS3 is a video editing tool for professionals with features like color correction and specials effects creation. In this test the project "F1 Demo 3wayCC.prproj" contains two 30-second segments HDV 1080p25 footage with a cross-dissolve transition applied across the entire 60s. The first 30s also has the effect "Three-Way Color Corrector" applied, independently adjusting the scene's shadows, highlights, and midtones. Additionally the 25fps input clip is converted to 29.7fps. The performance test measures the time to render a non-realtime preview of the first 7s (210 frames). This involves reading the two HDV source streams, applying the cross-dissolve, the Three-Way Color Corrector, and then encoding the result to a HDV file that is stored by Adobe Premiere Pro for later use when a preview of the rendered region is requested. Extrapolation of Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 rendering the first 7 seconds sed to calculate how long to render a 2-minute video based on the original 7 second workload.
µ Adobe After Effects* CS3 is a comprehensive set of tools to efficiently produce motion graphics and visual effects for film, video, multimedia, and the web. Based on Adobe After Effects* 7, this test applies filters and effects to a variety of input file types including Adobe Photoshop* PSD, Adobe Illustrator* AI and EPS, TIF, and Apple* QuickTime* MOV files. Filters and effects include: blur, bulge, color key, frame blending, glow, motion blurring, fading, 2D and 3D manipulation, shadows, echo, median, radial blur, and invert. After each filter is applied, the composition is rendered to an uncompressed AVI movie file of the same resolution as the input files.
Σ Adobe Photoshop* CS3 workload applies filters to 5 tiff images ranging from 11.3MB to 14.4MB. The photos were taken with a 5 megapixel Canon Powershot* S50 and have a resolution of 2592x1944. Filters are applied to the picture and then undone except for one final filter applied to each of the images. A web photo gallery is created with the 5 pictures after edits have been completed.
ø ImTOO* YouTube* to iPod* Converter and Adobe Premiere Elements* 4.0 - The Adobe Premiere Elements input file is a 1 minute, ~190MB 1440x1080 HD video imported from an HD camcorder. The output is a ~9.7MB 320x240 video in FLV format intended for YouTube. The ImTOO input consists of eight 5 minute, ~40MB 640x480 FLV files similar to those available via YouTube. The output is eight 5 minute 320x240 MPEG4 files ready for playback on an Apple iPod.
þ WinRAR* 3.71 workload consists of five high-resolution, 48-bit TIFF images whose file sizes are around 70MB each which are then compressed into a single ~297MB file for archiving.
θ Lost Planet* is a third-person shooter video game, created by Capcom that takes place in the past and future of the planet E. D. N. III. We use the Lost Planet DX10 Demo-Cave Test is used to measure game performance. For more information visit
Ï€ Enemy Territory Quake Wars* 1.5 is a multiplayer, team-based first-person shooter set in the futuristic Quake universe. Using a variety of weapons and vehicles, one team (either the invading alien Strogg or the human Global Defense Force) attempts to complete a series of objectives while the other defends. For more information visit
σ Crysis* 1.2.1 is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game based in a fictional future where an ancient alien spacecraft has been discovered beneath the Earth on an island near the coast of Korea. For more information visit
Warning: Altering clock frequency and/or voltage may: (i) reduce system stability and useful life of the system, processor and other system components; (ii) cause the processor and other system components to fail; (iii) cause reductions in system performance; (iv) cause additional heat or other damage; and (v) affect system data integrity. Intel has not tested, and does not warranty, the operation of the processor beyond its specifications. Intel has not tested, and does not warranty, the operation of other system components beyond their industry standard specifications. Intel assumes no responsibility that the processor and other system components, including if used with altered clock frequencies and/or voltages, will be fit for any particular purpose.
Performance tests and ratings are measured using specific computer systems and/or components and reflect the approximate performance of Intel® products as measured by those tests. Any difference in system hardware or software design or configuration may affect actual performance. Buyers should consult other sources of information to evaluate the performance of systems or components they are considering purchasing. For more information on performance tests and on the performance of Intel products, visit
Relative performance for each benchmark is calculated by taking the actual benchmark result for the first platform tested and assigning it a value of 1.0 as a baseline. Relative performance for the remaining platforms tested was calculated by dividing the actual benchmark result for the baseline platform into each of the specific benchmark results of each of the other platforms and assigning them a relative performance number that correlates with the performance improvements reported.
There is a better way to develop threaded software. Intel® Thread Checker, Intel® Thread Profiler and Intel® Threading Building Blocks are the fastest way to thread your application correctly and unleash its true performance on Intel® multi-core processor systems.