Intel Core i7 980X: Just Before Sandy Bridge

In the beginning of 2010, Intel presented their first CPUs manufactured in 32 nm lithography, therefore beginning the Tick phase. This refers to Intel’s development model, called Tick-Tock, designating two phases in development. The Tick phase means presenting a new manufacturing process developed on current architecture, whereas the following Tock phase means that Intel presents a completely new architecture…

This is hardly a CPU turned to hardcore gamers, since most games make very little use out of multiple cores - in other terms, the price of this CPU is much better spent on a multi-GPU system.