We've been hearing a lot about the new Core i5/i7 CPU's, and generally we like to reserve our opinion until the test results are in. We've benched the Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 extensively. We've added a bevvy of tests to our benchmarking routine and Core i5/i7 LGA 1156 is looking pretty good.

The P55 chipset is not based on the traditional 3 chip (NB/SB/CPU) design and the NB and SB have been replaced with the PCH or Platform Controller Hub. The new design moves a lot of the PCI-E lanes on to the CPU Die and the rest are handled by the PCH. Most of the traditional NB/SB functions are handled by the CPU/PCH on the new P55 platform. As time progresses you can expect to see more and more functions moved onto the CPU die itself.

While many are resistant to change and have the 'it was working why did they fix it' attitude they need to realize this is going to be a vital evolution in computing. It might seem like a small change on the surface but with on DIE PCI-E and moving to a 2 chip solution you reduce latencies, you also reduce the amount of coordination between chips. Instead of the CPU handling the communication between NB and SB and trying to make sense of signals coming from two different directions it either handles the I/O itself or the PCH feeds it the information.

Sound interesting? Combined with a more mainstream priced platform and great overclocking, the LGA 1156 Core i5/i7 platform will not only fill the bill for performance but it'll be a little easier on your bank account.

The introduction of the Core i7 range of processors late last year was the beginning of the Nehalem family. The processors have had a mixed reception and it is fair to say that although the new series has been impressive performance wise, the pricing was and still is too much for many users. After all, the LGA1366 socket requires not only the processor but also an X58 motherboard and triple channel DDR3 memory.

The Core i5’s aim is to offer what the i7’s couldn’t – an affordable mid-range CPU. The C2D and Pentium processors still make up a significant amount of the market but the Nehalem micro-architecture is expected to take over gradually.

As a rule of thumb, the i7 series is high-end intended for hardcore enthusiasts, Core i5 is mid ranged with the Core i3’s (yet to be released) aimed at entry level customers. Without further ado, let’s take a better look at the CPU on offer today. Introducing the Core i5 750

As you have seen already from our coverage online here at TweakTown, today Intel took the covers off its latest Lynnfield based Socket LGA-1156 processors (the Core i5 and Core i7 as well as a range of Xeon 3400 series server parts) and P55 Express chipset.

Intel threw a bit of a launch party here in Taipei at the fancy Grand Formosa Regent hotel and we attended with video camera in hands to catch all the action as it unfolded throughout the afternoon.

One year after the launch of the Bloomfield based i7 processors
Intel now officially presents the Lynnfield product line. Hereby they
show off three new mainstream CPUs: The i7 870, the i7 860 and the i5
750. The all are entirely based on the Nehalem microarchitecture
whereas a the memory controller is limited to dual-channel operation.
But the most important new feature should definitely be the enhanced
Turbo-Mode which is now able to increase clock speeds automatically by
up to 666 MHz.

When it launched last year, the Core i7 platform redefined Intel's high-end processor segment. Unfortunately, the platform was also accompanied by high-end prices. As such, it has seen only a minimal share of the desktop market. However, Intel has released a new platform that it claims will bring the performance of Nehalem to mainstream price points. Referred to as Lynnfield, the new platform shares its core microarchitecture with the i7-900 series, but introduces a completely new chipset and socket design. This means that not only will we see new processors, but new motherboards as well. Benchmark Reviews has been testing several of these new items and will be covering the launch in detail over the next few days. In this article, we examine the Intel Core i7-870 Quad Core Processor model BX80605I7870.

Intel launches their new i5 Platform today and we were lucky enought to get our hands on two of their new CPUs and one of their two new motherboards.