The processor of the Core i7-960 model was released in 2009 and is focused on use as part of computer systems based on the LGA1366 platform. Although its sales started a long time ago, technical specifications continue to be relevant to this day. Even now, this chip can cope with any task without any problems.
Niche of this semiconductor crystal
This processor solution is focused on the use of the most productive computer systems. These are gaming computers, and workstations, and graphic stations, and even entry-level servers. For such computers, the key requirement is high performance, but the cost of a semiconductor chip is fading into the background. It is this combination that this CPU can boast of.
Socket
The Core i7-960 was aimed at installing in the LGA 1366 socket. Motherboards with such a processor socket were combined. They made it possible to install both desktop CPU models (the hero of this review belonged to this family) and server ones. Later on, this socket was replaced by LGA 2011, which made it possible to create even more productive PC configurations.
Technological features
Intel Core i7-960 It was made according to the norms of 45 nm process technology. Against the background of the current 14 nm, this value looks very, very unconvincing. But do not forget that the product was released back in 2009. By the standards of the computer industry, this is a serious interval, and at that time it was an advanced technology for the production of silicon chips. Therefore, there is nothing supernatural in the outdated process technology.
Cache system
As in all the most productive current CPU models, the Core i7-960 was equipped with a system of 3 levels of fast memory. Characteristics indicate that the total size of the first level was 256 KB, the second - 1 MB, and the third - 8 MB. At the same time, the last of them was common to all computing resources of the chip. The second level, in turn, was divided into 4 equal parts of 256 KB, which could only interact with a specific CPU core. Well, the first was even more fragmented. It, like the second level, was divided into 4 parts of 64 Kb, and then - into two more of 32 Kb. One of them could only store data, and the second - CPU instructions.
Random access memory
One of the key features of the LGA 1366 platform was the availability of a three-channel RAM controller. This made it possible to obtain a significant increase in the speed of a computer system when installing three RAM slots.
The supported memory standard is DDR3. The permissible frequencies in this case are 800 MHz and 1066 MHz. You can set more high-speed bars, but they will not work faster than 1066 MHz. The maximum number of addressed RAM is 24 GB (3 channels of 8 GB).
Thermal pack
The thermal package in the Core i7-960 was 130 watts. In this regard, this chip really looks like an outdated solution against the background of the current flagship CPUs with a thermal package of no higher than 100 watts. The maximum allowable temperature of the processor was 67.9 0 C. The highest temperature values with such a central processing unit were obtained in acceleration mode with a standard cooling system. And even in this case it was not possible to exceed the limit of 55 0 C.
Frequency formula
The minimum frequency of this chip was 3.2 GHz. Thus, it functioned in the lowest load mode or in the case of a significant increase in temperature during operation. The maximum frequency in this case could be equal to 3.46 GHz. Such a value could be obtained in single-threaded computing mode. There were also 2 additional frequency values of 3.33 GHz (for 4 modules with increased load) and 3.4 GHz (in the case of only 2 computing units). Such flexible frequency regulation was provided by proprietary technology from Intel, which was called TurboBust. It can now often be found on semiconductor crystals of this manufacturer.
CPU internal architecture
The Core i7-960 belonged to the Bloomfield family of solutions. This chip immediately included 4 computing units capable of working even in 64-bit computing mode. In turn, in this decision from Intel, another proprietary technology was implemented - HyperTrading. With its help, the real 4 cores were converted at the software level into 8 processed threads.
Overclocking
The frequency multiplier of the central processing unit was locked in the Intel Core i7-960. Therefore, the possibility of overclocking in this case was provided only by increasing the frequency of such a computer component as the system bus. This made it possible in practice to obtain an additional 200-300 MHz even with only a standard cooling system. If the computer system was equipped with an improved modification of the cooler, then an even more significant increase in productivity could be obtained.
Price
The Intel i7-960 processor was priced at $ 305. Given the performance and performance margin, this cost was more than justified. On the other hand, the segment this chip was aimed at is not so critical of the cost of a semiconductor solution. In this niche, speed comes first in terms of importance, and it is with this indicator that the product does not even have special problems.
Reviews
The reviews of the owners of this CPU indicate that it does not have any significant shortcomings. Conditionally, you can call only a high cost, but this chip also has no problems in performance. Given the niche positioning of the central processor , this is nothing special. Any quality thing cannot be cheap. But in this case there are much more pluses. This is speed, energy efficiency, and good overclocking capabilities, albeit only by the frequency of the system bus.
Summary
At the time of its release, the Core i7-960 was aimed at the niche of the most productive computer devices. Now, of course, there are faster chips. But the capabilities of this semiconductor product are such that even now, 6 years after the start of sales, it can easily cope with any existing application, including the most demanding one. And a similar situation will certainly continue in the next 2 years.