Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 review

Conclusion

Without a doubt, Kentsfield is quite a monster. Although according to some, it is not a 'real' quadcore, this is barely noticeable, at least not without physically opening it and taking a peek inside. The performance leaves little doubt that two extra cores can make for significant gains. It is important, however, that potential customers think hard before ordering one, because not all software brings out the chip's power. The scenarios with several heavy applications crunching away aren't daily business for many people. A dual core of the same clock speed can be purchased for almost half the money and moreover, these are significantly more energy efficient, so there is a large gap between the two that is not really reflected in the difference in price. For people who often work with 3D models or photo and/or video software, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 may be just what they need – but for ordinary users and even for gamers, it's probably not worth it. Naturally, the quadcore is prepared for the future, but in many cases the money is simply better spent on other things.

Intel, for its part, does not expect a great rush on the new CPU's, which is probably the right position to take given the price tag. The Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz, $851) that is expected in January, will make quadcores somewhat more accessible for ordinary mortals, but the company still does not expect Kentsfield to take more than a few percent of the desktop market. The quadcore Xeon DP 'Clovertown' and Xeon MP 'Tigerton' will probably become much more popular in their respective market segments. But, by the time the chip, with its price tag of $999, hits the shops, at least Intel can call itself 'the first'.

Although we wrote earlier that AMD will be shipping its quadcore in six months time, it isn't the case that they have absolutely nothing to show at the moment. The company will be releasing its dual socket QuadFather systems, which are aimed at the gaming market. These will consist of sets of two Athlon FX-70 (2.6GHz), FX-72 (2.8GHz) and FX-74 (3.0GHz). Rumour has it that a duo of 2.6GHz chips, which is also a four core system, will cost the same as a Core 2 Extreme QX6700. It will be interesting to compare the performance of these two platforms.