Intel Core i9 tested months for launch

Intel's first hexa-core processor for desktops is codenamed Gulftown and is sated for next year, but will probably be known as Intel Core i9. The processor has been circulating among enthusiasts for some time and now the Polish hardware site PClab.pl has run the coming CPU through a series of benchmarks and decided to test it with some overclocking.

The benchmark results are just what we should expect from a hexa-core processor with the Nehalem architecture as the base. Core i9 impress in multi-threaded tests where the CPU really flies with six physical and six virtual cores all operating at 2.8GHz.

In benchmarks with not so much multi-threading support the difference is a lot smaller, but it still looks like we have something to gain from some extra threads, even if the margins are slim.

Core i9 vs. Core i7

The overclocking of the 32nm Gulftown architecture worked pretty well . It reached 4.3GHz during the limited circumstances, but they claim that high temperatures will not be an issue for Core i9 overclockers, but adjusting voltage could be tricky and highly decisive for the end result.

The conclusion is pretty much what we would expect, a processor for servers and workstations, but hardly something a gamer should bet on, or even the regular users. Not until the multi-threading support is improved at least.

Posted in: Intel