Intel has been on a roll these past few weeks with future product announcements ranging from Larrabee to System on Chips. They announced today that desktop processors based on the company’s upcoming new micro-architecture, the processor family formerly known as Nehalem, would carry the “Intel Core Processor” nomenclature. Considering the success of the Core series, this does not come as a surprise to us. However, the i7 designation has us wondering what the next series in the Core family will be called since i8 leads to all sorts of phrase variations. Without further adieu, here is the official press release from Intel.
The first products in this new family of processors, including an “Extreme Edition” version, will carry an “i7” identifier and will be formally branded as “Intel® Core™ i7 processor.” This is the first of several new identifiers to come as different products launch over the next year.
Products based on the new microarchitecture will deliver high performance and energy efficiency. This "best of both worlds" approach is expected to extend Intel’s processor leadership in future mobile, desktop and server market segments.
“The Core name is and will be our flagship PC processor brand going forward,” said Sean Maloney, Intel Corporation executive vice president and general manager, Sales and Marketing Group. “Expect Intel to focus even more marketing resources around that name and the Core i7 products starting now.”
The Intel Core i7 processor brand logo will be available for high-performance desktop PCs with a separate black logo for Intel’s highest-end “Extreme Edition.” Intel will include processor model numbers to differentiate each chip.
Initial products based on this micro-architecture are expected to be in production in the fourth quarter of this year. These processors will feature Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, also known as simultaneous multi-threading (introduced in the P4 series), and are capable of handling eight software “threads” on four processor cores.
We expect the "i7" designation to first appear on the Bloomfield series of chips with the blue logo addressing the bottom level speed bins. The black logo addresses the top speed bin that will be marketed as an Extreme Edition processor, probably with an extreme price to go along with it.
The mobile and entry level derivatives of Nehalem should be launched in the second half of next year although the brand names for these products could differ from the "i7" theme.
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AnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - link
This reminds me of when Intel used a BMW-style naming convention for their P4's. BMW has models like "330i", so now I guess they still want to use that "i"."Core 2 Duo" was already retardedly redundant, and this "i7" business is equally dumb.
surt - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Clearly, the i7 is the processor for windows 7. I bet on comarketing with microsoft.Cygni - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Its Intel's follow up to the classic P6 core, developed as the Pentium Pro and still used in the C2D line.Hence i7.
JarredWalton - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
The similarities between NetBurst, Core, and the P6 core (used in Pentium Pro through Pentium 3) are vague at best. Core is about as similar to P6 as the original Pentium is to a modern K10. Sure, they all run x86 software, but that's about it. Besides which, i7/Nehalem appears to be a lot of Core 2, but with an IMC and then some other "minor" tweaks. I'd think the Core 2 -> i7 changes are about as significant as the Core -> Core 2 changes.Bottom line: it's Intel marketing choosing a name. Do they need any reason other than they want a new name?
ElFindo - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Ah heh, hadn't seen this before posting. The similarities may be vague but most everywhere I look still refers the Core to P6 and that Netburst is a complete aberration of the line and not included.Most likely the 'want a new name' arguement is a good bottom line because as I mentioned earlier 'P7' was given to itanium so the line of processors I jotted down doesn't quite stand up. I really hope its not trying to cash in on the iXxxx trend washing over everything.
xsilver - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Since nehalem is going to be priced much above what your average user can afford a key question is to what the lynnfield cpu's will be calledgigahertz20 - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Yeah I guessed that too, I can just see commercials now....buy a Intel i7 processor with the new Windows 7 for ultimate performance!Consumer thinks....ah they both have a 7 in their name, must be made for each other, guess I'll buy it.
Sunrise089 - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Um...Do you think Windows 7 will be the retail name for the MS product?Because after all, I sure love my MS Longhorn OS :)
surt - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Windows 7 is the announced name of the project formerly codenamed blackcomb.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7
ElFindo - Monday, August 11, 2008 - link
Well, 'i' was used from 286-486, so it could be a return to that. Or some believe its for integrated memory. And as for 7 could be: (iterations of x86)1) P1 Arch. 8086, 8088, 80186, 80188, 8087, 80187
2) P2 Arch. 80286
3) P3 Arch. 80386
4) P4 Arch. 80486
5) P5 Arch. Pentium (80586)
6) P6 Arch. P Pro, PentiumII, PentiumIII, Centrino/PentiumM, Core, Core2 - (Core was an improvement of P6)
- Netburst Fork -
7) i7
Problem is Netburst was to be named as P7. But P7 was given to Itanium. Being a selling point with Windows 7 seems pretty out there.