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Intel Debuts Laptop Chip in Overspeed

Posted on: Tuesday, 17 July 2007, 06:03 CDT

Intel has released to vendors the first in a new line of so-called Extreme high-end chips, the Intel Core 2 Extreme X7800 dual-core processor for notebooks.

For "experienced enthusiasts who desire more capability," the chip's bus ratio locks - used for overspeed protection - have been removed, Intel said.

This means OEMs can customize notebooks to go even faster, to 3GHz and beyond, by allowing the processor to overclock. This often has been a more common practice for desktops rather than notebooks, which typically are configured for the best possible battery life.

However, Intel does not guarantee the reliability of an overclocked processor. In footnote number three of its press release, the chipmaker states that altering clock frequency may, among other things, reduce system stability, cause the processor and other components to fail, affect system data integrity and cause "additional damage." Indeed, the chipmaker "has not tested, and does not warranty, the operation of the processor beyond its specifications."

Laptops powered by the silicon are expected to hit retail shelves in the US in a couple of weeks.

Aimed mostly at gamers and digital artists, the Extreme X7800 boasts two cores each running at 2.6 GHz, which promises as much as 28% more performance than its predecessor Core Duo T2600.

Intel is selling the X7800 in volume for $851, which is a few hundred dollars more than its existing high-end notebook processor.

The chipmaker also yesterday announced five new desktop chips, including the quad-core 3 GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850, aimed at game developers, and the 2.66GHz Core 2 Quad Q6700. They are priced in volume at $999 and $530, respectively.

Our View

It is not immediately evident that gamers are demanding such high-end performance on a laptop. After all, most gamers are not typically characterized as jet-setters with high mobility needs. Still, road warriors need a way to pass those lonely hours on planes and in hotels.

And it could be a profitable segment for Intel given the Extreme X7800 is similar to its mainstream counterparts with the main exception being the removal of overspeed protection. Provided that overclocked machines don't explode on gamers' laps, the company may have forged a money-making niche with the Extreme X7800.

Source: Datamonitor

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