Final thoughts and rating
The current state of play in the consumer CPU market is such that Intel dominates the high-end space with the Core i7 chip. Such domination means that it can release a faster Core i7 at its leisure, rather than be driven to move by AMD's vigorous machinations, as happens in the sub-£200 sector.It's taken Intel almost seven months to change the Core i7 line-up, and it's now headed by the 975 Extreme Edition, which is, for the most part, a faster-clocked version of the incumbent 965 Extreme Edition. Shipping at 3.33GHz and based on the D0 stepping brought in for the Core i7 920, our benchmarks show it to beat out the previous champion by around five per cent, and take over the title of fastest desktop chip in the world, helped by the fact that it overclocks well, too.
The one obvious problem in recommending such a speedy chip is the price-tag that Intel attaches to it - some £900 in the UK and $1,100 in the US. As fast as it is, the value proposition is practically non-existent, and it will only appeal to those with ultra-deep pockets. Intel knows this and aims for precisely this market, so it's a case of a niche product that fills its role nicely.
We like to see companies push the performance envelope and there's none faster than the Intel Core i7 975 EE, if you can afford it. For everyone else, save £675 and overclock a D0-stepping Core i7 920 to 4GHz, or opt for a plethora of quality CPUs, from AMD and Intel, below £200. Either that or wait for the long-overdue Core i5 chips.
HEXUS Rating
We consider any product score above '50%' as a safe buy. The higher the score, the higher the recommendation from HEXUS to buy. Simple, straightforward buying advice.
The rating is given in relation to the category the component competes in, therefore the CPU is evaluated with respect to our 'extreme components' criteria, where value plays a small part in the overall score.
Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition CPU
HEXUS Awards
It is the fastest desktop chip on the planet, irrespective of value, hence the speed award.
Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition
CPU
HEXUS Where2Buy
The
Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition is also available from C3Computers.co.uk
for £810.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
