Intel Core i7

Intel Core i7 is an Intel brand name for several families of desktop and laptop 64-bit x86-64 processors using the Nehalem microarchitecture that are marketed for the business and high-end consumer markets. The "Core i7" brand is intended to differentiate these processors from Core i5 processors intended for the main-stream consumer market and Core i3 processors intended for the entry-level consumer market.
"Core i7" is a successor to the Intel Core 2 brand.^[1][2][3][4] The Core i7 identifier was first applied to the initial family of processors^[5][6] codenamed Bloomfield introduced in 2008. In 2009 the name was applied to Lynnfield and Clarksfield models.^[7] Prior to 2010, all models were quad-core processors. In 2010, the name was applied to dual-core Arrandale models, and the Gulftown Core i7-980X Extreme processor which has six hyperthreaded cores.
Intel representatives state that the moniker Core i7 is meant to help consumers decide which processor to purchase as the newer Nehalem-based products are released in the future.^[8] The name continues the use of the Intel Core brand.^[9] Core i7, first assembled in Costa Rica,^[10] was officially launched on November 17, 2008^[11] and is manufactured in Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon, though the Oregon (PTD, Fab D1D) plant has already moved to the next generation 32 nm process.
 

Processor cores

Main articles: Bloomfield (microprocessor), Lynnfield (microprocessor), Clarksfield (microprocessor), Arrandale (microprocessor), and Gulftown (microprocessor)

The initial Core i7 processors released were codenamed Bloomfield, branded as Core i7-9xx along with their Xeon 3500-series counterparts. As of 2009, they are Intel's high-end Desktop processors, sharing the Socket 1366 platform with the single and dual-processor server processors.
Lynnfield is the second processor sold under the Core i7 brand, while at the same time being sold as Core i5. Unlike Bloomfield, it does not have a QPI interface but directly connects to a southbridge using a 2.5 GT/s Direct Media Interface and to other devices using PCI Express links in its Socket 1156. Core i7 processors based on Lynnfield have Hyper-Threading, which is disabled in Lynnfield-based Core i5 processors.
Clarksfield is the mobile version of Lynnfield and available under the Core i7 Mobile brand, as part of the Calpella platform. It was released at the Intel Developer Forum on September 23, 2009.^[12]
The second mobile Core i7 processor family will be Arrandale, sold as the Core i7-6xx processors and featuring an integrated graphics processing unit but only two processor cores, half of Clarksfield. Clarkdale, the desktop version of Arrandale, will not be sold as Core i7, but only as Core i3 and Core i5. All support Intel's Hyper Threading (HT).
Gulftown is the Extreme Edition version of the Core i7, featuring 6 cores, 32 nm process, Hyper-Threading (for a total of 12 logical threads), 12 MB of cache, Turbo Boost and Intel QuickPath connection bus.^[13][14][15]

[edit] Specifications

Codename (main article)	Logo	New Logo	Brand name (list)	L3 Cache	Socket	TDP	Min. feature size	I/O Bus	Release Date
Gulftown			Core i7-980X Extreme Edition	12 MB	LGA 1366	130 W	32 nm	QuickPath	Mar 2010
Bloomfield			Core i7-9xx Extreme Edition	8 MB			45 nm		Nov 2008
			Core i7-9xx
Lynnfield			Core i7-8xx		LGA 1156	95 W		Direct Media Interface	Sep 2009
			Core i7-8xxS			82 W			Jan 2010
Clarksfield			Core i7-9xxXM Extreme Edition		µPGA-989	55 W			Sep 2009
			Core i7-8xxQM			45 W
			Core i7-7xxQM	6 MB
Arrandale			Core i7-6xxM	4 MB		35 W	32 nm	Direct Media Interface, Integrated GPU	Jan 2010
			Core i7-6xxLM			25 W
			Core i7-6xxUM			18 W