The new Intel Core i5, said Intel officials, is ideal for users who want excellent overall performance in a scalable platform. "The new processors feature smarter and faster processing using Intel's TurboBoost technology," said Ricky Banaag, country manager for Intel Philippines.
The TurboBoost technology is an intelligent response mechanism which automatically boosts processing power depending on available resources, application type, power and temperature factors.
The new core i7 processors--the i7-870 and i7-860--boasts of the same Nehalem architecture found in the previously-released Core i7 processors, with an added boost of HyperThreading technology enabled. The Core i5 processors, Intel said, do not bear the HyperThreading option.
Despite this, Banaag said the Core i5 processors can process information at a speed of 2.66GHz, which can burst to up to 3.2GHz because of the TurboBoost technology.
"We are positioning the new Core processors as a transition point for three-year old PC users who are looking to upgrade to the Core family of processors," Banaag said, adding that users who are looking to try the Core processors but won't be needing the entire processing power of the first i7 processors would find the new ones ideal.
Alongside the release of the consumer processors, Intel also unveiled the new Xeon 3400, which brings the Nehalem micro-architecture to the server market. "The Xeon 3400 is the ideal cost-effective solution for companies using desktops as servers," Banaag said.
The entry-level server processor, Banaag reiterated, is ideal for purposely-built servers that are required run 24/7. "The new Xeon processor is approximately 39% to 80% better and faster than previous releases," Banaag claimed.
With the new processor releases, Intel is bent on penetrating the mainstream market with their Core offerings. "We are providing lower price points especially for migrating users," Banaag stressed. Retail partners present during the release placed the Core i5 processors at the P10,000 price point, while the Core i7 processors ship at around P16,000. The Xeon 3400 unit--complete with server peripherals--could reach as much as P50,000, they said.