10 reasons why you need Intel Core i7

Wondering whether you should drop your hard-earned cash on the new Intel Core i7-965 CPU? Here's a top 10 list that'll convince you.

1. Mike Feibus, a principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, says his number one reason is that this is the first processor to integrate a high-speed DDR3 interface - the Core i7 can receive memory directly instead of getting bogged down in the system bus. AMD has used built-in memory for years, but this is the first time Intel has done it. Direct DDR3 support means a wider bandwidth for RAM than any previous chip. (It also means you'll need three memory sticks for the best performance.)

2. This is the first Intel processor to use Turbo Boost mode for multi-core processors. It means, for a single-threaded application such as Microsoft Excel, that doesn't use all four cores, the i7 can power down three cores and add power to a single core, resulting in a cooler chip overall.

3. The Core i7 uses a much faster bus to the rest of your computer, which Intel calls QuickPath Interconnect, resulting in less frequent bottlenecks in file transfers, processing for image editing, and for watching videos. The front-side bus runs at a blazing 1,333MHz.

4. It's also the first CPU built using 45 nanometer technology, which means it runs faster but uses less power. With the smaller die size, Intel can pack more processing power onto the CPU.

5. Intel has added a third cache, another first. And it's no minor enhancement -- the cache size is 8MB, or enough to make both gamers and 3D animation experts happy no matter how many pixels are flying around the screen.

6. New PCI Express Gen 2 support means double the transfer rate of the original PCI Express. It's also the first time Intel has openly admitted (in a keynote by senior VP Pat Gelsinger) that discrete graphics is a strategy that they support (or, at least talk about) through PCI Express 2.

7. If you choose the Extreme Edition of the Core i7, you can overclock the CPU -- the "overspeed" protection has been removed. Be careful out there, though: Intel seems a lot more serious about the dangers of overclocking this particular CPU.

8. The Core i7 may have four cores, but it uses eight threads for applications from Avid and others that can use multiple video streams in hyperthreading mode. As a side note: Core i7 will be around for a while, so it doesn't make sense to wait for an 8-core CPU anyway.

9. Energy efficiency is no longer just a buzzword with Intel chips -- Core i7 is the most energy efficient processor ever made, with specs that blow 65nm chips out of the water.

10. Heck, it's just a lot faster -- running at 3.2GHz in the Extreme edition and generally providing a 10 per cent speed boost over the QX9650, the previous speed champ in the Intel line-up.