Intel steps up CPU war with its fastest quad core processor

Intel today expanded its quad-core processor family with the introduction of the Intel Core2 Extreme processor QX6800, running at 2.93GHz.

This is the company's twelfth quad-core processor offering and is the fastest native clock speed yet reached with the Intel Core architecture for the quad-core desktop.

Intel are aiming this new CPU squarely at gamers, digital design professionals and enthusiasts who crave the highest performing computers they can get their hands on.

At the recent Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, several software developers demonstrated new games that have been "threaded" to take advantage of multiple processor cores and threads.

This increased performance can help deliver smoother gameplay, more realistic game effects and better artificial intelligence.

In addition to gamers, the QX6800 is also aimed at media users and developers. Developers like Adobe, Cakewalk and DivX have delivered applications that use all four cores, helping speed up the intensive processing required by media professionals.

For example, the quad-core QX6800 is up to 65 per cent faster than the dual-core processor X6800 on video encoding.

"This translates to user benefits such as better gameplay with more intelligent computer-generated opponents and less wait time for demanding high-definition media editing," said Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group.

The Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800 is produced on a 65nm process.

The processor is available now at a cost of $1,199.