Intel’s follow-up to last year’s Core processors hasn’t exactly been a closely guarded secret. But even though the specs leaked months ago, what’s clear now about Sandy Bridge is that Intel’s taking direct aim at content.
On paper, the Core i9 might not sound that exciting: It’s a lot like the Core i7, except built with a 32nm fabrication process and two extra cores, for a total of six. Early benchmarks, though, say it flies. Sometimes.
Windows 7’s launch is going to be a hell of a busy time for laptops. Expect a slew of higher end Intel Core i7 mobile rigs and thin notebooks powered by new dual core ULV processors when the OS ships.