Fudzilla is reporting details about the next Intel Gulftown six-core desktop processor, which will be the follow-up to the Core i7-980X Extreme Edition. Not surprisingly, it’s called the i7-990X, and will reach the market in the first quarter of 2011.
The CPU will be one of the rare new 2011 Intel chips that won’t be built using the new Sandy Bridge platform. (Thus far, Sandy Bridge maxes out at four cores.) The i7-990X will provide a speed bump from 3.33GHz to 3.46GHz on each core, with Turbo Core mode reaching 3.73GHz. As with its predecessor, the new CPU’s clock multiplier is unlocked, which will help with the inevitable overclocking you’d do with such a piece of hardware.
One thing that won’t change is Intel’s pricing on the Extreme Edition. Like the i7-980X (and its ancestors), the i7-990X will be priced at $999 — and won’t be discounted over its lifespan. But if you need the latest, greatest, and priciest, you now have something to lust for over the next few months.
