Intel Core i7 920, 2.66 GHz (BX80601920) Boxed Processor

I bought this to replace my q6600 after a review in Custom PC magazine had rated it so highly.
This is on a completely different level to other processors and is rediculously fast. It can be overclocked (with a decent cooler) in a matter of seconds and I run mine at 3.56ghz at 40-50 degrees under load with complete stability.
Anybody using multithreaded applications or multitasking will be amazed - previously, I could render a 3d animation in 48 hours on my old AMD 4200 - this takes a matter of hours. It also adds about 70fps to my 280gtx in games like CS:S.

The price of these processors have gone up recently so ebay is probably the best place to pick one up at a reduced price.

Everyone should have one of these!

The retail version of this processor comes with Intel's standard CPU cooler which is cylindrical, but reasonably effective with very mild overclocking. There is a small user manual and includes a nice, shiny Core i7 sticker for your computer case. The heatsink also includes pre-applied thermal compound so that saves you time and some money as well. The processor is something revolutionary - the performance gain that it has over my old 2.6GHz dual core processor is out of this world. I am using it with an Asus P6T motherboard and 6GB of DDR3 ram in a 3x2GB configuration (triple channel configuration) as Intel recommends this for best performance. The CPU runs so cool for a quad core processor, yet it is so powerful. My processor idles at 38deg C and tops 59Deg C when on full load at 2.67GHz but if I increase my fan speeds, I can drop the temps by 2 degrees. It overclocks like a dream - I can easily reach 3.2GHz with the stock cooler but I took the precaution of adding proper thermal paste (silver based). Multi-processing is effortless - I can watch TV, burn a DVD, surf the internet, download files and run a game in a window all at the same time and the processor is still asking to be pushed. I am using a 64bit operating system though to take full advantage of my 6GB of RAM - and 1GB of video ram. Pair this CPU with a good graphics card, and you won't even consider overclocking as it runs so well. For those who are interested, I am able to achieve over 15,000 on 3DMark 2006 benchmark. The CPU alone scores around 5,000 points - to put that into perspective, my AMD Fx60 2.6GHz dual core could not even manage 2,000 points.
If you intend getting this processor, be aware that you need to get a socket 1366 motherboard and you must use DDR3 RAM. You also need a power supply that has 1x 8pin CPU and 1x24 pin power connectors. If you add a good graphics card, you need at least a 600watt power supply if you want to do some light overclocking. Personally, I am using an 850watt PSU for more stability and future expandability. Note that the Core i7 920 has locked multipliers so you have to play around with the QPI speeds to change the core speeds. The memory controller is integrated into the CPU so your northbridge almost disappears from motherboard designs. The Asus board that I am using has a relatively small heatsink on the northbridge and this gives you more space for your memory and CPU cooler and other cables that you might need to run around that area. It's more expensive than AMD's Phenom II but the performance is unmatched and the overclocking potential is astounding (professionals with good cooling solutions have reached 4GHz - an amature like me reached 3.2GHz and the performance gain was astonishing). Only buy this if you intend changing all the components in your system to the very best in order to maximize it's potential. Fantastic processor.