Since the Core i7 980x, the Extreme Editions processors have come bundled with Intel’s own tower cooler rather than the traditional low profile ones which to be frank are useless. They might work for CPUs with low TDPs but are not designed for the likes of a hexcore processor. This is therefore a welcoming move even if enthusiasts or overclockers are more than likely to buy something heftier like the Noctua NH-D14 or Thermalright Silver Arrow or more exotic alternatives. The bundled cooler even has a motherboard back plate support and PWM fan. With its four 6mm heat pipes it is more than capable at cooling a stock 990x. The packaging for our sample was a simple white box due to it being a non-retail sample, albeit the same stepping as the retail ones so we don’t expect any performance deficits. Alongside the 990x processor, which comes enclosed in a clamshell style box, is a complimentary tube of Dow Corning TC-1996 thermal compound. Corsair also employ Dow Corning thermal compound on their latest Hydro Series coolers.


The Core i7 990x isn’t exactly a small chip, the whole package being 42.5x45.0mm. In comparison, Sandy Bridge processors are 37.5x37.5mm. The die itself, beneath the processor’s integrated heat spreader, packs 1.17billion transistors in a 239mm square space. The die is smaller than Nehalem based quad core processors and even AMD’s Phenom II X4 for which it is 258mm squared. Four core Sandy Bridge processors use an even smaller 216mm square die. The chip we received is an Engineering Sample but there is no reason to suggest that it doesn’t perform the same as the retail chips. After all, they are exactly the same steppings.


At the back, we can count the 1366 copper connections (I didn’t actually count…) that fit onto the LGA1366 socket. We can also see the back of the die.


Here we have the Gulftown i7 990x on the left and the Bloomfield based i7 920 on the right. They look identical in shape and size bar the markings on the processor IHS.


At the back, there are some notable differences to the processors reflecting the slightly different die layout. In essence, the Westmere architecture should be very similar to Nehalem regarding the core layout, shared memory controller and L3 Cache, the only differences being the extra two cores and 4MB of L3 Cache.


And finally we have it installed on the ASUS Rampage III extreme.