Intel Core™ i7-860 Processor (8M Cache, 2.80 GHz) BX8060517860 User Manual

Product codes
BX8060517860
Page of 98
Datasheet
11
Introduction
1
Introduction
The Intel
®
 Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition and Intel
®
 Core™ i7 processor are 
intended for high performance high-end desktop, Uni-processor (UP) server, and 
workstation systems. The processor implements key new technologies:
• Integrated Memory Controller
• Point-to-point link interface based on Intel
®
 QuickPath Interconnect (Intel
®
 QPI). 
Reference to this interface may sometimes be abbreviated with Intel QPI 
throughout this document.
Note:
In this document the Intel
®
 Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition and Intel
®
 Core™ i7 
processor will be referred to as “the processor.”
This datasheet provides register descriptions for some of the registers located on the 
processor.
The processor is optimized for performance with the power efficiencies of a low-power 
microarchitecture to enable smaller, quieter systems.
The Intel
®
 Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition and Intel
®
 Core™ i7 processor are 
multi-core processors, based on 45 nm process technology. Processor features vary by 
component and include up to two Intel QuickPath Interconnect point to point links 
capable of up to 6.4 GT/s, up to 8 MB of shared cache, and an integrated memory 
controller. The processors support all the existing Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 
(SSE2), Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 (SSE3) and Streaming SIMD Extensions 4 
(SSE4). The processor supports several Advanced Technologies: Execute Disable Bit, 
Intel
®
 64 Technology, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep
®
 Technology, Intel
®
 Virtualization 
Technology (Intel
®
 VT), Intel
®
 Turbo Boost Technology, and Hyper-Threading 
Technology.
1.1
Terminology
A ‘#’ symbol after a signal name refers to an active low signal, indicating a signal is in 
the active state when driven to a low level. For example, when RESET# is low, a reset 
has been requested.
1.1.1
Processor Terminology
Commonly used terms are explained here for clarification:
• DDR3 — Double Data Rate 3 synchronous dynamic random access memory 
(SDRAM) is the name of the new DDR memory standard that is being developed as 
the successor to DDR2 SDRAM.
• Enhanced Intel SpeedStep
®
 Technology — Enhanced Intel SpeedStep 
Technology allows trade-offs to be made between performance and power 
consumption.
• Execute Disable Bit — Execute Disable allows memory to be marked as 
executable or non-executable, when combined with a supporting operating system. 
If code attempts to run in non-executable memory the processor raises an error to 
the operating system. This feature can prevent some classes of viruses or worms 
that exploit buffer over run vulnerabilities and can thus help improve the overall 
security of the system. See the Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manual for