Intel today unveiled its newest Extreme Edition processor, the Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition, replacing Core i7-975 as the top-of-the-line Intel processor.

The Core i7-980X Extreme Edition, codenamed as Gulftown is Intel's first six-core processor for consumers, targeting mainly gamers and well-heeled multimedia professionals.

It is reported that it costs approximately $999 per chip, which is similar to the price of the i7-975.

The Core i7-980X features six cores and comes with Intel's Hyper-threading technology, facilitating work on twelve streams at once.

It has the power to "boost" all six cores above the usual 3.33GHz spec.

Another boosting feature is the larger 12MB L3 cache on the processor which is relatively increased from 8MB on the Core i7-975.

The Core i7-980X will show up on gaming PCs first, like the Maingear Shift and Falcon Northwest Mach V (Core i-980X).

If one considers a processor with a 130W TDP, one will discover a good chance that saving a few bucks on your energy bill isn't one’s chief concern. Nevertheless, the Core i7-980X does offer perceptible gains over the i7-975.