The Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800 is ideal for those gamers, digital design professionals and enthusiasts who crave the highest performing computers they can get their hands on.

Running at 2.93 GHz -- the fastest native clock speed yet reached with the Intel Core microarchitecture for the quad-core desktop -- this addition to Intel's innovative processor family sets new standards for desktop PC performance.

This increased performance can help deliver smoother gameplay, more realistic game effects and more lifelike artificial intelligence. Some of the most exciting titles of the year such as Crytek's Crysis, Gas Powered Games' Supreme Commander and Flagship's Hellgate London have undergone substantial joint engineering efforts with Intel to use more than two processing threads to their advantage.

In addition to delivering adrenaline to hardcore gamers, the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800 is also being embraced by media users and developers. Adobe, Cakewalk, DivX, Sony Creative Software and dozens of other developers have delivered applications that use all four cores, enabling media professionals to do what they do best-- capture creativity quickly and reliably. For example, the Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX6800 is up to 65% faster than the Intel Core 2 Extreme dual-core processor X6800 on video encoding.

The Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX6800 is produced on Intel's 65 nanometer process, key to enabling the large 8 megabyte cache. A 1066 MHz system bus is supported and the processor is available now at a cost of $1,199.