Intel is working on a newer high-end processor SKU based on its 32 nm "Gulftown" six-core design, the Core i7 990X Extreme Edition. It is reportedly slated for Q4 2010. As with most other Extreme Edition SKUs, the 990X will feature a higher default BClk multipler, and a higher resulting clock speed. Like the Core i7 980X Extreme Edition, it will feature an unlocked BClk multipler to help with overclocking. Gulftown features six cores on a monolithic die, with a triple-channel DDR3 IMC, and 12 MB of L3 cache. The launch of 990X is said to have been pulled forward by a quarter, as it was earlier reported to launch in Q1 2011.

The other six-core processor that is said to release before the 990X is the Core i7 970, a standard (non-XE, limited BClk multiplier) SKU that will be positioned in the upper-Performance segment, above current Core i7 quad-core SKUs. The Core i7 970 is slated for Q3 2010.