The Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 was a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in July 2007, at an MSRP of $999. It is part of the Core 2 Extreme lineup, using the Kentsfield XE architecture with Socket 775. Core 2 Extreme QX6850 has 8 MB of L2 cache and operates at 3 GHz. Intel is making the Core 2 Extreme QX6850 on a 65 nm production node using 582 million transistors. You may freely adjust the unlocked multiplier on Core 2 Extreme QX6850, which simplifies overclocking greatly, as you can easily dial in any overclocking frequency. With a TDP of 130 W, the Core 2 Extreme QX6850 consumes a lot of power, so good cooling is definitely needed. Intel's processor supports DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3 memory with a dual-channel interface. For communication with other components in the machine, Core 2 Extreme QX6850 uses a PCI-Express Gen 2 connection. Although the processor doesn't come with integrated graphics, certain motherboards with compatible chipsets can provide this capability. The SSE4 instruction set is not supported, which can cause problems with modern games, as they require that capability. Hardware virtualization is available on the Core 2 Extreme QX6850, which greatly improves virtual machine performance.
This processor comes with an unlocked FSB multiplier, allowing users to set the multiplier value higher than shipped value, to facilitate better overclocking. It is branded under the Extreme Edition label.