The Intel Core i7-975 was a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in June 2009, at an MSRP of $1059. It is part of the Core i7 Extreme lineup, using the Bloomfield architecture with Socket 1366. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 8 threads. Core i7-975 has 8 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.333 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.6 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Core i7-975 on a 45 nm production node using 731 million transistors. You may freely adjust the unlocked multiplier on Core i7-975, which simplifies overclocking greatly, as you can easily dial in any overclocking frequency.
With a TDP of 130 W, the Core i7-975 consumes a lot of power, so good cooling is definitely needed. Intel's processor supports DDR3 memory with a triple-channel interface. The highest officially supported memory speed is 1066 MT/s, but with overclocking (and the right memory modules) you can go even higher. For communication with other components in the computer, Core i7-975 uses a PCI-Express Gen 2 connection. This processor does not have integrated graphics, you will need a separate graphics card. Inside the box you will not only find the processor, but also a Yes cooler.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i7-975, which greatly improves virtual machine performance.