In an exciting hardware development, Intel has officially added a second six core processor to its Core i7 range which is designed to offer some serious computing power at a more reasonable price.

The Core i7-970 is due to retail at roughly $885 (R6 600) and is Intel’s latest six core processor after the i7 980X, which retails for $999 (R7 500), and was released earlier this year.

Although the 970 still packs considerable kick, it is rated at a stock frequency of 3.2 GHz. In contrast, the 980X is rated at 3.3 GHz and is recognized by Intel as a chip specifically design for overclocking purposes, falling under the company’s ‘Extreme’ banner.

At present we are not completely convinced that six core processors warrant their excessive price tag. Presently a consumer looking for a high performance processor can pick up Intel’s Core i7 930, which is a quad core processor rated at 2.8 GHz with hyperthreading support, for roughly R2 600. This would provide ample system performance for the majority of PC users.

Nonetheless, Intel’s six core range is a step in the right direction and, just like any emerging technology, will grow in popularity and become more affordable over time.