Today we’re going to have a bit of benchmark fun as we test out a processor we reviewed in 2010. Recently we got our hands again on a Core i7-980X processor. This is a 32nm “Gulftown” part, and while we tested the "Bloomfield" 45nm CPUs extensively -- and were big fans of the Core i7-920 -- we never paid much attention to Gulftown after launch.

Although Bloomfield and Gulftown processors share the same LGA1366 socket, the 32nm parts are a bit special in the sense that they pack six cores. In fact, the Core i7-980X was Intel’s first ever hexa-core desktop CPU and if you imagine it being expensive, well you’d be right. This sucker came in at $1,000 back in early 2010.