The Intel Core i7-2600 was a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in January 2011. It is part of the Core i7 lineup, using the Sandy Bridge architecture with Socket 1155. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 8 threads. Core i7-2600 has 8 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.4 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.8 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Core i7-2600 on a 32 nm production node using 1,160 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Core i7-2600, which limits its overclocking potential.
With a TDP of 95 W, the Core i7-2600 consumes a good deal of power, so decent cooling is needed. Intel's processor supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel interface. For communication with other components in the system, Core i7-2600 uses a PCI-Express Gen 3 connection. This processor features the Intel HD 2000 integrated graphics solution.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i7-2600, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Additionally, IOMMU virtualization (PCI passthrough) is supported, so that guest virtual machines may directly use host hardware. Programs using Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) can run on this processor, boosting performance for calculation-heavy applications.