While it doesn't add any new functionality to Intel's latest high-end processors, the C2 stepping does fix an error in the design which led to Intel's VT-d virtualisation extensions failing to operate correctly. The result: a major hit to the performance of virtualised operating systems running on a Sandy Bridge-E processor.
Spotted by Japanese enthusiast site PC Watch, the new stepping promises to fix that flaw. So far, the C2 revision has been spotted on Core i7-3960X and Core i7-3930K processors.
Intel Sandy Bridge-E C2 stepping hits the shelves
Posted on Tuesday, January 31 2012 @ 20:00 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck