The Sandy Bridge Review: The New Intel CPUs

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    The Sandy Bridge Review: The New Intel CPUs


    Last Updated: 03 Jan 2011 at 08:40
    The Sandy Bridge Review: Intel Core i7-2600K, i5-2500K and Core i3-2100 Tested


    Intel never quite reached 4GHz with the Pentium 4. Despite being on a dedicated quest for gigahertz the company stopped short and the best we ever got was 3.8GHz. Within a year the clock (no pun intended) was reset and we were all running Core 2 Duos at under 3GHz. With each subsequent generation Intel inched those clock speeds higher, but preferred to gain performance through efficiency rather than frequency.

    Today, Intel quietly finishes what it started nearly a decade ago. When running a single threaded application, the Core i7-2600K will power gate three of its four cores and turbo the fourth core as high as 3.8GHz. Even with two cores active, the 32nm chip can run them both up to 3.7GHz. The only thing keeping us from 4GHz is a lack of competition to be honest. Relying on single-click motherboard auto-overclocking alone, the 2600K is easily at 4.4GHz. For those of you who want more, 4.6-4.8GHz is within reason. All on air, without any exotic cooling.

    More...
    Dave76's Avatar Posted By: Dave76
    03 Jan 2011



  1. Posts : 8,135
    Windows 10 64 bit
       #1

    There is a thread on the Sonar forum. It's not as optiomistic about it's real performance.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #2

    Pretty good chance I will build one in the next 2 or 3 months.

    Most of the sniveling I have seen is from overclockers who resent the difficulties they foresee and who don't want to be forced to a "K" series processor for overclocking purposes.

    But overclockers always need something to bitch about. They'd complain if they were hanged with a new rope.
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  3. Posts : 3,322
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
       #3

    Looks like this is what I'll upgrade to sometime this year.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,840
    Vista Ult64, Win7600
       #4

    Yes this looks good, it will probably cost an arm and a leg. ignatzatsonic, I like the new rope bit,
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  5. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #5

    Jfar:

    I now have 4 year old Core 2 Duo.

    All I will have to replace is motherboard, CPU, and RAM.

    The upper midlevel processors should be in the $180 to $240 bracket.

    4 gigs of DDR 3 RAM is about 50.

    Looks like there will be motherboards from Intel and Gigabyte ranging from 120 or so on up. I"m looking for micro ATX around 150.

    So, those 3 pieces will be circa 400 to 450, as I see it.

    The processors should be at New Egg Jan 9. I think the NDA will be lifted circa Jan 5?
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  6. Posts : 12,177
    Windows 7 Ult x64 - SP1/ Windows 8 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Seem to remember a lot of complaints and worrrying about not being able to OC the i5 & i7 processors before they came out, guess they we're wrong then.

    It's just done a bit differently.


    ignatzatsonic, I just ran that same senerio while reading the article, won't be so bad
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  7. Posts : 8,398
    ultimate 64 sp1
       #7

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  8. Posts : 7,683
    Windows 10 Pro
       #8

    Not bad at all, though I think I'll stick with my I7-930 for awhile. Anyway It's nice to see them give you a better CPU cooler. Yeah I know it's still an Intel but.....

    Now....

    The Sandy Bridge Review: The New Intel CPUs-_dsc7051sm.jpg

    Least we forget.....

    The Sandy Bridge Review: The New Intel CPUs-oldfan.jpg

    And yes I know the i7-980X has a fancy fan too, but those in between until now.... :)

    Anyway Sandy looks impressive
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  9. Posts : 8,398
    ultimate 64 sp1
       #9

    yeah, i noticed the heatsink/fan too - it looks kick-ass!
      My Computer


 
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