The Sandy Bridge Review: The New Intel CPUs

[SlackerITGuy]

I'll be picking up a 2500K as soon as they become available on Newegg/Amazon.

BTW, I'm 99% sure that's not the stock heatsink/fan included with these new CPUs.

EDIT: Here:

 

[SlackerITGuy]

Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400

Any minute now...

 

[ignatzatsonic]

There is a good set of reviews of several Sandy Bridge processors, with benchmarks, and comparisons to other Intel and AMD processors here:

Intel Sandy Bridge Review | bit-tech.net

I was interested in power consumption. Here are the results for various processors at standard clocks and overclocked, at idle and at load.

The hardware used was:

* ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics card (Catalyst 10.11 WHQL)
* 2TB Western Digital Caviar Black hard disk
* PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W PSU
* Asus P8P67 Intel LGA1155 motherboard
* Asus P6TD Deluxe Intel LGA1366 motherboard
* Asus Crosshair IV Formula AMD Socket AM3 motherboard
* Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H Intel LGA1156 motherboard
* 4/6GB (3 x 2GB) Corsair 1,600MHz DDR3 memory (CL9)
* Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ CPU cooler, except for LGA1155 systems where we use a Corsair H50 due to the incompatibility between the Fenrir and Asus P8P67 motherboard

234 watts at full load for the most expensive model (i7-2600 K) at max overclock (4.85 GHz), with a Radeon 5870. The same system at the same overclock at idle uses 81 watts.

Without the overclock (3.4 GHz) on the same system: 156 watts at load; 77 watts at idle

The less expensive i5-2400 at max overclock (3.99 GHz): 154 watts at load; 77 watts at idle

The i5-2400, without overclocking (3.1 GHz): 142 watts at load, 75 watts at idle.

Looks like a 350 or 400 watt power supply is easily enough with a single 5870 graphics card, even overclocked.

 

[sygnus21]

The price is very good , but I think the inbuilt DRM will put a few people off

Does anyone have a decent understanding as to how intrusive the DRM is going to be? What won't I be able to do?

I've heard complaints about DRM for the last 4 or 5 years and it hasn't affected me yet.

Didn't I read that certain upper end models of Sandy Bridge will not have the DRM component?

From my understanding it'll be movie content, but whatever I can't see it being too much of an issue as Intel wouldn’t want to throttle the chip with a DRM scheme so intrusive that it puts users off from purchasing them. Talk about a step in the wrong direction for a new product launch

As for upper end chips not having DRM, that doesn't sound right nor makes sense. Why would you DRM lower end chips, but not DRM top ones? And what would you be telling content providers? Sorry, you didn't pay us enough to stop piracy at the top end

Anyways I'm interested in seeing what they have in store to the replacement for the i7-900 series chips on the 1366 sockets.

 

[johnwillyums]

I tend to melacholia. I'm thinking they're gonna dump the 1366 socket. Anybody hear any different?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

JohnWillyums:

I think 1366 will be around at least through the year. New CPUs for that socket are due out in the third and fourth quarter. Nothing new on that socket till then, I guess.

Microcenter has some amazing prices on the Sandy Bridge 1155 socket CPUs beginning this Sunday. Naturally, there's no Microcenter within a 1000 miles of where I live and you can't get the great price online.

Sygnus:

I think you are right about the movie thing.

See here:



http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7020FG20110103



And see the pic below. From what I have read this is just "PAVP", which has been around on Intel chips for a while now. It is AKA "content protection" in the marketing documents for Sandy Bridge.

Here is what Wikipedia says about PAVP:

PAVP - Protect Audio Video Path (Intel Corporation)

PAVP protects the data path within a computer during video playback (e.g. Blu-ray discs). It is supported by newer chipsets (e.g. INTEL G45) and operating systems (since Windows Vista). PAVP does the video decoding in the chipset to reduce processor load.

PAVP can be configured in the BIOS. Different modes are supported:

1. Disabled
2. PAVP Lite: Reserves buffer memory for encryption of compressed video data
3. Paranoid PAVP: Reserve memory during boot which isn't seen by the Operating System. This disables Aero in Vista.


I was confused about high end chips not having it. The truth is that it is not implemented in the high end chipset. See the "content protection" row below.

The P67 chipset shows "NA". That is because the P67, which is targeted at enthusiasts, does NOT support the built-in on-processor graphics. If you have that chipset, you MUST use a discrete video card. And as I understand it from looking at that row in the table, if you use a discrete video card, you are untouched by PAVP.

But mebbe I misunderstand?

There is a lot of bitching online about those who spring for the high end chipset will not be able to use onboard graphics.

 

[sygnus21]

Sygnus:

I think you are right about the movie thing.

See here: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7020FG20110103

And see the pic below. From what I have read this is just "PAVP", which has been around on Intel chips for a while now. It is AKA "content protection" in the marketing documents for Sandy Bridge.

Here is what Wikipedia says about PAVP:

PAVP - Protect Audio Video Path (Intel Corporation)

PAVP protects the data path within a computer during video playback (e.g. Blu-ray discs). It is supported by newer chipsets (e.g. INTEL G45) and operating systems (since Windows Vista). PAVP does the video decoding in the chipset to reduce processor load.

Thanks. Yeah I thougt it had something to do with movie content.

Microcenter has some amazing prices on the Sandy Bridge 1155 socket CPUs beginning this Sunday. Naturally, there's no Microcenter within a 1000 miles of where I live and you can't get the great price online.

Hehe.... I just got a i7-950 from them for $229. So I won't be upgrading for awhile. even when the new chips for the 1366 or it's replacement are released.

I was confused about high end chips not having it. The truth is that it is not implemented in the high end chipset. See the "content protection" row below.

The P67 chipset shows "NA". That is because the P67, which is targeted at enthusiasts, does NOT support the built-in on-processor graphics. If you have that chipset, you MUST use a discrete video card. And as I understand it from looking at that row in the table, if you use a discrete video card, you are untouched by PAVP.

But mebbe I misunderstand?

Yeah that makes perfect sense to me, especially if the high end chips don't contain graphic processors.

 

[johnwillyums]

Thanks ignatz I can't see intel supporting 4 sockets for long though. Thought I'd be future proof with an i7/x58 but I doubt it.
As was, the i7 900 series were supposedly top of the tree but Sandybridge throws that out of the window. Unless they make a super Sandybridge with just one extra pin.

 

[pparks1]

Least we forget.....

View attachment 128785

To be fair, I have this same setup on a couple of different boxes, and a few have light overclocks and that cooler does the job just fine.

 

[sygnus21]

Least we forget.....

View attachment 128785

To be fair, I have this same setup on a couple of different boxes, and a few have light overclocks and that cooler does the job just fine.

True, but 99.9 percent of overclockers disapprove

 

[pparks1]

Least we forget.....

View attachment 128785

To be fair, I have this same setup on a couple of different boxes, and a few have light overclocks and that cooler does the job just fine.

True, but 99.9 percent of overclockers disapprove

I cannot help it that overclockers are often obsessive and often overcool simply for the sake of overcooling. My temps are low 30's C for a Q9550 running at 3.2Ghz and my CPU gets to just about mid 50's C under full load. That's well within specs for that CPU. All an aftermarket cooler would do for me is decrease my cash flow. My box is rock solid and stable. Dropping my temps by 5-7 C just won't benefit me in any way.

 

[sygnus21]

Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment coming from you

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Yeah that makes perfect sense to me, especially if the high end chips don't contain graphic processors.

As I understand it, the high end CPUs DO contain graphic processors. All Sandy Bridge processors have graphics on the processor.

But the high end chipset (P67), does not support use of those graphics.

To use the built in graphics you must buy a motherboard with the Q, B, or H series chipset.

But an overclocker does not want the Q, B, or H because they do not have the right overclocking features. Overclockers are nearly always going to want a discrete graphics card anyway, so it isn't really a big issue for most people.

I'll likely be getting a motherboard with the H chipset as I don't overclock or game.

The integrated graphics are supposed to be a major improvement and at least the equivalent of a Radeon 5450 discrete card.

 

[symp]

So what all this hype for what?
They moved the onboard quality GPU to the CPU .. now you dont really get a choice of ATI or Nvidia, you get Intel HD.
Nice to have so much extra space on a cpu die to put a gpu, and I not more cpus?

 

[sygnus21]

Not sure where you see "no choice"? Did you read ignatzatsonic's post?

Besides I'm quite sure you'll still be able to use a discrete video card of your choice.

 

[Colonel Travis]

symp - these reviews might help:

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge GPU Performance review

MSI Computer P67A-GD65 Intel P67 Motherboard review

 

[computertech19]

I look forward to building a Core i5 machine with Sandy Bridge.

 

[smarteyeball]

I cannot help it that overclockers are often obsessive and often overcool simply for the sake of overcooling. My temps are low 30's C for a Q9550 running at 3.2Ghz and my CPU gets to just about mid 50's C under full load. That's well within specs for that CPU. All an aftermarket cooler would do for me is decrease my cash flow. My box is rock solid and stable. Dropping my temps by 5-7 C just won't benefit me in any way.

Most 'overclockers' actually overclock though.

Raising a chip a few hundred mhz on a chip that are ostensibly sold as lower speed chips compared to their higher clocked counterparts is all well and good.


But start pushing past the 'barriers' into actual overclocking territory - then those 5-7c make a hell of a difference as do after market coolers.



As for sandy bridge - you don't have to use the IGP, but if they Overclock higher with lower temps (as early benchmarks show, and the BS DRM blah blah that's supposedly built into them doesn't phase you - go for the new chip.

No offence top current AMD users - but current 775/1156/1366 are not missing out on much for 'everyday usage' by not going Sandy Bridge.

 

[Dave76]

Agree, this is a easy one, if you don't have high temps with your stock cooler then keep it.

If your doing a 30-50% OC, then you'll need a after market cooler.


The medium to heavy user and enthusiasts running a 775 socket system would benifit from a SB rig, or go 1156/1366 for OC'ing if you don't want to buy the K versions.

 

[pparks1]

Most 'overclockers' actually overclock though.

Raising a chip a few hundred mhz on a chip that are ostensibly sold as lower speed chips compared to their higher clocked counterparts is all well and good.


But start pushing past the 'barriers' into actual overclocking territory - then those 5-7c make a hell of a difference as do after market coolers.

I agree. Don't get me wrong, I just posted my thoughts as it seemed to be that some were scoffing at the Intel cooler as if it were pathetic and useless. At stock speeds it's more than enough, and even with very mild overclocks it handles it. Obviously a moderate to high overclock pushing the chip to it's absolute max is a different story and requires significant cooling changes.