Intel i5 6XX and i3 5XX Reviews

[matose]

What I'd like to see is how i5-6x0 @ 4.6~4.7GHz fares against i5-750 @ 4.0~4.1GHz because that's whereabouts these seem to clock at similiar voltage.

I tested Core i5 661 @ 4.74GHz vs Core i5 750 @ 4.2GHz with ~1.5v on both CPUs. For results check here !

Also, you can find a clock-per-clock comparison between Core i5 661 and Core i5 750 in some single-threaded benchmarks here.

What's striking me the most is the poor memory performance.

The memory performance is normal for the memory controller used, which is a slightly improved G45 . If Intel would have put an integrated memory controller, Core i5 750 sales would have been in trouble for sure...

[STaRGaZeR]

i5-750 rules.

[Nedjo]

Fortunatly, only around 8% of the people play 3D heavy games.

Francois

care to point out to source of that statistics?

[kl0012]

Nice to see Intel finally is catching up with the competitors integrated graphics in terms of performance. I know that the new AMD chipset is arount the corner but then comes SandyBridge at Q4 and probably will overtake any competitors IGP.

[Nedjo]

Nice to see Intel finally is catching up with competitors integrated graphics in terms of performance.

did anyone tested i5 650, 660 and 670? Only 661 has IGP @ 900 MHz, and all the others have it @ 733 MHz...

[Humminn55]

care to point out to source of that statistics?

Why does that even surprise you? Granted, most of your social circle may be entirely 3D gamers, but gamers represent a very, very small fraction of computer users.

Consider, a "big" selling game title is what.....1M units? And consider that 1M computers is a drop in the bucket compared to the tens, if not hundreds, of millions of computers in American households.

So, it really makes sense that hardcore gamers make up such a small fraction of all computer users out there.

[zalbard]

A more realistic air OC to expect with 24/7 settings.
Thermaltake 120 single low noise fan.
1800Mhz CL7-8-7-21
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=925582

That's pretty good.
Although I believe 5GHz will be out of reach for air / water, though...

But it really should've had the on-die memory controller, this would really improve it's performance imo...

[matose]

did anyone tested i5 650, 660 and 670? Only 661 has IGP @ 900 MHz, and all the others have it @ 733 MHz...

Yes, I made a comparison between Intel IGP @ 733MHz (Core i5 650), Intel IGP @ 900MHz (Core i5 661), AMD 785G @ 500MHz (default) and AMD 785G @ 1000MHz. You can check it out here.

[Nedjo]

Why does that even surprise you?

In my book even WoW can be considered "Heavy 3D" so saying that only 8% of PC games are heavy 3D is complete nonsense!

[kl0012]

Only 661 has IGP @ 900 MHz, and all the others have it @ 733 MHz...

It doesn't change the fact that Intel finally tweaked up its IGP architecture to be competative. Most of the driver problems and image quality problems were also resolved.

[Nedjo]

Yes, I made a comparison between Intel IGP @ 733MHz (Core i5 650), Intel IGP @ 900MHz (Core i5 661), AMD 785G @ 500MHz (default) and AMD 785G @ 1000MHz. You can check it out here.

thanks Matose! That's great work you've done!

I only wish you had run HAWX (after all it was developed in Romania BattleForge and STALKER: CoP (in low details, of course) to display difference (if any) that DX10.1 support in 785G brings to the table.

[zalbard]

It doesn't change the fact that Intel finally tweaked up its IGP architecture to be competative. Most of the driver problems and image quality problems were also resolved.

Yeah, it's in fact not terrible anymore. Would be cool if they had 2 memory controllers, though... One integrated into the CPU and one integrated into the GFX part of it. But I suppose all this stuff isn't necessary since Sandy Bridge will have nice all-in-one architecture.

[Nedjo]

It doesn't change the fact that Intel finally tweaked up its IGP architecture to be competitive.

to my knowledge architecture remained same, and gains comes from higher clocks and tighter intercommunication.

Most of the driver problems and image quality problems were also resolved.

in brood war
j/k
how about 2009. titles:

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...79&pageid=6419

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...79&pageid=6420

[Hornet331]

In my book even WoW can be considered "Heavy 3D" so saying that only 8% of PC games are heavy 3D is complete nonsense!

checks steam, looks at family/casual/indi games, realizes they outweigh 3d action games at least 3:1...

And this doesn't includes the bazillion flashgames out there.... (that run even ty on a 4ghz hexacore with HD5870. )

[nullface]

In my book even WoW can be considered "Heavy 3D" so saying that only 8% of PC games are heavy 3D is complete nonsense!

Lol, wow a 3D heavy game?! Maby you should rewrite you book

[Nedjo]

Lol, wow a 3D heavy game?! Maby you should rewrite you book

well it is 3D... and measurement of heaviness depend on 3D accelerator you're using to run it

[ajaidev]

Intel IGP @ 733Mhz does seem specially bread to go against the 4200/3200 lol given the very similar performance.

So clock to clock the 4200/3200 does seem to perform better.

Also all the 3200/4200 i tested clocked around 800-900mhz quite easily

[kl0012]

to my knowledge architecture remained same, and gains comes from higher clocks and tighter intercommunication.

Ok. So Intel already have great IGP architecture.

how about 2009. titles:

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...79&pageid=6419

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...79&pageid=6420

Pls check driver versions used in review you linked and in latest reviews. What is the point of using driver for G45 with Clarkdale IGP?

[matose]

how about 2009. titles:

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...79&pageid=6419

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...79&pageid=6420

The guys from inpai tested Intel IGP with very old drivers and that's why they had so much problems. Actually, HD 4200 (500MHz) is a bit behind Intel IGP @ 733MHz but overclocked to 900-1000MHz (very easy on air with all voltages default) it is ~10-15% over Intel IGP @ 900MHz.

HD 3300 (790GX) and NVIDIA 9X00 are much better because of the dedicated VRAM. You cannot compare them with Intel IGP or HD 4200, because they're in anoither performance class

[Xoulz]

I've stopped reading the review articles, because my head hurts. What is the point of these CPU's again...?

They are 2-core design with a lousy IGP for a hella-of-lot-money... a simple AMD Phenom II X2 (3.1Ghz) @ $100 and a 785G Motherboard @ $85, for a grand total of $185 is better! How is Intel justifying their prices? Why does this new IGP even matter..?

[ajaidev]

The guys from inpai tested Intel IGP with very old drivers and that's why they had so much problems. Actually, HD 4200 (500MHz) is a bit behind Intel IGP @ 733MHz but overclocked to 900-1000MHz (very easy on air with all voltages default) it is ~10-15% over Intel IGP @ 900MHz.

HD 3300 (790GX) and NVIDIA 9X00 are much better because of the dedicated VRAM. You cannot compare them with Intel IGP or HD 4200, because they're in anoither performance class

But 4200 also has side port like 785GM-E65??

That type of a mobo would out perform the Intel igp @ 733mhz most likely.

[Nedjo]

Ok. So Intel already have great IGP architecture.

Pls check driver versions used in review you linked and in latest reviews. What is the point of using driver for G45 with Clarkdale IGP?

that's good find, hopefully someone will test it again with new drivers.

Anyhow, I find this table from XBL review interesting:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu...le-review.html



Apparently these CPUs never work on their nominal frequency, making that frequency part of the name misleading and pointless.

[ajaidev]

@Nedjo non of the intel cpu after Nehalem work at the default freq. If the environment forces, it may have to work at default freq.

[Drwho?]

That's pretty good.
Although I believe 5GHz will be out of reach for air / water, though...

But it really should've had the on-die memory controller, this would really improve it's performance imo...

Let's explain the choice:

The mem controler is on the GFX side because the GFX parts need more Bandwitdh for texture sampling than the processor core need.
You all remember that I was saying that Desktop application do not use a lot of Bandwitdh, it is still true.
Placing the Mem controler is what gives you the best performance for the $s.
In the case of gaming, it does give a nice balance to the GFX part, allowing more texture sampling speed, with less latency too.

Thinks are more complicated than it seems from the outside world. With DDRIII attached, you get some serious boost.
Balancing the memory need of the platform is what matters.

If you overclock the memory sub system, you will figure out that this new IGP is faster than most low end graphic cards. Try and see

[gallag]

Nedjo, Why the hate? If one thing gets shot down (drivers) you just find another, Just the usual AMD fans that would never buy a Intel product complaning anyway.