Sandy Bridge i7 & i5 Reviews

[richierich]

Well I guess the i5-2500 will mainly be sold by OEMs, while smart people will pick up the K version for a markup. I wonder how much that markup will be though, $50?

[Mats]

The number of boards are increasing fast now: http://geizhals.at/deutschland/?cat=mbp4_1155

[kl0012]

got today a nice little package

Nice p0rn. What about some benchmarks?

[RPGWiZaRD]

got today a nice little package

You haven't signed any NDA, have you? Overclocking results? You would be the first to post 2500K OC results.

[RPGWiZaRD]

NDA? i bought it in a shop

I guess you know the owner then. Could you also comment on EFI knowing you have an ASUS EVO board.

[Metroid]

What's the point of i5-2500 if the K version is only $11 more? lol

Well I guess the i5-2500 will mainly be sold by OEMs, while smart people will pick up the K version for a markup. I wonder how much that markup will be though, $50?

You answered your own question. To add, OEM do not want end users to overclock their machines, also people buy more built computers than build their own.

[zalbard]

The number of boards are increasing fast now: http://geizhals.at/deutschland/?cat=mbp4_1155

Damn, nearly all of the P67 boards are available...

[Mats]

The µATX filter doesn't show all boards, I can see at least 2 Asus µATX P67 boards, nice..

[DarthShader]

Yeah I know that, so what's the point of the non-K version?

If somebody wants to actualy use the IGP in the chip, he'll need a H67 mobo. And those don't allow overclocking, as far as I heard. So might just as well save those 11$, if you are getting a cheaper board too.

(If somebody has more accurate info on H67 OC please share, I heard there won't be any memory multpliers either - when it would make sense for the IGP?)

[FlanK3r]

so, show for us some results from "shop" retail SB :-D

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

@ OP

What are the game bench marks actually comparing, FPS? It doesn't actually state what the scores mean. I'm guessing that's the conclusion.

I don't see how SC2 gets a 20% gain from a new cpu. I never run 100% on my i5 760 and I don't really notice frame drops either and I'm only using a gtx470 @ 2560x1600.

The winrar & photoshop basically confirm my belief that like every other "next gen" chip, if you're on current tech, don't upgrade. I think for ANYONE running a dual core or back w/ a q6600, this is a worthwhile upgrade considering the power consumption and OCability of K chips.

[koc]

Damn, nearly all of the P67 boards are available...

except EVGA

[RPGWiZaRD]

except EVGA

EVGA is usually late and not very popular in europe, not that consumers aren't keen on EVGA products but the availability has been pretty scarse over here.

x47 multiplier is the maximum, the Retail have the same problem as the ES that they´re limited to a frequency and won´t do more as this limit. The limit is on every CPU different....

WHAT they are limited to a certain multi depending on sample? That sux, hopefully 2600K has higher max multi limits than 2500K in average at least. I thought it was always 55x for 2500K and 65x for 2600K. Anyway thanks for the results, doesn't look like that sample would do much higher maybe 4.8GHz~4.9GHz max at somewhat reasonable voltages anyway

[[XC] hipno650]

I must say the increase in game performance was much much more then I had ever expected, that is a very pleasant surprise!! oh if only shops in Canada worked the same as shops in Germany so that i could have pictures like the ones in this thread

[Olivon]

@ RPGWiZaRD

yeah, some can do only x46 and some can do more... the 2600K D1 sample what i had did x51 as maximum, the best i5-2500K ES what i had did x48

i don´t know what it is, you can boot also higher multipliers but at the windows loading screen the system freeze if a multiplier isn´t working.

That's weird Chri$ch

But thanks for your feedback

[RPGWiZaRD]

@ RPGWiZaRD

yeah, some can do only x46 and some can do more... the 2600K D1 sample what i had did x51 as maximum, the best i5-2500K ES what i had did x48

i don´t know what it is, you can boot also higher multipliers but at the windows loading screen the system freeze if a multiplier isn´t working.

Knowing this also grants a bit bigger reason to pick 2600K as if I'd get 46x multi as max on a 2500K I would be very dissappointed. Wouldn't suprise me if 2500K varies between 45 - 50x and 2600K 50 - 55x. 50x or better is fine for aircooling 24/7 use at least as the voltage scaling seems to decrease very quickly when approaching to 5GHz.

[Metroid]

Anand said "However, Intel will allow overclocking through modifying the unlocked clock multiplier of up to 57 times the speed of base clock, which will be available in K-edition processors."

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3922/i...ture-exposed/8

Looks like it was just a wishful thinking after all.

[Spectrobozo]

What's the point of i5-2500 if the K version is only $11 more? lol

in reality it is much more than USD11, since you cannot overclock the cheaper 70-200 usd CPUs, sou you cannot run your 100 usd cpu at 4ghz or whatever having the performance you want and paying less, it also put more control over intel hands,

I know many people using i3 530s, Pentiums 775 and cheaper CPUs with lots of OC that make the entire difference, when now it will be impossible, and you will need to pay way more than 11usd to get there (it's obvious that they are giving you more than the unlocked mult compared to the cheaper ones, but they are taking away that choice and trying to sell a 210 usd cpu instead a 100-150), also if you compare with the 2300 (both 4/4 6mb l3) the difference already goes up to 40 USD, if you give the choice to overclock both, the 2300 will be more attractive (and less profitable),

[LAMB OF GOD]

well iu dnt know how many peple still r left out there who survived through core2duo core2quad i3 i5 i7 n now sandy n they still have not got this disease of OVERCLOCKING ...
i really feel lucky that im among the infected onez ...
n intel has truly made some thing for nerds ... who dnt understand the einstien theory of overclocking :p
non k series sandy would be the worst line of cpuz intel has ever produced ...

[prava]

If somebody wants to actualy use the IGP in the chip, he'll need a H67 mobo. And those don't allow overclocking, as far as I heard. So might just as well save those 11$, if you are getting a cheaper board too.

(If somebody has more accurate info on H67 OC please share, I heard there won't be any memory multpliers either - when it would make sense for the IGP?)

Are you absolutely sure about this? I'm asking because so far I haven't seen any mATX mobo with P67 (all with H67) and I'm a little worried because without OC I wont bother with 1155 at all (yes, I NEED mATX unless the world changes too much ).

@ RPGWiZaRD

yeah, some can do only x46 and some can do more... the 2600K D1 sample what i had did x51 as maximum, the best i5-2500K ES what i had did x48

i don´t know what it is, you can boot also higher multipliers but at the windows loading screen the system freeze if a multiplier isn´t working.

LOL. So...the war for better overclocks comes again...but now we will have to look for more multiplier. This seems totally wrong IMO
BTW, could you share what price did you pay for yours? Just to know more or less how much am I facing

[RPGWiZaRD]

LOL. So...the war for better overclocks comes again...but now we will have to look for more multiplier. This seems totally wrong IMO

Yea this time around people won't be talking about batch numbers but CPU multi limit.

Has any1 ruled out it's not actually BIOS/motherboards that provide different max multis and not CPU itself though?

[DarthShader]

@ RPGWiZaRD

yeah, some can do only x46 and some can do more... the 2600K D1 sample what i had did x51 as maximum, the best i5-2500K ES what i had did x48

i don´t know what it is, you can boot also higher multipliers but at the windows loading screen the system freeze if a multiplier isn´t working.

To me it sounds you run into regular unstable overclock issues, like you would going to far doing "traditional" overclocking.

Or are you specificaly informed somehow, that your chip is rated to go to 46x only? Maybe underwater it would go higher?

Are you absolutely sure about this? I'm asking because so far I haven't seen any mATX mobo with P67 (all with H67) and I'm a little worried because without OC I wont bother with 1155 at all (yes, I NEED mATX unless the world changes too much ).

I am not sure, that's the latest info I got, since I've been looking into this. That is why I am asking if somebody better informed can tell anything.

I guess there will be some sort of Asus Gene type boards for SB, so nil desperandum! (yet)

[Mats]

I'm asking because so far I haven't seen any mATX mobo with P67 (all with H67) and I'm a little worried because without OC I wont bother with 1155 at all (yes, I NEED mATX unless the world changes too much ).

Have a look here: http://geizhals.at/deutschland/?cat=...P67%7E544_ASUS

Now what do you think ASUS P8P67-M Pro and ASUS P8P67-M is? The µATX filter doesn't work yet, but to me it's obvious, you or me won't be disappointed!

[Mech0z]

Is there any performance preview out of any of the laptops (Would like to see how they run SC2 as my i7 L620 aint running it very well)

[FlanK3r]

uhm....This is strange Intel strategy with diference multipliers ...I dont understand it.