What is the socket of the i7 2600k. Intel Core i7 processors for three different platforms

Core i7-2600 processor, the price of a new one on amazon and ebay is 18,915 rubles, which is equal to $326. Marked by the manufacturer as: BX80623I72600.

The number of cores is 4, it is produced according to the 32 nm process technology, Sandy Bridge architecture. Thanks to Hyper-Threading technology, the number of threads is 8, which is twice the number of physical cores and increases the performance of multi-threaded applications and games.

The base frequency of the cores of the Core i7-2600 is 3.4 GHz. The maximum frequency in Intel Turbo Boost mode reaches 3.8 GHz. Please note that the Intel Core i7-2600 cooler must cool processors with a TDP of at least 95W at stock frequencies. When overclocked, the requirements increase.

Motherboard for Intel Core i7-2600 must be with LGA1155 socket. The power system must be capable of supporting processors with a TDP of at least 95W.

With integrated Intel® HD Graphics 2000, the computer can operate without a discrete graphics card because the monitor is connected to the video output on the motherboard.

Price in Russia

Want to buy a Core i7-2600 cheaply? Look at the list of stores that already sell the processor in your city.

Family

Show

Intel Core i7-2600 test

The data comes from tests by users who tested their systems with and without overclocking. Thus, you see the average values ​​corresponding to the processor.

Speed ​​of numerical operations

Different tasks require different CPU strengths. A system with few fast cores is great for gaming, but will be inferior to a system with a lot of slow cores in a rendering scenario.

We believe that a processor with at least 4 cores/4 threads is suitable for a budget gaming PC. At the same time, individual games can load it at 100% and slow down, and performing any tasks in the background will lead to a drop in FPS.

Ideally, the buyer should aim for a minimum of 6/6 or 6/12, but keep in mind that systems with more than 16 threads are currently only applicable to professional tasks.

The data is obtained from tests of users who tested their systems both with overclocking (the maximum value in the table) and without (the minimum). A typical result is indicated in the middle, with a colored bar indicating the position among all tested systems.

Accessories

We have compiled a list of components that users most often choose when building a computer based on the Core i7-2600. Also with these components, the best results in tests and stable operation are achieved.

The most popular config: motherboard for Intel Core i7-2600 - Dell Inspiron 7777 AIO, video card - GeForce GTX 280.

Characteristics

Main

Manufacturer	Intel
Description Information about the processor, taken from the official website of the manufacturer.	Intel® Core™ i7-2600 Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)
Architecture The code name for a microarchitecture generation.	Sandy Bridge
Date of issue Month and year when the processor appeared on sale.	03-2012
Model Official name.	i7-2600
cores The number of physical cores.	4
streams Number of threads. The number of logical processor cores that the operating system sees.	8
Multithreading Technology Thanks to Hyper-threading technologies from Intel and SMT from AMD, one physical core is recognized in the operating system as two logical ones, which increases the performance of the processor in multi-threaded applications.	Hyper-threading (note that some games may not work well with Hyper-threading, which is why it is worth disabling the technology in the BIOS of the motherboard).
base frequency Guaranteed frequency of all processor cores at maximum load. Performance in single-threaded and multi-threaded applications and games depends on it. It is important to remember that speed and frequency are not directly related. For example, a new processor at a lower frequency may be faster than an old one at a higher one.	3.4GHz
Turbo frequency The maximum frequency of one processor core in turbo mode. Manufacturers have made it possible for the processor to independently increase the frequency of one or more cores under heavy load, thereby increasing the speed of operation. It greatly affects the speed in games and applications that are demanding on the frequency of the CPU.	3.8GHz
L3 cache size The third level cache acts as a buffer between the computer's RAM and the processor's level 2 cache. Used by all cores, the speed of information processing depends on the volume.	8 MB
Instructions	64-bit
Instructions They allow to speed up calculations, processing and execution of certain operations. Also, some games require instruction support.	SSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Embedded Options Available Two body versions. Standard and designed for mobile devices. In the second version, the processor can be soldered on the motherboard.	Yes
Process technology The technological process of production, measured in nanometers. The smaller the technical process, the more perfect the technology, the lower the heat dissipation and power consumption.	32 nm
Bus frequency The speed of data exchange with the system.	5 GT/s DMI
Max TDP Thermal Design Power - an indicator that determines the maximum heat dissipation. The cooler or water cooling system must be rated for an equal or greater value. Remember that with overclocking, TDP increases significantly.	95 W

video core

Integrated graphics core Allows you to use your computer without a discrete graphics card. The monitor is connected to the video output on the motherboard. If earlier integrated graphics made it possible to simply work at a computer, today it can replace budget video accelerators and makes it possible to play most games at low settings.	Intel® HD Graphics 2000
GPU base frequency The frequency of operation in 2D mode and idle.	850MHz
GPU base frequency The frequency of operation in 3D mode under maximum load.	1350MHz
Supported monitors The maximum number of monitors that can be simultaneously connected to the integrated video core.	2

RAM

Maximum amount of RAM The amount of RAM that can be installed on a motherboard with this processor.	32GB
Supported type of RAM The type of RAM depends on its frequency and timings (speed), availability, price.	DDR3 1066/1333
RAM channels Thanks to the multi-channel memory architecture, the data transfer speed is increased. On desktop platforms, two-channel, three-channel and four-channel modes are available.	2
Bandwidth of RAM	21GB/s
ECC memory Support for memory with error correction, which is used on servers. Usually more expensive than usual and requires more expensive server components. However, second-hand server processors, Chinese motherboards and ECC memory sticks, which are sold relatively cheaply in China, have become widespread.	No. Or we have not yet managed to mark the support.

In early January, Intel officially introduced a new series of processors in Russia, codenamed Sandy Bridge. In this article, we will consider the results of testing the top model of this series - the Intel Core i7-2600K processor.

Briefly about Sandy Bridge processors

Sandy Bridge is the code name for Intel's new processor microarchitecture, but all Intel processors based on it are called Sandy Bridge processors. We already wrote in detail about the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture in the October issue of our magazine (see the article “Following the Footsteps of IFD 2010: Intel Sandy Bridge Processor Microarchitecture”), and therefore here we will only briefly recall the most important thing.

All Sandy Bridge processors will initially be manufactured using the 32nm process. In the future, when the transition to the 22-nm process technology takes place, processors based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture will be codenamed Ivy Bridge.

Sandy Bridge processors, just like Westmere processors, in the desktop and mobile segments form three families: Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i3. In order to be able to distinguish Sandy Bridge processors from previous generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processor families, their labeling system has been completely changed. Sandy Bridge processors are marked with a four-digit number, with the first digit being 2, which means the second generation of the Intel Core family.

In the Intel Core i7 and Intel Core i5 families, there are processors with both a locked multiplier and an unlocked one, the latter being denoted by the letter K (Intel Core i7-2600K, Intel Core i5-2500K).

The main differences between the Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i3 families are the L3 cache size, the number of cores, and support for Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies. All processors of the Intel Core i7 family are quad-core with support for Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies, and their L3 cache size is 8 MB. Processors of the Intel Core i5 family are also quad-core, but do not support Hyper-Threading technology. The cores of these processors support Turbo Boost technology, and the L3 cache size is 6 MB. Processors of the Intel Core i3 family are dual-core with support for Hyper-Threading technology. These processors do not support Turbo Boost technology and have a 3 MB L3 cache.

All Sandy Bridge processors have the new LGA 1155 processor socket. However, the cooler mount is exactly the same as in the case of the LGA 1156 socket, that is, the coolers for the LGA 1156 socket are also suitable for the LGA 1155 socket.

Naturally, the new processors will not be compatible with motherboards based on Intel 5-series chipsets. Actually, motherboards based on the new Intel 6-series chipset will be designed for Sandy Bridge processors. New to these single-chip chipsets will be support for two SATA 6 Gb/s (SATA III) ports as well as full-speed PCI Express 2.0 lanes (at 5 GHz).

The new LGA 1155 CPU socket is compatible with LGA 1156 coolers.

A distinctive feature of all Sandy Bridge processors will be the presence of an integrated next-generation graphics core. Moreover, if in the processors of the previous generation (Clarkdale and Arrandale) the processing cores of the processor and the graphics core were located on different crystals, moreover, they were produced according to different technical processes, then in the Sandy Bridge processors all processor components will be produced according to the 32-nm process technology and placed on one chip .

It is important to emphasize that the graphics core of the Sandy Bridge processor can be considered as the fifth core of the processor (in the case of quad-core processors). Moreover, it, like the computing cores of the processor, has access to the L3 cache.

Just like the previous generation processors (Clarkdale and Arrandale), Sandy Bridge processors will have an integrated PCI Express 2.0 interface for using discrete graphics cards. Moreover, all processors support 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes, which can be grouped either as one PCI Express x16 port or as two PCI Express x8 ports.

Note that all Sandy Bridge processors will have an integrated dual-channel DDR3 memory controller. Variants with a three-channel memory controller are not yet planned to be released.

Another feature of processors based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture is that instead of the QPI bus (Intel QuickPath Interconnect), which was previously used to connect individual processor components to each other, a fundamentally different interface is now used, called the ring bus (Ring Bus). In general, it should be noted that the architecture of the Sandy Bridge processor implies a modular, easily scalable structure.

Another feature of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture is that it supports the Intel AVX (Intel Advanced Vector Extension) instruction set.

Intel AVX is a new set of extensions for Intel architecture that provides 256-bit vector floating point calculations based on SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data).

Considering the fact that the new Intel AVX instruction set can be used by any application in which a significant proportion of the calculations are in SIMD operations, the new technology will give the greatest performance gain for those applications that mainly perform floating point calculations and can be parallelized. Examples include audio and audio codecs, image and video editing software, modeling and financial analysis applications, and industrial and engineering applications.

Speaking of the Sandy Bridge processor microarchitecture, it should be noted that it is a development of the Nehalem or Intel Core microarchitecture (since the Nehalem microarchitecture itself is a development of the Intel Core microarchitecture). The differences between Nehalem and Sandy Bridge are very significant, however, it is impossible to call this microarchitecture fundamentally new, which was once the Intel Core microarchitecture. This is exactly the modified Nehalem microarchitecture.

Specifications of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor

Now let's take a closer look at the specifications of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor. So, as already noted, we are talking about a 32-nm quad-core processor with an integrated graphics core. It supports Intel Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies and has an 8MB L3 cache. The TDP of this processor (in normal mode) is 95 watts.

The nominal frequency of this processor is 3.4 GHz. Actually, why exactly this frequency was chosen as a regular one, we did not understand. As our testing of this processor showed, we could just as well specify a frequency of 3.8 or 4.0 GHz. Looking ahead, we note that this processor overclocks very well and works stably even at a frequency of 4.6 GHz. So the concept of a standard clock frequency in this case is very conditional.

The letter "K" in the marking of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor indicates that we are talking about a processor with an unlocked multiplier. That is, this processor can be overclocked not only in the traditional way (by increasing the system bus frequency), but also by changing the multiplier. Moreover, the fact that the processor has an unlocked multiplier allows you to manually adjust the dynamic overclocking mode of the Turbo Boost processor.

Before describing how you can configure the Turbo Boost mode in the Intel Core i7-2600K processor, we note one important circumstance. In Intel Core processors of the previous generation, the system bus frequency was 133 MHz, and in Sandy Bridge processors it was 100 MHz, respectively, the processor frequency is a multiple of 100 MHz.

By default (in normal mode), the multiplier for the Intel Core i7-2600K processor is 34, respectively, the processor clock speed is 3.4 GHz. (100 MHzx34 = 3.4 GHz). The mode of dynamic overclocking of the processor (Turbo Boost) is implemented as follows. If all four processor cores are loaded, then the multiplier can be increased to 35 (processor frequency 3.5 GHz). When loading only three cores, the multiplier can be increased to 36, and when only two cores are loaded, up to 37. If only one core is loaded, then the multiplier can be increased to 38 (clock frequency 3.8 GHz). Naturally, in all these cases, an increase in the multiplication factor is possible if the maximum TDP value and maximum current are not exceeded. By default, the maximum TDP is 95W and the maximum current is 97A.

Test Methodology

Since the Intel Core i7-2600K processor has an unlocked multiplier and is initially focused on overclocking, during testing, our attention was focused on its overclocking capabilities. That is, once we tested this processor in the normal mode, and then - in the overclocking state. The processor was overclocked by changing the settings of the Turbo Boost mode at the standard value of the multiplier. In our opinion, this method of overclocking a processor is more universal than simply changing the multiplier with the Turbo Boost technology disabled. Firstly, it allows you to fine-tune the operation of the processor, and secondly, this overclocking method includes the option of overclocking by changing the multiplier - for this, it is enough to set the same multiplier for all processor cores.

As a result, we tested the Intel Core i7-2600K processor in five different Turbo Boost settings ( tab. one).

When overclocking the processor by changing the Turbo Boost mode settings, the maximum TDP value was set to 130 W, and the maximum current value was set to 110 A.

As it turned out during testing, the maximum clock frequency of the processor in Turbo Boost mode can be 4.6 GHz. It does not matter, only one or all four processor cores in question. A further increase in the multiplier led to the fact that the operating system simply did not boot.

To test the Intel Core i7-2600K processor, the stand of the following configuration was used:

• motherboard - GIGABYTE P67A-UD4;
• motherboard chipset - Intel P67 Express;
• memory - DDR3-1333 (Kingston HyperX KHX 14900D3T1K3x2);
• memory size - 2 GB (two modules of 1024 MB each);
• memory mode - DDR3-1333, dual-channel;
• video card - NVIDIA GeForce GTX480;
• video driver - ForceWare 260.99;
• hard drive - Seagate ST31500341AS (1.5 TB);
• power supply -Tagan 1300W;
• operating system - Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit).

To test the Intel Core i7-2600K processor, we used our new ComputerPress Benchmark Script v. 9.0, which is detailed in the article "Intel Core i7-990X Six-Core Extreme Edition" published in the December 2010 issue of the magazine.

Here we only recall that for the integral evaluation of processor performance, our methodology uses the concept of a reference PC based on an Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition processor (clock frequency 3.2 GHz, Turbo Boost mode is activated). The integral performance result of the reference PC is taken as 1000 points.

Test results

Detailed test results of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor with the execution time of each test are presented in tab. 2. As can be seen from the test results, the performance of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor, even in normal operation (without overclocking), is higher than the performance of the Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition processor, which we use for comparison. Moreover, ahead of events, let's say that in March, Intel will announce the release of a six-core processor Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. So, in terms of performance in normal operation, the Intel Core i7-2600K processor even slightly outperforms the Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition processor.

In addition, this processor has excellent overclocking capabilities. We managed to overclock it to 4.6 GHz without sacrificing stability, and there are data on the Internet about overclocking the Intel Core i7-2600K processor to 5 GHz.

In the case of overclocking the Intel Core i7-2600K processor to 4.6 GHz, its integrated performance increases by 22% compared to the performance in normal operation. In addition, in overclocked state, the performance of this processor is almost 40% higher than that of the Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition processor. In a word, today it is the most productive Intel processor with excellent overclocking potential.

Core i7-2600K processor, the price of a new one on amazon and ebay is 19,078 rubles, which is equal to $329. Marked by the manufacturer as: BX80623I72600K.

The number of cores is 4, it is produced according to the 32 nm process technology, Sandy Bridge architecture. Thanks to Hyper-Threading technology, the number of threads is 8, which is twice the number of physical cores and increases the performance of multi-threaded applications and games.

The base frequency of the cores of the Core i7-2600K is 3.4 GHz. The maximum frequency in Intel Turbo Boost mode reaches 3.8 GHz. Please note that the Intel Core i7-2600K cooler must cool processors with a TDP of at least 95W at stock frequencies. When overclocked, the requirements increase.

Motherboard for Intel Core i7-2600K must be with LGA1155 socket. The power system must be capable of supporting processors with a TDP of at least 95W.

Thanks to the integrated Intel® HD Graphics 3000, the computer can operate without a discrete graphics card because the monitor is connected to the video output on the motherboard.

Price in Russia

Want to buy Core i7-2600K cheap? Look at the list of stores that already sell the processor in your city.

Family

Show

Intel Core i7-2600K test

The data comes from tests by users who tested their systems with and without overclocking. Thus, you see the average values ​​corresponding to the processor.

Speed ​​of numerical operations

Different tasks require different CPU strengths. A system with few fast cores is great for gaming, but will be inferior to a system with a lot of slow cores in a rendering scenario.

We believe that a processor with at least 4 cores/4 threads is suitable for a budget gaming PC. At the same time, individual games can load it at 100% and slow down, and performing any tasks in the background will lead to a drop in FPS.

Ideally, the buyer should aim for a minimum of 6/6 or 6/12, but keep in mind that systems with more than 16 threads are currently only applicable to professional tasks.

The data is obtained from tests of users who tested their systems both with overclocking (the maximum value in the table) and without (the minimum). A typical result is indicated in the middle, with a colored bar indicating the position among all tested systems.

Accessories

motherboards

• Asus H97-PLUS
• Lenovo 30AH004MUS
• Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H
• Acer Nitro AN515-52
• Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1310 M1
• HP OMEN by HP Laptop 15-dc0xxx
• HP OMEN X by HP Laptop 17-ap0xx

Video cards

• There is no data

RAM

• There is no data

SSD

• There is no data

We have compiled a list of components that users most often choose when building a computer based on the Core i7-2600K. Also with these components, the best results in tests and stable operation are achieved.

The most popular config: motherboard for Intel Core i7-2600K - Asus H97-PLUS.

Characteristics

Main

Manufacturer	Intel
Description Information about the processor, taken from the official website of the manufacturer.	Intel® Core™ i7-2600K Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)
Architecture The code name for a microarchitecture generation.	Sandy Bridge
Date of issue Month and year when the processor appeared on sale.	03-2012
Model Official name.	i7-2600K
cores The number of physical cores.	4
streams Number of threads. The number of logical processor cores that the operating system sees.	8
Multithreading Technology Thanks to Hyper-threading technologies from Intel and SMT from AMD, one physical core is recognized in the operating system as two logical ones, which increases the performance of the processor in multi-threaded applications.	Hyper-threading (note that some games may not work well with Hyper-threading, which is why it is worth disabling the technology in the BIOS of the motherboard).
base frequency Guaranteed frequency of all processor cores at maximum load. Performance in single-threaded and multi-threaded applications and games depends on it. It is important to remember that speed and frequency are not directly related. For example, a new processor at a lower frequency may be faster than an old one at a higher one.	3.4GHz
Turbo frequency The maximum frequency of one processor core in turbo mode. Manufacturers have made it possible for the processor to independently increase the frequency of one or more cores under heavy load, thereby increasing the speed of operation. It greatly affects the speed in games and applications that are demanding on the frequency of the CPU.	3.8GHz
L3 cache size The third level cache acts as a buffer between the computer's RAM and the processor's level 2 cache. Used by all cores, the speed of information processing depends on the volume.	8 MB
Instructions	64-bit
Instructions They allow to speed up calculations, processing and execution of certain operations. Also, some games require instruction support.	SSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Process technology The technological process of production, measured in nanometers. The smaller the technical process, the more perfect the technology, the lower the heat dissipation and power consumption.	32 nm
Bus frequency The speed of data exchange with the system.	5 GT/s DMI
Max TDP Thermal Design Power - an indicator that determines the maximum heat dissipation. The cooler or water cooling system must be rated for an equal or greater value. Remember that with overclocking, TDP increases significantly.	95 W

video core

Integrated graphics core Allows you to use your computer without a discrete graphics card. The monitor is connected to the video output on the motherboard. If earlier integrated graphics made it possible to simply work at a computer, today it can replace budget video accelerators and makes it possible to play most games at low settings.	Intel® HD Graphics 3000
GPU base frequency The frequency of operation in 2D mode and idle.	850MHz
GPU base frequency The frequency of operation in 3D mode under maximum load.	1350MHz
Supported monitors The maximum number of monitors that can be simultaneously connected to the integrated video core.	2

RAM

Maximum amount of RAM The amount of RAM that can be installed on a motherboard with this processor.	32GB
Supported type of RAM The type of RAM depends on its frequency and timings (speed), availability, price.	DDR3 1066/1333
RAM channels Thanks to the multi-channel memory architecture, the data transfer speed is increased. On desktop platforms, two-channel, three-channel and four-channel modes are available.	2
Bandwidth of RAM	21GB/s
ECC memory Support for memory with error correction, which is used on servers. Usually more expensive than usual and requires more expensive server components. However, second-hand server processors, Chinese motherboards and ECC memory sticks, which are sold relatively cheaply in China, have become widespread.	No. Or we have not yet managed to mark the support.

Today we will focus on Intel Core i7 processors, and the main focus will be on models with higher performance than the i7-880 has. The need to test them according to the new method arose not only by itself, but also because a few days remain before the announcement of the LGA2011 platform. First of all, it (like its predecessor LGA1567) is intended for multiprocessor high-performance systems, but along the way, it is she who will replace the extreme LGA1366 on the desktop market, which has been around for almost three years.

Thus, in the “computers for enthusiasts” segment, the already fed up dual power will end, when the best results on most mass-produced software are demonstrated by Sandy Bridge architecture processors for LGA1155, but the maximum return on multi-threaded software can be obtained using Gulftown six-core processors, which appeared a year and a half ago and related to the older Westmere microarchitecture. Several PCIe x16 slots (which can be useful for serious milti-GPU solutions) without additional crutches are now provided only within the framework of LGA1356, which has already taken root on the market, and just in Sandy Bridge games they significantly outperform their predecessors, which makes such a separation of platforms even more offensive. Soon they will finish with it by releasing multi-core Sandy Bridge E-family, in addition to the new architecture, they can offer the user an integrated PCIe controller with support for 40 lines of this interface, which will allow implementing schemes like x16 + x16 or x16 + without any complex frills x8+x8 or even x8+x8+x8+x8, which within the LGA1155 platform is achievable only with the help of additional chips.

In general, for comparison with such "newcomers", we need the results of the most productive "oldies", which we will get today. But not only - at the same time we will test some of the "youngest of the older" processors, so you can consider this article also a kind of continuation of the cycle about "performance limits" in relation to the Core i7 family.

Test stand configuration

CPU	Core i7-860	Core i7-880	Core i7-2600
Kernel name	Lynnfield	Lynnfield	Sandy Bridge QC
Production technology	45 nm	45 nm	32 nm
Core frequency (std/max), GHz	2,8/3,46	3,06/3,73	3,4/3,8
	21	23	34
How Turbo Boost works	5-4-1-1	5-4-2-2	4-3-2-1
	4/8	4/8	4/8
L1 cache, I/D, KB	32/32	32/32	32/32
L2 cache, KB	4×256	4×256	4×256
L3 cache, MiB	8	8	8
UnCore frequency, GHz	2,4	2,4	3,4
RAM	2×DDR3-1333
video core	-	-	GMA HD 2000
socket	LGA1156	LGA1156	LGA1155
TDP	95 W	95 W	95 W
Price	N/A()	N/A()	$340()

With the LGA1156 and LGA1155 platforms, everything is simple. For the first, four Core i7 models were released, among which the younger and older ones are easily and unambiguously identified - 860 and 880. The LGA1155 case is even more transparent: within this platform, there are two suitable processors that are completely identical to each other in the regular mode using discrete graphics, so all arrows point to Core i7-2600. In the near future, Intel plans to release a new model for overclockers, namely the Core i7-2700K (by the way: nothing has been heard about its “regular” counterpart yet), which will actually replace the i7-2600K in terms of price and positioning, but the fundamental difference between the two there are no processors: some 100 MHz clock frequency, i.e. only about 3%, which will only lead to a proportional increase in performance (at best). However, if the 2700K appears at the same time or a little earlier than the SB-E, we will test it too. But not now :) Energy-efficient models were also produced for both platforms, but they are somewhat away from the main line, so today we will not deal with them.

CPU	Core i7-920	Core i7-970	Core i7-990X
Kernel name	Bloomfield	gulftown	gulftown
Production technology	45 nm	32 nm	32 nm
Core frequency (std/max), GHz	2,66/2,93	3,2/3,47	3,47/3,73
Starting multiplication factor	20	24	26
How Turbo Boost works	2-1-1-1	2-1-1-1-1-1	2-1-1-1-1-1
Number of cores/threads of calculation	4/8	6/12	6/12
L1 cache, I/D, KB	32/32	32/32	32/32
L2 cache, KB	4×256	6×256	6×256
L3 cache, MiB	8	12	12
UnCore frequency, GHz	2,13	2,13	2,66
RAM	3×DDR3-1066
video core	-	-	-
socket	LGA1366	LGA1366	LGA1366
TDP	130 W	130 W	130 W
Price	N/A()	N/A()	N/A()

But within the framework of LGA1366, everything is less clear. However, there are no problems with the older model: this is the Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. Before its introduction, there was also a kind of dual power, since in low-threaded tasks Gulftown usually lost to equal-frequency Bloomfield, so the extreme 980X and 975 fought for first place with varying success, but the release of the 990X with a higher clock speed than the 975 quickly put everything on to their places. But there are ... two junior processors. The first is the unconditionally younger Core i7-920, which appeared simultaneously with the launch of the platform at the end of 2008. Moreover, for a long time this processor was not only the youngest in the family, but simply the only Core i7 available to the mass buyer, which was corrected only after the appearance of the Core i7-860 in September next year. Accordingly, 920 was almost the most popular processor for LGA1366. Now, of course, it is absolutely not interesting as a new purchase, but a considerable number of users have it, so we have no right not to test it. And then there was the Core i7-970 - the youngest of the line of six-core "desktop" processors. Again, there is no point in buying it anymore, since the Core i7-980 is shipped at the same price (which should not be confused with the Core i7-980X Extreme Edition, which some sometimes do), but these processors differ (as usual) only by one step of the clock frequency, but otherwise the same. Therefore, it was more interesting for us to test the 970.

There will be no AMD processors in testing today. Since, as we have already established, the best of them, namely the Phenom II X6 1100T, is approximately equal to only the Core i7-860 or Core i5-2400 in terms of overall average performance, compare it with models such as i7-2600 or i7-990X, doesn't make any sense. For the price, too, it's a completely different class. And the appearance of the "bulldozer" FX-8150 did not make significant changes to the "picture of the world": it is somewhere faster than its predecessor, somewhere even slower, but still belongs to a slightly different class than the Core i7. That's when AMD returns to the top segment, then we will return to its products as part of testing high-performance solutions. In the meantime, alas, they are simply not available in AMD's assortment.

	Motherboard	RAM
LGA1155	Biostar TH67XE (H67)
LGA1156	ASUS P7H55-M Pro (H55)	Corsair Vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B (2×1333; 9-9-9-24)
LGA1366	Intel DX58SO2 (X58)	12 GB 3×1333; 9-9-9-24 / 3×1066; 8-8-8-19 (9x0 / 990X)

Usually we complete test systems with 8 GB of RAM, however, we made an exception for LGA1366 - since this is the only system on the market with a three-channel memory controller, we decided not to pass by such a "feature" of it. Well, if you install in each channel modulo 4 GB (as we usually do), the total amount of memory will be no less than 12 GB. In the framework of testing according to the previous method, this platform had a similar odds - 6 GB against the typical 4 GB. And often it helped her :) So let's see if modern applications show the effect of increasing memory to 12 GB, or is it a waste of money. The different clock speeds of the memory are due to the fact that ordinary and extreme processors under LGA1366 have different UnCore frequencies. Although, in principle, models based on the Gulftown core in the "manual mode" also support a ratio of 2:3, and not just 1:2 (this allows you to use high-speed memory without overclocking this unit, and you can also overclock the latter), we did not use this opportunity . Maybe, within the framework of some special testing, we will do it. Although, on the other hand, it’s probably not worth it anymore - the platform is still relevant, but it doesn’t have long to live, as mentioned at the beginning of the article :) Moreover, all previous tests showed that the effect of the fast memory itself much less than from overclocking UnCore, so more benefit can be achieved without chasing high-frequency "overclocker" modules, but just using the "default" 1: 2 and overclocking the cache.

Testing

Traditionally, we divide all tests into a number of groups and show the average result for a group of tests/applications on the diagrams (for details on the testing methodology, see a separate article). The results in the diagrams are given in points, for 100 points the performance of the reference test system, the site of the sample of 2011, is taken. It is based on the AMD Athlon II X4 620 processor, but the amount of memory (8 GB) and video card () are standard for all tests of the “main line” and can only be changed as part of special studies. Those who are interested in more detailed information are again traditionally invited to download a table in Microsoft Excel format, in which all the results are shown both in converted points and in "natural" form.

Interactive work in 3D packages

The leadership of the Core i7-2600 needs no special explanation: the best of Sandy Bridge - and that says it all. The results of the rest of the subjects are arranged in descending order of clock frequency, and in this traditionally low-threaded group it depends on the work of Turbo Boost technology, which is more aggressive in Lynnfield than in Bloomfield and Gulftown. Core i7-990X is saved only by the fact that its starting frequency is very high, but for models 970 and, in particular, 920, there is nothing to “cover” here :)

Final rendering of 3D scenes

In general, for such an application (primarily) multi-core processors are created, so no one doubted the victory of six cores (which ultimately gives as many as 12 computational threads). However, the effectiveness of the new architecture has not gone away: the 990X model managed to outperform the 880 by one and a half times (which is logical), but its advantage over the 2600 was reduced to a more modest 20-25%. So you can immediately predict that the older multi-core SB-E will score around 400 points in this test and quickly show Who is the head in this house :)

Packing and unpacking

A capacious cache and the ability of 7-Zip to efficiently use many computational threads when compressing data still do not allow Gulftown to win a landslide victory. The extreme 990X, however, managed to capture the highest step of the podium, but the 970 is already noticeably behind the 2600. Again, we are waiting for new records after the appearance of processors for the LGA2011 platform in our hands: everything is fine with the number of cores, but with architecture and cache memory - so it's just wonderful.

Audio encoding

This test is built in such a way that it "plays along" with multi-core processors - if we ran many simultaneous operations regardless of the physical number of cores, it is very likely that the results would become less pronounced. But even in its current form, it becomes obvious that with the same architecture, six cores are, of course, better than four, but "brute force" is far from everything - improvements in Sandy Bridge can reduce the backlog to a minimum.

Compilation

Six cores, 12 threads, 12 MB L3 cache - the result is predictable. Moreover, as we have already noted, compilers are rather cool about the improvements of the new architecture, so the gain is close to explainable by a simple difference in the clock frequencies of the cores and the cache. However, we repeat - the final point here will be set closer to the end of October;)

Mathematical and engineering calculations

It looks like the first group, although there really is something to count here, and the Core i7-970 does not look so pale. But to overtake or at least catch up with the Core i7-2600, it doesn’t work out all the same - for this it would be necessary to have an advantage in clock frequency, which is not.

Raster graphics

Some of it is already optimized for multithreading, but not all. Therefore, Gulftown may already be able to break away from older cores, but is still unable to beat Sandy Bridge. Moreover, even where there is optimization, the four cores of the latter turn out to be a very impressive force: the i7-2600 outperformed the i7-990X in Photoshop and almost kept up with it in ACDSee. With a logical overall result.

Vector graphics

But here there is practically no support for multithreading, so the result is also natural: the main thing is the architecture, and other things being equal, the clock frequency, which together gives the maximum “single-threaded performance” required in this case.

Video encoding

It would seem that media coding is an area where the trend to increase the number of cores has no alternatives. And it seemed right, but ... Architectural improvements should not be discounted either. But in the new family, they not only improved what was implemented earlier, but also added new instructions, in particular, the AVX set. The latter is already supported, for example, by the x264 encoder. Perhaps this was not the only factor that influenced the final result, but it is the result that matters. And it is like this: in this test, the Core i7-2600 outperforms its rival in the face of the Core i7-970 despite a 1.5-fold lag in the number of cores! The situation is similar in the Microsoft Expression Encoder test. Older programs, of course, to a greater extent prefer multi-core to the novelty of each core, however, as we see, even in such a traditionally multi-threaded area as video encoding, as a result, the i7-970 showed almost the same result as the i7-2600, and the i7 -990X managed to retain the first place, but with a very modest margin: some 10%. Here he smashed the old quad-core Core i7 with ease, and now he has found a scythe on a stone.

Office software

To put it mildly, this is not the most interesting subject area for the processors tested today - it is obvious that the speed of such is excessive here. Even the slowest Core i7-920 outperforms our reference Athlon II X4 620 by 40%, which is already the same for the office :) So let's just admire the results, and their explanations were enough in the text above - these applications do not differ in originality.

Java

Refinement of the test in the new methodology allowed the six-core monsters of Intel to “take off the handbrake”, although, as we see, it didn’t help them that much. Even though the JVM prefers "real" cores to "virtual" threads, the old six-core is not far from the new quad-core. If we compare similar architectures, then the advantage is more than obvious.

Games

At the very least, game engines are slowly mastering multithreading. Although, as we have seen more than once, the main watershed runs between processors that perform only two computation threads at the same time (and these are now found only in the budget sector itself), and all the rest. The latter group, however, can also be quite clearly divided into “four-threads” and “quad-cores”, although there is a strong feeling that the large cache memory capacity of the latter plays a significant role in this division, and not “honest multi-core” at all. But all these battles take place "out there" - below $200. And today we have processors of a higher class. Where there are at least four cores, and Hyper-Threading is supported by all of them. In general, translating from Russian into Russian - by and large, even the “old man” Core i7-920 is enough for all gaming exercises, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that other participants here outperformed it to a much lesser extent than in other tests. Well, the Core i7-2600 became the winner - the large cache in Gulftown is compensated by its low frequency of operation, and there are simply more than a lot of cores.

Total

The ideal spherical computer enthusiast in the vacuum he lives in should have at least two high-performance computers. One - on a pair of Xeon X5690 (similar to the Core i7-990X, but capable of working in a dual-processor configuration) somewhere in the closet: needed in order to solve "heavy" tasks, such as coding, rendering and other things. And the second - on some "second generation Core" processor (maybe even a dual-core Core i3-2130): for interactive tasks. But since nothing is perfect in nature, and we do not live in a vacuum, the most reasonable compromise for all applications is now the Core i7-2600 in the only powerful desktop. Yes, of course, the six-core extremal managed to get around it in the overall standings, but only by 10% at a three times higher price. And the advantage is not observed at all in daily tasks - the 990X does not shine in them. However, for those for whom rendering or video editing is the main area of ​​​​use of a computer, any of Gulftown, of course, will suit to the maximum extent. At least until the end of October - when, as we said at the beginning of the article, the dual power will end, since six-core processors of the Sandy Bridge architecture will appear on the market.

But do you really need so many cores on a desktop? In general, as we see, there is a benefit from them, and noticeable, but only in very specific areas. That is, if the user finds a task for such a dreadnought, he will certainly show himself. And if it doesn’t find it, it will just turn out to be an expensive heater :) Incidentally, by the way, you can put an end to last year’s disputes about which is more promising: LGA1156 or LGA1366. There was such a fairly popular point of view: I’ll take the inexpensive Core i7-930 now, and when the six-core models become cheaper, I’ll upgrade with little blood. However, as is often the case, the wool-for-promise program failed. De jure LGA1155 replaced LGA1156, but de facto this platform made it pointless for most users to buy a six-core processor for LGA1366. Yes, non-extreme models of the latter have appeared, but what's the point? All the same, both 970 and 980 stand at the level of a set of 2600 and a good motherboard, and they can demonstrate superiority over the latter only in a small (relatively) number of tasks. Are there any in constant use? Then, on the one hand, there is a benefit from the purchase, and on the other hand, it would be more if you immediately buy even the extreme Core i7-980X, without waiting for the price to go down: in six months or a year, the investments would completely “beat off” (even if only psychological effect). In addition, the further the usefulness of relatively "obsolete" processors becomes less due to progress in the field of software production: we recall that in the x264 test, the Core i7-2600 overtook the "old man" 970. Just in a task convenient for the latter!

In general, multi-core processors continue to be a kind of "thing in itself". Another question is that just a few years ago, "a lot" meant "four", and now processors with such a number of cores have descended into the mass segment. And their performance is constantly growing: let us recall, again, that 920, 860 and 2600 are processors from the same price bracket. Only different times: the end of 2008, the second half of 2009 and the beginning of 2011, respectively. Well, in 2010, 870/950/960 not shown in the diagram were sold at the same price. That is, the process of increasing productivity for the same price is continuous. Its result is approximately one and a half times growth in a little more than two years. On the same number of cores and with lower power consumption - simply due to architectural improvements. And for the attention of those users who still need more (and they are ready to pay for it), six-core processors are now offered that can compete in performance with former dual-processor systems. And, of course, the latter also did not go anywhere, having “built up their muscles” accordingly. In general, revolutions are no longer needed - with such and such an evolution;)