This is the case when you don’t have to explain “what, who, where and from which side.” Overclockers have been waiting for the announcement of the new Intel LGA1155 platform for a long time, and now, new processors and chipsets have finally been officially presented.

advertising

Architecture and model range

Behind the brief wording “Intel presents Sandy Bridge” lies a “major” update of the entire processor market. Models in the LGA1155 design will replace the current Core i3/i5/i7, which means they will fall into several segments at once: from affordable (mainstream) to productive (enthusiast). Of course, Intel also paid attention to laptops, for which processor models with lower power consumption were developed. And for desktop computers the following processor models were presented:

Core i7 family

• Intel Core i7-2600
• Intel Core i7-2600K
• Intel Core i7-2600S

Core i5 family

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, produced using a 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 Core i7-2600 cores 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 95 W at standard frequencies. During overclocking, the requirements increase.

The motherboard for Intel Core i7-2600 must have an LGA1155 socket. The power system must be able to withstand processors with a thermal package of at least 95 W.

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

Price in Russia

Family

Intel Core i7-2600 test

The data comes from user tests who tested their systems both overclocked and unoverclocked. Thus, you see the average values ​​​​corresponding to the processor.

Numerical speed

Different tasks require different strengths CPU. A system with a small number of fast cores will be great for gaming, but will be inferior to a system with a large number 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 computer. At the same time, some 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 suitable for professional applications.

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

Accessories

We have compiled a list of components that users most often choose when assembling a computer based on the Core i7-2600. Also, with these components, the best test results 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

Basic

Video core

RAM

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, produced using a 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 Core i7-2600K cores 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 95 W at standard frequencies. During overclocking, the requirements increase.

The motherboard for Intel Core i7-2600K must have an LGA1155 socket. The power system must be able to withstand processors with a thermal package of at least 95 W.

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

Family

Intel Core i7-2600K test

The data comes from user tests who tested their systems both overclocked and unoverclocked. Thus, you see the average values ​​​​corresponding to the processor.

Numerical speed

Different tasks require different CPU strengths. A system with a small number of fast cores will be great for gaming, but will be inferior to a system with a large number 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 computer. At the same time, some 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 suitable for professional applications.

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

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

• No data

RAM

• No data

SSD

• No data

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

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

Characteristics

Basic

Video core

RAM

There are still about three months left. This means that if you choose the basis for a new computer now, for example, as a gift on February 23 or March 8, then you should take into consideration three alternatives: LGA1155 with Sandy Bridge processors, LGA2011 with Sandy Bridge-E processors or Socket AM3+ with processors Bulldozer. Of course, the search for a suitable platform in many cases is immediately simplified to a couple of options or even one based on the budget allocated for the purchase of equipment. But there are also cases when it is impossible to cut off inappropriate offers on financial grounds. A typical illustration is purchasing a processor that costs about $300. In this price category there are CPUs for all three platforms listed above, so the expression “problem of choice” in this case takes on a literal meaning.

It's really difficult to navigate. Each of the configurations has individual undeniable advantages, and it is almost impossible to evaluate their attractiveness without additional tests. For example, a $300 processor for the LGA2011 platform, the Core i7-3820, can offer a quad-channel memory controller with unsurpassed bandwidth and support for the PCI Express 3.0 bus. A close-priced representative of the Bulldozer family, a processor for Socket AM3+ with model number AMD FX-8150, has eight computing cores - something not even found in the most expensive competitor CPUs. And the Core i7-2600K for the LGA1155 platform, which is in the same price category, can boast of simple and effective overclocking.

However, we are not used to deciding questions about the superiority of certain computer solutions based on their characteristics and manufacturers' statements. Moreover, processors with a price of about $300 are not cheap consumer goods. Such CPUs are chosen “for years” and not at all based on the premise “it doesn’t matter, as long as it works.” Therefore, without thinking twice, we pitted the Intel Core i7-3820, Intel Core i7-2600K and AMD FX-8150 against each other in practical testing.

⇡ Intel Core i7-3820

More recently, the LGA2011 platform was presented as a solution practically inaccessible to “ordinary people.” Prices for processors in the corresponding design started at $600, and motherboards followed suit. However, after a couple of months after the announcement, it turned out that Intel and its friends still have the desire to make LGA2011 a more mainstream platform. Gradually, not very expensive motherboards appeared on the market, which can be equipped with the recently launched Core i7-3820 processor, which pleasantly stands out from its peers with an affordable recommended price of $285.

True, the Core i7-3820 is no longer the same Sandy Bridge-E that we were able to get acquainted with on the example of the Core i7-3960X and Core i7-3930. The junior model in the line of LGA2011 processors lost a couple of cores and turned out to be quad-core, about the same as the older Core i7 in the LGA1155 version. However, the Core i7-3820 has an L3 cache increased to 10 MB, support for four-channel DDR3 SDRAM, the implementation of 40 PCI Express lanes, which became relevant after the release of the Radeon HD 7970 full compatibility with PCI Express 3.0 standard.

In other words, the Core i7-3820 is precisely a stripped-down Core i7-3960X, and not a Core i7-2600K transferred to a new environment. Moreover, the “cutting” in this case is performed not at the logical, but at the physical level. The semiconductor crystal of quad-core processors in the LGA2011 version differs from the crystal used in eight-core and six-core models. It initially has only four cores and 10 MB of L3 cache, which makes it one and a half times smaller in size than the older Core i7-3960X chip. Despite this, being part of the Sandy Bridge-E family also has its downsides for a quad-core processor. First of all, it affects heat dissipation, the calculated level of which for the Core i7-3820 is set at 130 W, which is 35 W more than the flagship LGA1155 processors.

If you pay attention to the formal characteristics, you will notice that the Core i7-3820 deserves the title of the fastest Intel quad-core for desktop systems. Nominal clock frequency The clock speed of this processor is 3.6 GHz, and in turbo mode it can be overclocked to 3.9 GHz. All existing CPUs for both LGA1155 and LGA2011 are slower.

⇡ Intel Core i7-2600K

The LGA1155 platform recently turned one year old, and it is very pleasant to know that the flagship processors announced at the beginning of last year continue to be so. The long-lived Core i7-2600K can rightfully be called excellent option and today. Only the Core i7-2700K can offer the best characteristics of LGA1155 processors, but it differs only by 100 MHz in clock frequency, which can hardly be called a noticeable advantage. But the Core i7-2600K is a little cheaper - its price is very close to the $300 mark.

So, the Core i7-2600K is the best that can be squeezed out of a year-old Sandy Bridge processor design. Four cores, an 8 MB L3 cache and a clock speed of 3.4 GHz are a good set up for modern system. However, this is still not a top platform for LGA2011 enthusiasts, so there are only two memory channels, and there is no support for PCI Express 3.0. Yes, and adherents of SLI and CrossFireX configurations will have to make compromises; 16x+16x graphics bus operating modes are impossible here; the PCI Express controller built into the processor has only sixteen lanes at its disposal.

However, the LGA1155 processor Core i7-2600K has its trump cards. For example, it has a built-in graphics core, which is generally uninteresting for advanced users, but it has Quick Sync technology, which implements high-performance video encoding in the H.264 format. In addition, LGA1155 processors are significantly more economical than their LGA2011 relatives. And, in addition to everything, the Core i7-2600K boasts an unlocked multiplier: overclock it - I don’t want to.

In other words, although the LGA2011 platform is head and shoulders above LGA1155 in Intel’s hierarchy, it is difficult to say the same about the Core i7-3820 and Core i7-2600K pair. But if you look at the prices of processors, you can draw a completely opposite conclusion. In fact, these CPUs exist in parallel spaces and trying to somehow classify them is only appropriate through the prism of specific applications.

⇡AMD FX-8150

The Socket AM3+ platform is perhaps the most controversial recent event in the computer market. We had very high hopes for Bulldozer processors, but what we got was not at all what we expected. However, this does not stop the apologists, especially since the new AMD processors cannot definitely be called failures. Their weak point is performance in poorly parallelized tasks, such as games. But with a multi-threaded load, Bulldozer, having a larger number of computational cores than competing products (although not entirely full-fledged ones), can produce quite decent results.

With some stretch, the eldest of the Bulldozer family, the FX-8150 processor, falls into the price range that interests us in this article. This is an eight-core CPU with 8 MB of L3 cache and operating at 3.6 GHz, but can automatically overclock to 4.2 GHz thanks to Turbo Core technology. However, the impressive formal specifications in this case do not adequately describe the real performance of this processor. It should be borne in mind that Bulldozer cores are less efficient than Intel ones built on the second-generation Core microarchitecture, and moreover, they are combined in pairs into modules that share part of the resources - a decoder, a second-level cache and a floating-point calculation unit.

As a result, the advantages of the AMD FX-8150 compared to the Core i7-3820 and Core i7-2600K are not so obvious and are rather subjective. Nevertheless, two arguments cannot be denied. Firstly, a system built on the FX-8150 will be cheaper, and, secondly, with a specially selected, well-parallelized computing load, the AMD proposal may turn out to be slightly more productive, although, of course, in most cases, Intel processors are quite capable of eight Bulldozer half-cores can contrast their four with support for Hyper-Threading technology.

In addition to this, adherents of the Socket AM3+ platform can use arguments like support for SLI and CrossfireX in full-speed mode or simple overclocking by increasing the multiplication factor, but in fact all of this in this case is not an advantage, but a consolation. Just like the recently released “magic patch” for Windows 7, which allows you to increase the performance of Bulldozer-based systems.

⇡ Processor characteristics

⇡ Description of test systems

Having set ourselves the goal of comparing three classes of desktop systems that roughly fall into the same price category, we doomed ourselves to the need to test three different platforms in which, if possible, we tried to use the same components. In the end, this is what happened.

Socket AM3+ platform:

• Processor AMD FX-8150;
• Maternal ASUS board Crosshair V Formula, built on the AMD 990FX chipset (BIOS version 1102);
• Memory 4 GB DDR3-1600 9-9-9-27 (two KHX1600C8D3K2 modules).

LGA1155 platform:

• Processor Core i7-2600K;
• ASUS P8P67 Deluxe motherboard, built on the Intel P67 Express chipset (BIOS version 2103);
• Memory 4 GB DDR3-1600 9-9-9-27 (two Kingston KHX1600C8D3K2 modules).

LGA2011 platform:

• Processors Core i7-3960X and Core i7-3820;
• ASUS P9X79 PRO motherboard, built on the Intel X79 Express chipset (BIOS version 0906);
• Memory 8 GB DDR3-1600 9-9-9-27 (four Kingston KHX1600C8D3K2 modules).

In all these platforms the graphics card remained constant NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (with driver 285.62) and Patriot Wildfire 120GB SSD. Testing was carried out on the operating system Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate x64.

In addition to the test results of the four listed processors, we added the results of the Core i7-3960X to the diagrams as a guide. This is the fastest CPU to date with a Sandy Bridge-E design and six processing cores, but its price is set at $999. The presence of this product among the testing participants will allow us to judge whether thousand-dollar and three-hundred-dollar processors are really separated from each other by an insurmountable chasm.

Software used:

• Aida64 Extreme Edition 2.00.1782;
• Futuremark PCMark 7 1.0.4;
• Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.1.0;
• Futuremark 3DMark 11 1.0.3;
• WinRAR 4.1 x64;
• 7-zip 9.20 x64;
• Fritz Chess Benchmark 4.3;
• MAXON Cinebench Release 11.5 x64;
• TechARP x264 HD Benchmark 4.0;
• TrueCrypt 7.1;
• SVPmark 3.0.2;
• POV-Ray 3.7 RC3 x64.

And games:

• Crysis 2 1.9;
• Far Cry 2 1.0.3;
• Metro 2033: The Last Refuge 1.2;
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat 1.6.02.

⇡ Overclocking

Buyers who pay attention to processors costing about $300 are, for the most part, not the easiest users. For the most part, they can be classified as enthusiasts who are serious about getting the most out of their computers, primarily through overclocking. Processor manufacturers fully understand this, and it is quite natural that two of the three processors participating in today's testing, Core i7-2600K and FX-8150, are special overclocking products. They offer a fairly simple overclocking procedure based on changing the processor multiplier. In fact, the success of overclocking in this case depends, first of all, on the performance of the processor cooling system and, secondly, on the capabilities of the motherboard BIOS.

There is no point in describing step by step the process of overclocking the Core i7-2600K and FX-8150 - everything is already clear here. We increase the voltage, increase the multiplier, check the stability of the system and the temperature of the processor, repeat if necessary - that’s the whole recipe. In our case, we decided to achieve maximum frequency using the ThermalRight Silver Arrow processor cooler, which is one of the most powerful air cooling systems.

The Core i7-2600K processor was overclocked to 4.8 GHz; to achieve stability in this state, its supply voltage was increased to 1.44 V.

Let us recall that judging by our previous experience, processors in the LGA1155 version have the best overclocking potential. The Core i7-2600K did not disappoint this time either.

The AMD FX-8150 processor was able to operate at a maximum frequency of 4.6 GHz at a voltage of 1.4 V.

Of course, the frequency turned out to be slightly lower than that of the Core i7-2600K, but this is the general trend - Bulldozer processors are slightly inferior in frequency potential to Intel's Sandy Bridge.

As for the third participant in testing, the Core i7-3820, we should look at its overclocking in a little more detail. As can be seen from the model number, which does not have the letter “K,” this processor is not one of the offerings directly aimed at overclocking. Therefore, its linear acceleration with a multiplier is impossible.

Or rather, it is possible, but within limited limits. Intel still allowed Core i7-3820 owners to change the multiplication factor, but its maximum allowed value is 43x. The processor does not support higher multipliers. Thus, using the same overclocking recipe as in the case of the Core i7-2600K and FX-8150, the frequency of the Core i7-3820 can be increased to 4.3 GHz.

Will it not be enough? Overclocking can come to the rescue by increasing the bus frequency. It is in LGA1155 systems that the frequency of the reference clock generator could be increased by only a few megahertz relative to the nominal 100 MHz. The LGA2011 platform has made positive changes in this regard. In addition to 100 MHz, it also allows the use of a second reference frequency, 125 MHz. This ensures complete stability of all other system components. It is thanks to this feature that overclocking the Core i7-3820 over 4.3 GHz becomes real. For example, by selecting a BCLK frequency of 125 MHz, we were able to squeeze a final frequency of 4.63 GHz out of our Core i7-3820 test unit, and only a 37x multiplier was required to achieve it.

When the processor supply voltage was increased to 1.4 V, the stability of the system did not cause any complaints.

Unfortunately, the Core i7-3820, based on the Sandy Bridge-E design, was not as overclockable as the Core i7-2600K. However, this behavior of this processor is quite natural. It initially has a higher heat dissipation, has a more complex internal structure, and is based on a semiconductor crystal that is larger in size and has a larger number of transistors.

⇡ AMD FX-8150 and magic patch

Since the release of the Bulldozer family, AMD fans have been waiting for an update for operating system, which was supposed to magically increase the performance of FX series processors. This expectation was based mainly on the fact that AMD itself promised to improve the performance of its new products in tests with the release of the Windows 8 operating system, the scheduler of which will be familiar with the features of their innovative microarchitecture.

Considering the fundamental possibility of increasing productivity through software optimization, users also projected it onto Windows 7, and not in vain. As it turned out later, Microsoft, together with AMD, were actually developing patches for the existing version of the operating system that would allow FX processors to work “more correctly” in Windows 7.

The mechanics of such patches are very simple. The cores in FX processors are combined in pairs into modules with common nodes, so better performance can be achieved if the individual cores are loaded first, and connecting the second cores in each module to the calculations is left for later. We were convinced that this approach produces a positive result even during our first acquaintance with the FX-8150, where your humble servant, having taken upon himself the manual distribution of threads among the cores, received a performance increase reaching, at best, 8-9 percent.

Fortunately, all such speculative reasoning also received a solid practical basis. A couple of weeks ago, patches that improve the performance of AMD FX processors in Windows 7 actually appeared in the Windows Update service. There are two of them at once:

• KB2645594 is a scheduler update that explains to the operating system engine the inequality of Bulldozer computing cores and sets the priority order for loading them with work.
• KB2646060 is an update to the core parking algorithm that prevents the operating system from attempting to park a core if an adjacent core is under computing load.

Does installing these updates miraculously improve the performance of the Socket AM3+ platform? Yes, it increases, but there is no sensation here; there is only a quite expected small increase in performance. It can reach 10 percent in those tasks that do not load all available Bulldozer cores with work, but in resource-intensive applications, performance remains virtually unchanged after applying the patches.

The following table allows you to analyze in detail the performance benefits provided by installing patches KB2645594 and KB2646060 in a system based on the AMD FX-8150 processor, using specific tests as an example.

Most of the observed performance changes are in the range of a few percent. AMD itself speaks about this, warning that one should not place too much hope on the released patches. However, there is a whole class of applications in which patches can have a more serious positive effect. These are games, in most of which the performance increase reaches 5-7 percent. Which, I must say, is a rather pleasant addition, because in tasks of this type, processors with the Bulldozer microarchitecture do not look the best.

Thus, the prospects for further increasing the speed of systems with AMD FX processors through optimization of the operating system can be put to rest. After the release of the described Windows updates 7 works the most optimal of all possible ways, the scheduler of the future Windows 8 operating system will work on exactly the same principles. This means that it will no longer be possible to squeeze more out of Bulldozer even in the long term.

The best performance of the trio of processors for which this testing was undertaken is the new Core i7-3820. Thanks to the efficient Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, high clock speed, support for Hyper-Threading technology, a more capacious third-level cache and a four-channel memory controller, it always manages to demonstrate higher performance than processors for the Socket AM3+ and LGA1155 platforms. However, this is true until it comes to overclocking. The best overclocking potential among $300 competitors lies in the Core i7-2600K, and after increasing its frequency to 4.8 GHz, it almost always finds itself in the lead, even ahead of rivals running in an overclocked state. However, the resulting level of performance does not allow either the Core i7-2600K, much less the Core i7-3820 and FX-8150, to compete with the $1000 Core i7-3960X. Intel's flagship six-core processor, even at nominal value, in most cases remains inaccessible to cheaper quad-core and eight-core processors.

⇡ Game test results

Considering that the gaming performance of computers in the upper price range depends primarily on the power of the graphics subsystem, and also that in the very near future we will encounter new generations of video accelerators, we tested only in a resolution of 1280x800 with high quality settings. This approach allows you to evaluate processor gaming performance, which is not limited by the capabilities of the current generation of graphics cards.

The AMD FX-8150 processor, as we can see, was not helped by any patches. His results in games are the worst, and noticeably so. Overclocking doesn't help matters either. So the Socket AM3+ platform is clearly a bad choice for gaming systems. In a pair of Intel quad-core processors, Core i7-3820 and Core i7-2600K, there is parity; they provide approximately the same number of frames per second. In overclocking, however, the LGA1155 platform behaves a little better for obvious reasons, but we are not talking about a fundamental advantage.

Another interesting conclusion that can be drawn by looking at the above diagrams is the absolute uselessness of six computing cores with a gaming load. Compared to its price, the Core i7-3960X processor looks rather dull, which once again forces us to remind ourselves that it is not optimal for gaming applications.

⇡ Conclusions

By titling this article “Three Heroes,” we hoped to make a story about the epic confrontation between three high-performance platforms that are fundamentally different in hardware, but similar in consumer characteristics. In fact, it turned out like a completely different fairy tale: “The eldest was a smart kid, the middle one was this and that, the youngest was a complete fool.”

We again have to call the carrier of the Bulldozer microarchitecture, AMD FX-8150, a disappointment. In the company of 300-dollar Intel processors, it looks alien, seriously inferior to them in terms of performance, especially in gaming applications. Even the release of patches for Windows 7 does not save the situation, which, of course, slightly increased the performance of the FX-8150, but did not fundamentally change the situation. That is, this processor, despite its interesting and promising eight-core design, can only find a home in the systems of the most ardent supporters of AMD products, who will certainly be able to find a reason for their purchase without our help.

The junior processor for Intel's LGA2011 platform, Core i7-3820, made a rather mixed impression. In fact, it allows owners of LGA2011 systems to get approximately the same thing that has been offered in the LGA1155 format for a year. The Core i7-3820 has two advantages: firstly, this processor has support for forty PCI Express 3.0 lanes, and secondly, it has a four-channel memory controller. But the Core i7-3820 is inferior to its LGA1155 counterparts in overclocking and requires large financial costs when building a complete system.

That's why our sympathies remain entirely with the Core i7-2600K, which continues to seem like a very rational purchase for $300 today. The LGA1155 platform is one of the commonly used products. That is why it implies a lower cost of the components included in it, however, as we saw from the test results, it works no worse than LGA2011. Moreover, in a number of important aspects, for example, in efficiency or overclocking, it is superior to the older Intel solution.

Product release date.

Delay expected

Expected discontinuation is an estimate of when a product will begin the discontinuation process. The Product Discontinuation Notice (PDN), published at the beginning of the process, will include all the major phase-out details. Some departments may communicate phase-out information prior to publishing the PDN. Contact your Intel representative for information regarding discontinuation dates and extension options.

Lithography

Lithography indicates the semiconductor technology used to produce integrated chipsets and the report is shown in nanometer (nm), which indicates the size of the features built into the semiconductor.

Number of cores

Core count is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (chip).

Number of threads

A thread or thread of execution is a software term that refers to a basic, ordered sequence of instructions that can be transmitted or processed by a single CPU core.

Base processor clock speed

The base frequency of the processor is the speed at which the processor transistors open/close. The base frequency of the processor is the operating point where the design power (TDP) is set. Frequency is measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billions of cycles per second.

Maximum clock speed with Turbo Boost technology

Maximum Turbo Clock Speed ​​is the maximum single-core processor clock speed that can be achieved using its supported Intel® Turbo Boost and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost technologies. Frequency is measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billions of cycles per second.

Cache memory

The processor cache is an area of ​​high-speed memory located in the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to an architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share last-level cache access.

System bus frequency

A bus is a subsystem that transfers data between computer components or between computers. An example is the system bus (FSB), through which data is exchanged between the processor and the memory controller unit; DMI interface, which is a point-to-point connection between the Intel Embedded Memory Controller and the Intel I/O Controller Assembly on system board; and a Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), connecting the processor and the integrated memory controller.

Design power

Thermal design power (TDP) indicates the average performance in watts when the processor's power is dissipated (running at base frequency with all cores engaged) under a challenging workload as defined by Intel. Read the requirements for thermoregulation systems presented in the technical description.

Available options for embedded systems

Available options for embedded systems indicate products that provide extended purchasing availability for intelligent systems and embedded solutions. Product specifications and conditions of use are provided in the Production Release Qualification (PRQ) report. Contact your Intel representative for details.

Max. memory capacity (depending on memory type)

Max. memory capacity refers to the maximum amount of memory supported by the processor.

Memory types

Intel® processors support four different types of memory: single-channel, dual-channel, triple-channel, and Flex.

Max. number of memory channels

The number of memory channels determines the throughput of applications.

Max. memory bandwidth

Max. Memory bandwidth refers to the maximum speed at which data can be read from or stored in memory by the processor (in GB/s).

ECC memory support‡

ECC memory support indicates the processor's support for error correction code memory. ECC memory is a type of memory that supports identifying and correcting common types of internal memory corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Processor-integrated graphics‡

The processor's graphics system is a graphics processing circuit integrated into the processor that shapes the operation of video system functions, computing processes, multimedia and information display. Intel® HD Graphics, Iris™ Graphics, Iris Plus Graphics, and Iris Pro Graphics deliver advanced media conversion, high frame rates, and 4K Ultra HD (UHD) video capabilities. For more information, see the Intel® Graphics Technology page.

Graphics base clock

The graphics base clock is the nominal/guaranteed graphics rendering clock speed (MHz).

Max. dynamic graphics frequency

Max. Dynamic Graphics Frequency is the maximum conventional rendering frequency (MHz) supported by Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency.

Intel® Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video Technology enables fast video conversion for portable media players, web hosting, and video editing and creation.

InTru 3D technology

Intel InTru 3D technology enables 3D stereoscopic Blu-ray* video playback at 1080p resolution using HDMI* 1.4 and high-quality audio.

Intel® Flexible Display Interface (Intel® FDI)

Intel® Flexible Display is an innovative interface that enables independent display on two channels using integrated graphics.

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a set of video encoding and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics system. These technologies make video playback more stable and graphics clearer, more vibrant and more realistic. Intel® Clear Video HD technology delivers more vibrant colors and more realistic skin with video quality enhancements.

PCI Express Edition

The PCI Express edition is the version supported by the processor. PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is a high-speed serial expansion bus standard for computers to connect hardware devices to it. Different versions of PCI Express support different data transfer rates.

Max. number of PCI Express channels

The PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signal pairs for receiving and transmitting data, and is also the basic element of the PCIe bus. The number of PCI Express lanes is the total number of lanes that the processor supports.

Supported Connectors

A socket is a component that provides mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and the motherboard.

T CASE

The critical temperature is the maximum temperature allowed within the processor's integrated heat spreader (IHS).

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology‡

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor frequency to the required level, using the difference between the nominal and maximum temperature and power parameters, allowing you to increase power efficiency or overclock the processor when necessary.

Intel® vPro™ Platform Compliant

The Intel vPro® platform is a set of hardware and technologies used to create business computing endpoints with high performance, built-in security, advanced management features and platform stability.

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology‡

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) provides two processing threads for each physical core. Multithreaded applications can perform more tasks in parallel, making work much faster.

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)‡

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-x) allows a single hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. The technology improves management capabilities, reducing downtime and maintaining productivity by dedicating separate partitions for computing operations.

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)‡

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O complements virtualization support in IA-32 architecture-based processors (VT-x) and Itanium® processors (VT-i) with I/O device virtualization capabilities. Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O helps users increase system security, reliability, and I/O device performance in virtual environments.

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)‡

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables Technology, also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), accelerates memory-intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables technology on Intel® Virtualization Technology-enabled platforms reduces memory and power overhead and improves battery life by optimizing page forward table management in hardware.

Intel® 64‡ Architecture

Intel® 64 architecture coupled with matching software Supports 64-bit applications on servers, workstations, desktops, and laptops.¹ Intel® 64 architecture delivers performance improvements that enable computing systems to utilize more than 4 GB of virtual and physical memory.

Command set

The instruction set contains the basic commands and instructions that the microprocessor understands and can execute. The value shown indicates which Intel instruction set the processor is compatible with.

Command Set Extensions

Command set extensions are additional instructions, which can be used to improve performance when performing operations on multiple data objects. These include SSE (Support for SIMD Extensions) and AVX (Vector Extensions).

Idle states

Idle state (or C-state) mode is used to save power when the processor is idle. C0 means operating state, that is, the CPU is in at the moment does useful work. C1 is the first idle state, C2 is the second idle state, etc. The higher the numerical indicator of the C-state, the more energy saving actions the program performs.

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology delivers high performance while meeting the power requirements of mobile systems. Standard Intel SpeedStep® technology allows you to switch voltage and frequency levels depending on the load on the processor. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology is built on the same architecture and uses design strategies such as voltage and frequency change separation, and clock distribution and recovery.

Thermal control technologies

Thermal management technologies protect the processor chassis and system from failure due to overheating with multiple thermal management features. An on-chip Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) senses core temperature, and thermal management features reduce processor chassis power consumption when necessary, thereby reducing temperatures to ensure operation within normal operating specifications.

Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology

Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology is an advanced graphics memory controller block (GMCH) backbone architecture that improves system performance by optimizing the use of available bandwidth and reducing memory access latency.

Intel® Flex Memory Access Technology

Intel® Flex Memory Access makes upgrading easy by supporting a variety of memory sizes and operating in dual-channel mode.

Intel® Privacy Technology‡

Intel® Privacy Technology is a built-in, token-based security technology. This technology provides simple, reliable controls on access to online commercial and business data, protecting against security threats and fraud. Intel® Privacy Technology uses hardware-based mechanisms to authenticate PCs to websites, banking systems, and online services, confirming the PC's uniqueness, protecting against unauthorized access, and preventing malware attacks. Intel® Privacy Protection Technology can be used as a key component of two-factor authentication solutions designed to protect information on websites and control access to business applications.

New Intel® AES Commands

Intel® AES-NI (Intel® AES New Instructions) commands are a set of commands that enable you to quickly and securely encrypt and decrypt data. AES-NI commands can be used to solve a wide range of cryptographic problems, such as applications that provide bulk encryption, decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Intel® Trusted Execution Technology‡

Intel® Trusted Execution Technology enhances secure command execution through hardware enhancements to Intel® processors and chipsets. This technology provides digital office platforms with security features such as measured application launch and secure command execution. This is achieved by creating an environment where applications run in isolation from other applications on the system.

Function Execute Cancel Bit ‡

The execution cancel bit is a hardware security feature that can reduce vulnerability to viruses and malicious code, and prevent malware from executing and spreading on a server or network.