Core i3/i5 review @ anandtech

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Hey Zeus

Hey Zeus

Banned
Dec 31, 2009
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Still dead set on buying the 670. 750 is the better buy but i like to be different
 
Nemesis 1

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
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0
toyota said:
Computer Bottleneck, I think you need to give up now. lol. the conclusion is that the i5 750 is the better cpu for gamers/enthusiasts just like most of us were telling you. quad is certainly the way to go for a new build.

"The fact of the matter though is that Clarkdale processors are being built for people that have very narrow computing needs (which is most mainstream users) and certainly not for those in the enthusiast hardware or gaming realm."

"For us enthusiasts, it all comes down to value. With the i5-661 and 660 being around $200, the i5-750 is simply a better deal…if you don’t need the graphics core, and I am assuming that most of you do not, unless it is a specific build for an HTPC type device"

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/01/03/intel_westmere_32nm_clarkdale_core_i5661_review/7


"Because of its more conservative Turbo Modes and smaller L3 cache, Clarkdale won’t be the performance competitor to Lynnfield that many were hoping for, but as you saw in the benchmarks"

"Unless you absolutely must have Clarkdale’s integrated graphics, Core i5-750 is easily the better buy."

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/intel_core_i5-661_clarkdale_performance/page11.asp



btw here is a list of reviews http://vr-zone.com/forums/532547/intel-i5-6xx-and-i3-5xx-reviews.html
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I must say he said she said is fine . If your sheepo. But I to wouldn't buy the i5 661 over 670 because of the higer mult. But for myself and many others that could change instantly .When hydra is released. That could be a game changer for me were suddenly the 661 looks very attractive . the i 3 look very good if your on a budget . I am not so as things stand right now the DO type stepping is what I want on my browser PC. . The other thing that nice is the power usage to those who can't afford a I5 the I3 looks good . IF thats all your budget allows .

There are many reviews out now . If budget is what your looking at i3 all the way . also if your on a budget money savings threw a years use completely eliminates AMD. if budget is a true concern. The performance differance between I5 and amd 4 core is very small comparred to intels higher end 4 cores . very small indeed look at the charts .
 
N

nyker96

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2005
5,630
2
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the power consumption is very nice but I think I;ll wait for the 32nm shrunk of i5 750 or 860 before next upgrade. this is bad news for amd as they really got nothing to fight the new i3s this year at least.
 
AdamK47

AdamK47

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,782
3,606
136
I was expecting better overclocking results with 32nm. Seems to hit the same wall as the i5/i7 CPUs.
 
Hey Zeus

Hey Zeus

Banned
Dec 31, 2009
780
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AdamK47 said:
I was expecting better overclocking results with 32nm. Seems to hit the same wall as the i5/i7 CPUs.
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Wall? What wall? 4Ghz+ with the stock cooler in some reviews. Take a look over at XS and see how well they overclock. :D
 
IntelUser2000

IntelUser2000

Elite Member
Oct 14, 2003
8,686
3,787
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Having the IGP enabled will hamper overclocking. However, using a discrete GPU will disable it, which is how some get near 7GHz overclocks with extreme cooling.
 
G

grimpr

Golden Member
Aug 21, 2007
1,095
7
81
Nemesis 1 said:
I must say he said she said is fine . If your sheepo. But I to wouldn't buy the i5 661 over 670 because of the higer mult. But for myself and many others that could change instantly .When hydra is released. That could be a game changer for me were suddenly the 661 looks very attractive . the i 3 look very good if your on a budget . I am not so as things stand right now the DO type stepping is what I want on my browser PC. . The other thing that nice is the power usage to those who can't afford a I5 the I3 looks good . IF thats all your budget allows .

There are many reviews out now . If budget is what your looking at i3 all the way . also if your on a budget money savings threw a years use completely eliminates AMD. if budget is a true concern. The performance differance between I5 and amd 4 core is very small comparred to intels higher end 4 cores . very small indeed look at the charts .
Click to expand...

Take a wild wild guess what will happen in the real world instead of your "ifs" and from those "sheeps" that you called.

Nobody cares for the vapourware and expensive Hydra chip, in my analysis a destined failure attempt backed by Intel Capital money to get rid for those sli/crossfire licence fees it pays and like the the "one ring" bind the competitors gpus on its platform, noone serious enough will drive multiple GPU's for gaming/folding/gpgpu with a little dualie and almost all people driven by the natural "more cores are the better deal" will snag the Quads in a snap. Make it also that multithreaded software is continually doubling its numbers in apps and scaling in games and you have your breakfast served. Enthusiasts dont buy hype anymore, they want perfect execution on all fronts and they knew that Clarkdale is not gonna cut it until Sandy Bridge arrives. By then, it will be Quadcore from the bottom up and Hyperthreading will be for free on all SB skus and not priced as a premium feature to differentiate the lines. We wont bother to talk about AMD's future products since many are pathological allergic to the name,brand and its products.

Wise and experienced enthusiasts know already their next upgrade, from the i5 750 or the 920 to a 6/8 core Sandy. Full Tock. AVX instructions, 256bit engines/cylinders, mature 32nm. rock n roll.
 
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cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
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IntelUser2000 said:
Having the IGP enabled will hamper overclocking. However, using a discrete GPU will disable it, which is how some get near 7GHz overclocks with extreme cooling.
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I was reading a review over a XS and the testers opinion was that these 32nm dual cores scale mostly with cooling and not so much with voltage.

How or why are these chips affected by temps so much?
 
DrMrLordX

DrMrLordX

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
22,931
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ExarKun333 said:
The memory performance may not be Nehalem-class, but according to Anand's review it is as good or better than Phenom II. I think it's pretty impressive that the memory controller performance is such when it is not even on the same die (same package though).

I admit it's not quite the performer of Nehalem, but it appears to get the job done. Your argument doesn't apepar to hold much water here.
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At what point did I say that it didn't get the job done? Also, the memory performance of AMD chips can be greatly increased with some memory/NB overclocking. The same holds true of i7. You can't really do much for Clarksdale with memory, which saves you money but limits your options a bit.

Fact is, memory performance on a Propus can be a LOT better than on Clarksdale with a good memory overclock. Propus just has no L3 cache, so it needs help in the form of lower system memory latency more than does Clarksdale.
 
cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
221
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DrMrLordX said:
At what point did I say that it didn't get the job done? Also, the memory performance of AMD chips can be greatly increased with some memory/NB overclocking. The same holds true of i7. You can't really do much for Clarksdale with memory, which saves you money but limits your options a bit.

Fact is, memory performance on a Propus can be a LOT better than on Clarksdale with a good memory overclock. Propus just has no L3 cache, so it needs help in the form of lower system memory latency more than does Clarksdale.
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It would be good to see more overclocking analysis manipulating the variables you mentioned.

What is a better budget overclocker is the major question I have. At stock speed/slightly above stock speed it looks like Core i3 might be a good choice (for the time being). Less power and quiet is what gets my vote.

But what happens at more extreme speeds? Does this memory issue you are talking about affect the ability of Core i3 to scale as well as Phenom II x4?
 
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Hey Zeus

Hey Zeus

Banned
Dec 31, 2009
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Wish this review came out before i ordered DDR3 2000 memory for my clarkdale

The G6950 has some very promising OC results

cpu-g6950-oc.png
 
G

grimpr

Golden Member
Aug 21, 2007
1,095
7
81
Well, a bright light shines in that i5 750 blue box over that shelve, you cant miss it.
 
cbn

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
12,968
221
106
grimpr said:
Well, a bright light shines in that i5 750 blue box over that shelve, you cant miss it.
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Agreed.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/clarkdale-review_9.html#sect0

If we look at the Crysis benchmark (dual threaded program AFAIK) we see Core i5 750 beat the Core i5 661.

So something else about Lynnfield (besides cores) makes it a better chip than Clarkdale. Turbo mode alone isn't enough to account for the discrepancy. Maybe it is the L3 cache or memory performance that gives 45nm Lynnfield the advantage in more sparsely threaded programs like Crysis?
 
G

grimpr

Golden Member
Aug 21, 2007
1,095
7
81
Hey Zeus said:
Everyone has a 750 tho. Psh :D
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I dont want to make a bad influence or spoil the fun and excitement on your final decisions on the i5 670, but please take a look at what information an ubuntu linux kernel.log puts out on a 50$ cheap ass AM3 motherboard i have on one my pcs after a recent BIOS update. Wanna bet that the total cost of a 2.8ghz 6core AMD with mobo will be a little cheaper than the i5 670 alone after the dust settles down?

2vxeph4.jpg
 
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