If you're not overclocking, get Ivy Bridge. With OCing out of the equation, IB is better in every way.
Depends on the GPUs. If you're GPU limited then OCing your chip really won't provide much of an increase at all. If you're going SLi or X-fire with 7970s/GTX680s then yea, OCing provides a clear benefit.
All test so far show that tri-gate = overlockers' nigtmare
When you get your chip, you can try it out and see for yourself. It's not a huge difference unless the game is very CPU dependent. Very CPU dependent games tend to fall into 2 categories:
-- console ports that didn't get enough PC development (GTA IV, for example. Also Skyrim before patch 1.4)
-- Games that have LOTS of computer controlled units (Starcraft II, Total War series games, etc...)
Think about it, you have more transistors in a smaller space which means the cores will need to have more cooling.
Would they not also be smaller, and have less surface area to generate heat on. So remain cooler?
Well, no...they have less surface area to DISSIPATE heat off of, which is the main issue.
If you're not overclocking, get Ivy Bridge. With OCing out of the equation, IB is better in every way.
So what if I was planning on doing a small OC, like 4.0Ghz? Would I still be ahead moving forward to IVB?
I've seen this argument repeated a lot, but I'm not sure how valid I think it is. Suppose you clocked a i7 2600K and a i7 3820 at the same speed and same voltage, would the i7 2600K run hotter, when its die size is 216 mm2 vs 294 for the 3820? I haven't seen any tests but I'd be surprised if it did. When Intel shrank Nehalem, they added 2 cores and 4MB L3. The resulting Westmere die was 240 mm2 vs 263 for Bloomfield, and yet Westmere ran cooler and used less power than the i7 975.
I have a hard time believing that the decreased surface area for Ivy Bridge would serve to increase temperatures more than a shrink to 22nm would be expected to decrease them. I tend to think that FinFET 22nm works very well for lower power applications, but that there is some inherent property of the process that causes it to heat up more quickly at higher power usage than the previous 32nm planar process.
150w TDP (just an example for a 4.4ghz+ CPU) is the same regardless if it's 22nm or 32nm. The die size is smaller, thats less surface area for the die to cool from, so the temps rise. Unless the power usage is proportionally smaller compared to the decrease in die size, you likely will see the temps rise.
This could be a big advantage for IB-E this time around with a larger die (8C+).
I've seen this argument repeated a lot, but I'm not sure how valid I think it is. Suppose you clocked a i7 2600K and a i7 3820 at the same speed and same voltage, would the i7 2600K run hotter, when its die size is 216 mm2 vs 294 for the 3820? I haven't seen any tests but I'd be surprised if it did.
Also to note, the 2500K was small compared to the large copper plate on the H60. It only covered about half the surface area. The 3820 is much larger and covers much more surface area on the H60. I think this is the biggest reason for the drop in temps.
I do not have any graphs or charts or anything of the sort, but I can tell you my experience with a 2500K and 3820 using the same case (Antec 902) and same cooler (H60) running at the same clocks 4Ghz.
2500K: 1.19v @ 4.0Ghz (no HT) full LinX load was 56-58C
3820: 1.23v @ 4.0Ghz (with HT) full LinX load is 52-54C
Those voltages are what I set in the BIOS. And the ambient temps were the same (20C). Fan speeds are all stock as I do not mess with the H60 settings.
It is not a huge difference until you consider that HT does in fact generate more heat. I will test with HT off and see how low the temps will go. I will probably require less vCore as well without HT.
Also to note, the 2500K was small compared to the large copper plate on the H60. It only covered about half the surface area. The 3820 is much larger and covers much more surface area on the H60. I think this is the biggest reason for the drop in temps.
Are you talking about IHS size? If so I don't agree. IHS is only an insulator between heat sink and CPU and doesn't in any way help temps.
