For our readers, Intel's products, in this case we mean processors, are not a novelty. Of course, you could already get acquainted with the features and innovations of the Sandy Bridge architecture, as well as with solutions based on this architecture: Core i3-2100 , Core i3-2100T , Core i3-2120 , Core i5-2300 , Core i5-2400 , Core i5-2500K . That's how we slowly got to the "top" model of the line of processors based on Sandy Bridge - Intel Core i7-2600K. After studying specifications processor Intel Core i7-2600K, the base series of Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 of the second generation can be considered studied. The Intel Core i7-2600 model has several modifications, which are determined by the presence or absence of a letter at the end of the model number. Briefly about the modifications, we can say the following: Intel Core i7-2600 - base model with a locked multiplier (clock frequency 3.4 GHz, TDP - 95 W); Intel Core i7-2600K - a model with an unlocked multiplier, which will allow the owner to overclock the processor without much effort (clock frequency 3.4 GHz, TDP - 95 W); Intel Core i7-2600S is an energy-efficient processor option (2.8 GHz, TDP - 65 W). Additionally, in the processors of this model range there are slight differences in the supported instructions and some other parameters (you can learn more about them from the comparison table on the manufacturer's website). In our case, it is the model that has the maximum computational potential that is being tested.
Appearance and packaging
As you probably noticed, we got a "boxed" processor for testing. The external design of the package is fully consistent with the traditions of the Intel Core i3/i5/i7 line. Please note that the TDP of the second generation Intel Core i7 processor is 95W. Actually, every potential buyer sees this when they get acquainted with the product.
The packaging has a plastic window through which you can see the markings on the processor.
On the back side of the package, the developers provide information about the package bundle of the boxed version of the processor and report a 3-year warranty. It is also emphasized that the processor is compatible with Socket LGA1155, and to use the capabilities of the integrated graphics core, you must use a chipset that supports this option. On the left side of the package, the key advantages of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor are noted: an unlocked multiplier, the presence of 4 cores and processing of 8 data streams and, of course, support for the most remarkable Intel technologies (Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, Intel Smart Cache, Intel HD Graphics 3000).
On the right side wall there is a white sticker indicating: processor model (i7-2600K); processor clock speed (3.40 GHz); cache memory (8 MB); processor socket (LGA 1155); TDP of the processor (95 W), serial number and product code.
We can say with confidence that the packaging is as informative as possible, which is quite natural, since each buyer should know what he is giving his own money for. As for the language support, there's nothing you can do about it, for the perception of the information given on the box, you need to know at least basic English.
The processor comes with a cooling system, a sticker on the system unit and instructions for installing the processor, which provides some explanations of warranty obligations.
Let's take a closer look at the complete cooling system. In our case, this is a cooler with the marking E97378-001, familiar to us from the reviews of the Core i5-2400 and Core i5-2500K processors. Its manufacturer is DELTA. Fan power parameters are given on the central sticker (voltage 12 V, current 0.6 A).
The cooling system consists of a small cylindrical heatsink with aluminum fins radiating from a central copper heat sink. This radiator is cooled by a fan located on top and having blades with a sufficiently large angle of attack. A 4-pin connector is used to power the fan, which allows dynamic speed change using an economical PWM method. Factory thermal grease is applied to the surface of the central heat sink. In general, we can say that a cooling system of an appropriate level with a fairly quiet operation mode is included with a processor that is by no means a budget one. Such a cooler will be absolutely sufficient in case of operation at nominal parameters.
On the processor cover, the processor model (Intel Core i7-2600K), clock speed (3.4 GHz) and place of production (Malaysia) are indicated.
On the back side of the processor, we see the contacts of the LGA 1155 processor socket native to processors based on the Sandy Bridge architecture. Interestingly, the location of the matching elements is exactly the same as that of the Core i5 series processors.
Specification
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Marking |
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Processor socket |
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Clock frequency, GHz |
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Maximum frequency in Turbo Boost, GHz |
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Factor |
34 (unlocked) |
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Bus frequency, MHz |
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L1 cache size (InstructionData), KB |
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L2 cache size, KB |
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L3 cache size, KB |
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Number of cores/threads |
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Instruction Support |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, EM64T, VT-x, AES, AVX |
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Dissipated power, W |
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Critical temperature, °C |
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Process technology |
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Technology support |
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology |
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Built-in memory controller |
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Maximum memory, GB |
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Memory types |
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Number of memory channels |
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Maximum throughput, GB/s |
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ECC Support |
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Integrated graphics core |
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Computing pipelines, pcs |
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Operating frequency, MHz |
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Maximum Turbo Boost frequency, MHz |
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The amount of memory used, GB |
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Supported APIs |
DirectX 10.1 (Shader Model 4.1) OpenGL 3.0 |
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Interface |
Intel FDI (2.7 GT/s) |
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Proprietary technologies |
Intel Quick Sync Video |
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HDCP support |
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Video decoding acceleration |
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Of course, the CPU-Z utility confirms these specifications. Thanks to it, we can clearly fix that the processor is made using 32 nm technology, the core voltage is 1.160 V, and the clock frequency at the time of reading was 3410.8 MHz.
The cache memory of the first level of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor is 64 KB per core, of which 32 KB is for data caching and the same amount for instructions (8 association lines are used). Additionally, in the second block, space is allocated for the cache of decoded micro-ops. The second level cache has a capacity of 256 KB per core (8 association lines are also used). The L3 cache is shared by the entire processor and its size is 8 MB (16 association lines).
The dual-channel DDR3 memory controller of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor supports DDR3-1066 and DDR3-1333 memory. In the case of using a processor in motherboards based on the Intel P67 Express chipset, you can easily install and work with DDR3 modules at a frequency of up to 2400 MHz.
Testing
When testing, the Bench for testing Processors No. 1 was used
| Motherboards (AMD) | ASUS M3A32-MVP DELUXE (AMD 790FX, sAM2+, DDR2, ATX)GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P (AMD 790X, sAM3, DDR3, ATX) |
| Motherboards (AMD) | ASUS F1A75-V PRO (AMD A75, sFM1, DDR3, ATX)ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX (AMD 990FX, sAM3+, DDR3, ATX) |
| Motherboards (Intel) | GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P (Intel P45, LGA 775, DDR2, ATX)GIGABYTE GA-EX58-DS4 (Intel X58, LGA 1366, DDR3, ATX) |
| Motherboards (Intel) | ASUS Maximus III Formula (Intel P55, LGA 1156, DDR3, ATX)MSI H57M-ED65 (Intel H57, LGA 1156, DDR3, mATX) |
| Motherboards (Intel) | ASUS P8Z68-V PRO (Intel Z68, sLGA1155, DDR3, ATX)ASUS P9X79 PRO (Intel X79, sLGA2011, DDR3, ATX) |
| Coolers | Noctua NH-U12P + LGA1366 KitScythe Kama Angle rev.B (LGA 1156/1366)ZALMAN CNPS12X (LGA 2011) |
| RAM | 2x DDR2-1200 1024MB Kingston HyperX KHX9600D2K2/2G2/3x DDR3-2000 1024MB Kingston HyperX KHX16000D3T1K3/3GX |
| Video cards | EVGA e-GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB GDDR3 PCI-EASUS EN9800GX2/G/2DI/1G GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB GDDR3 PCI-E 2.0 |
| HDD | Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS, 500 GB, SATA-300, NCQ |
| Power Supply | Seasonic SS-650JT, 650 W, Active PFC, 80 PLUS, 120 mm fan |
Choose what you want to compare Intel Core i7-2600K with
Based on the test results, you can see that the Intel Core i7-2600K processor competes quite confidently with the six-core Intel Core i7-980X, which has a 3-channel memory controller, but the processing power of 8 virtual cores is still often not enough. As for the Intel Core i5-2500K processor, having a lower clock speed, as well as 2 MB less L3 cache and not using Intel Hyper-Threading technology, it is naturally inferior to the Intel Core i7-2600K, especially in heavy computing tasks. It's quite hard to find competitors among AMD's 6-core processors - they still lack the strength to "provide worthy resistance". The activation of Intel Turbo Boost technology provides dynamic acceleration up to 3.8 GHz, which provides almost 7% more performance in some tasks without any additional costs and optimizations. However, in the case of assembling a gaming system, the Intel Core i7-2600K processor (as well as the neo-clocker version of the Intel Core i7-2600) may not be the most the best choice, because you will not be able to use its full potential - most likely, an Intel Core i5-2500 processor will be enough for you.
Overclocking
Well, the performance of the processor at nominal parameters is determined, but do not forget that the processor has an unlocked multiplier, so you need to find out what else the "stone" is capable of and why this processor costs $ 25-30 more than the Intel Core i7 option -2600. By changing the value of the multiplier in the BIOS, we stop at x49.
It is not difficult to understand that the processor clock speed was 4.9 GHz, while the core voltage was 1.44 V. Please note that with such a system overclocking, it is necessary to purchase a powerful cooling system in advance. The table below shows the performance indicators in the nominal mode and after overclocking the processor.
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Test package |
Result |
Productivity increase, % |
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Rated frequency |
overclocked processor |
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rendering, |
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shading, |
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Fritz Chess Benchmark v.4.2, knodes/s |
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World in Conflict v.1.0.0.9, |
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DirectX 9, |
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DirectX10, |
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The average increase in performance of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor after accelerating it to 4.9 GHz is 21.82%. At the same time, for gaming applications, a 10% increase in performance is not as significant as in computing tasks, where the increase in performance is simply colossal: 42% for mathematical operations; 51% - when rendering images. Naturally, the Intel Core i7-2600K model will be in demand among enthusiasts in the field of overclocking, which, as we see, is not unreasonable. On this processor, records have already been successfully set for overcoming the "psychological barrier" of 6 GHz (far from many processor models can boast of such a potential).
Energy consumption
The overclocking potential of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor is quite good, but let's look at the power consumption of the "titanium".
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Processor name |
Simple, W |
LinX, W |
EVEREST 5.0, W |
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AMD Athlon II X2 220 |
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AMD Athlon II X3 455 |
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AMD Phenom II X3 720 |
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AMD Phenom II X4 970 |
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AMD Phenom II X6 1100T |
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Intel Core i3-2100T |
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Intel Core i3-2100 |
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Intel Core i3-2120 |
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Intel Core I5-2300 |
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Intel Core i5-2400 |
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Intel Core i5-2500K |
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Intel Core i7-2600K |
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Intel Core i7-2600K @4900 1.44V |
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Intel Pentium G850 |
Of course, such computing power does not pass without a trace for the “appetite” of the processor. The power consumption of the system at nominal characteristics is close to the junior processors of the second-generation Intel Core i3 / i5 model range, however, after overclocking and under load it reaches the level of 6-core processors from AMD, although, of course, it is somewhat lower (the optimized Sandy Bridge architecture makes itself felt know). Well, for serious tasks, you need a serious assistant, who has the appropriate power consumption.
conclusions
The time has come to sum up our research. The Intel Core i7-2600K processor shows really excellent performance. A system based on this processor will be a great assistant in solving really serious computing problems. The overclocking potential of this model will please any overclocker. However, a gaming system based on such a "titanium" will not be the most optimal investment, because. for gaming tasks, in the vast majority of cases, the Intel Core i5-2500 will be enough.
The power consumption of the processor at nominal parameters is identical to that of 2 and 4-core second-generation Intel Core i3/i5 processors. When overclocking the processor, you are guaranteed to get a great increase in computing power, but as side effect there will be higher power consumption, so when overclocking the Intel Core i7-2600K, you should pay attention to choosing a high-quality motherboard with a serious processor power system and a high-performance cooling system. The only negative point is the cost of this engineering solution ($330-340), but this is more a matter of capabilities and needs. Do not forget about the integrated graphics core Intel HD Graphics 3000, the capabilities of which will be enough to successfully compete with entry-level video cards.
When it comes to choosing a high-performance processor, most potential buyers are guided only by the number of cores in it, forgetting about clock speeds, as well as embedded technologies. This decision of choice led to the emergence of multi-core crystals on the market, which were distinguished by a suspiciously low cost. But for most resource-intensive applications, 6-8 cores is not necessary. In today's article, we will talk about the representative of the elite class, the I7 2600 processor, for which there are no restrictions. All games and programs will function without problems. Characteristics, tests, as well as reviews of this product will enable the buyer to get to know the well-known representative of the computer market closer.
Market positioning
It should be noted right away that the Intel Core I7 2600 crystal is necessary for work, but not for games. This is evidenced by its value. It is 25,000 rubles. A simple example can be given: an ordinary portable laptop has a similar cost. The manufacturer equipped the processor in a corporate niche, exposing it as a tool designed to work with complex calculations, as well as work with resource-intensive applications. This crystal is capable of solving the following tasks:
- graphics processing;
- video encoding;
- 3D modeling;
- mathematical calculations of high complexity.
But the company does not make a secret of the fact that the Intel Core I7 2600 CPU model can also be used in games. There are many reviews that are provided by independent laboratories and confirm the good performance of the crystal when using resource-intensive high-performance games. However, all tests can lead to the conclusion that the purchase of an expensive processor intended for entertainment is an unreasonable idea. However, it is worth considering everything in order.
Specifications
Many owners have long discussed the successful modification of the Sandy Bridge crystal. Thus, the developers managed to achieve a compromise between decent performance and heat dissipation, which is weak point all powerful processors. As for the operating clock speed of the Core I7 2600, it reaches 3.40 GHz. In Turbo Boost mode, this figure easily rises to 3.80 GHz. Given the characteristics of certain motherboards, users should not overclock processors themselves. However, they will be able to see under heavy loads up to 4.30 gigahertz, although this will require decent cooling for the crystal. Greater performance is guaranteed by the cache levels of the processor. As for L1 volumes of 512 kilobytes, only server solutions can boast of it. The second level cache is also large, it is 1 megabyte, and the third level is 8 MB. With these indicators, any mathematical calculations under the shoulder of the presented processor.
Worthy Opportunities
The I7 2600 has a Hyper-Threading system. This means that the user can additionally get four virtual cores. It is worth noting that four are already provided by the hardware. The owners are also pleasantly surprised by the presence of integrated graphics. Although, it is not suitable for games. Thus, HD Graphics 2000 can become a replacement for a cheap video adapter included in the budget class. As for resource-intensive applications, this is quite an entertaining resource, since the video memory is taken from the RAM by the graphics adapter. The processor platform is capable of supporting the Intel VT-x and Intel VT-d virtual environment. In other words, the crystal is easily used for workstations and servers. The I7 2600 processor also features Intel TXT technology, which helps prevent malicious code from penetrating the compute at the hardware level. You should also be aware of video encoding support. This device implements Intel Quick Sync Video technology at the hardware level. It is worth noting that the developer does not report that the motherboard chipset supports this functionality. As a result, owners purchase additional devices.
Weak link
The fact that dual-channel DDR3 mode is supported characterizes the processor on the positive side. However, there are some problems with frequencies. The processor is able to work at the hardware level synchronously only at a frequency that does not exceed 1333 MHz. Those who are AMD fans love to discuss this topic. But they never found a suitable crystal that can match the performance of the I7 2600. There are also questions about heat dissipation. The TDP 95 Watt processor is a fairly cold device, its performance does not exceed the standard values. As for overclocking, it heats up quite a lot. As a result, the owners are too nervous. In this case, there are several solutions to get out of this situation: limit overclocking or install a powerful cooling system. There is another option that is more popular, because everyone wants to have the most powerful processor.
Mobile market
Intel has unveiled its own integrated graphics product for mobile devices. The developers did not limit its performance and manufacturers offered the market high-power laptops for implementation. challenging tasks and games. Quite a lot of reviews of mobile devices exist in the media. Looking at the test results of all laptops, we can conclude that for the high-powered Core I7 2600 processor, there is no good mobile graphics card that can fully unlock the potential of the crystal. It is worth noting that the problem again is heat dissipation. While in a personal computer it can be easily solved by installing a high-capacity cooling system, the situation is somewhat more complicated with a mobile device. A bunch of negative feedback comes from laptop users regarding overheating of the device. It is necessary to regularly clean the mobile device from dust and control the flow of cold air to the processor.
Higher, faster, stronger
Many users are interested in comparing a direct competitor with the legendary Intel representative. Thus, it is worth testing the I7 2600 vs FX-9590, since this representative of AMD, given its cost and reviews of the owners, is considered the fastest among samples on the processor market. Of course, when working with RAM, which is carried out at high frequencies, Intel does not display very decent results in each of the synthetic tests. It is worth noting that the FX-9590 processor, having eight hardware cores that operate at a frequency of 4.70 GHz, falls short of the opponent in all tests in terms of crystal performance. It should be noted that the AMD sample is not able to gain an advantage not only in tasks with a single thread, when only one core is functioning, but also when all cores are working.
Comparison with an Intel representative
Most potential buyers are interested in comparing the expensive I7 2600 3.40 GHz product with its more affordable Core I5 2500 sibling. It becomes clear that the flagship belonging to the line of processors is able to demonstrate the highest performance. These tests are generally of interest to users who want to save on their purchase, since the difference in cost reaches approximately 30%. So the performance should vary by difference within this value. In the course of testing gaming applications, both processors show similar performance. This means that the performance of other system components is not enough to fully unlock the potential of the high-power I7 2600 processor. If we talk about saving money, the championship should be given to the budget Core I5 crystal.
Only stars above
If you test processors while working with video encoding and 3D modeling, users will see completely different values. Thus, with the I7 2600 die, CyberLink MediaEspresso, Nero Video, and Sony Vegas applications are capable of producing one hour of 720i video in just 22 minutes. As for the Core i5 2500 processor, this task takes almost an hour. It is worth noting that a well-known representative from AMD did this in 66 minutes.
It is worth noting that this is a fairly good indicator, given the crystal, which has eight cores. In the process of working with 3D modeling, a lot depends on the video adapter itself. It is worth noting that the graphics core of the high-power I7 2600 processor is not enough, as evidenced by testing. With the help of ZBrush and 3DS Max applications, the processor is able to operate at the limit of its capabilities if an integrated graphics card is used. However, if you install a video card designed for non-linear video editing, NVIDIA Quadro, the load on the processor is reduced.
Cooling system
Logically, for the I7 2600 processor, the cost of a good cooler should be in last place for the user. An expensive crystal needs proper cooling, so the choice of the owner should fall on devices of a more expensive class. The cost of good cooling systems starts from 4000 rubles. In practice, it becomes clear that this is not always possible for buyers. It all depends on their financial capabilities. Brands such as Zalman, Noctua, Thermaltake, Scythe and others have proven themselves well. They are preferred by test laboratories from all over the world. These companies are marketed as passive, air-cooled or water-cooled systems. As for the 95W processor, a passive cooler will most likely not be suitable for it. Thus, it is undesirable to pin hopes on these systems. In terms of air and water cooling, the Core I7 2600 processor is fine.
Thus, there is no unequivocal conclusion based on the results of the review of the I7 2600 processor. The problem is that for all devices that are on the market, there is a specific task that is a priority. For the presented crystal, the basis of choice is online data processing.
17.02.2014 01:55
The time of Sandy Bridge architecture has passed, the time has passed and . But even despite the leading position of code-named processors (at least for home systems of ordinary users), silicon veterans of the past can still demonstrate very good performance, fortunately, not all of them have been discontinued. Moreover, socket number LGA 1155 is still the most alive. AND motherboards based on the top Intel Z77 chipset crammed with the most popular and relevant peripheral technologies. This means that there is still no great need to switch to Socket 1150. However, today we will not talk about that. A CPU called the Intel Core i7-2600K fell into our hands, albeit very late.
Intel Core i7 is Intel Core i7, with it the system works more than quickly, this is felt when working in any application, the difference is especially clearly visible when switching to Intel Core i7-2600K from Intel Core i5 or even from third line processors.
There is some technical detail, which, although not so significant, but reflected in systems built on the basis of Socket 1155, which is absent on a more modern platform for Socket 1150, which is quite natural. The fact is that the second generation of processors for LGA 1155 does not formally function with the PCI-Express 3.0 interface, but Ivy Bridge is quite capable. And some video cards, for example, the seventh series from NVIDIA, may not work quite correctly. But in most cases, the problem is solved by updating the motherboard software.
quad core Intel Core i7-2600K processor with 8 compute threads (thanks to Hyper-Threading virtualization technology) based on the process technology 32 nm. The nominal clock frequency of the CPU is 3400 MHz(in turbo mode - 3800 MHz). The volume of the L3 cache is 8 MB, and this fact is most attractive to users who prefer speed when working with severe graphics, rendering and other tasks that require resources for large amounts of data. However, the most important feature of the Intel Core i7-2600K, of course, is the unlocked multiplier, which allows you to conquer sky-high clock speeds and set world records if you are an avid computer enthusiast.
Even an aluminum cooler (of course, rather big) is quite enough for a full-fledged heat sink from the Intel Core i7-2600K.
Do not forget about the built-in graphics core of the generation HD Graphics 3000(clock frequency - 1350 MHz). But this chip is not able to process DirectX 11 applications, besides, its performance is only suitable for watching HD video, you can hardly count on more.
We decided to test the Intel Core i7-2600K on the ECS Z77H2-A2X (V1.0) motherboard, which allows you to increase the processor multiplier, as well as change the voltage on the core. Note that by pressing buttons automatic overclocking, which is present in the BIOS of the specified board, managed to conquer 4500 MHz, which is called with light hand . For automatic overclocking, a pretty good result. By the way, ECS Z77H2-A2X (V1.0) in this mode adds for insurance +0.200 V to the rated voltage of the processor.
Manually, we managed to overclock the Intel Core i7-2600K to 4800 MHz by simply increasing the multiplier to 48 units, as well as increasing the voltage to 1.440 V.
Intel Core i7 is Intel Core i7, with it the system works more than quickly, this is felt when working in any application, the difference is especially clear when switching to Intel Core i7-2600K from Intel Core i5 or even from processors. Take a look at the test results, they really correspond to the power that the test person demonstrates a rock.
For cooling 95 W The heat of the Intel Core i7-2600K used the DeepCool LUCIFER cooler. Note that the possibilities of CO were more than enough, even for a solid overclocking. On the one hand, the cooler is really powerful, but on the other hand, the heat dissipation of the reviewed processor cannot be called too large. Even an aluminum cooler (of course, rather big) is quite enough for a full-fledged heat sink from the Intel Core i7-2600K.
The production of the Intel Core i7-2600K at Intel factories is gradually fading away, but the retail price for the specified processor still causes some shudder.
Manually, we managed to overclock the Intel Core i7-2600K to 4800 MHz by simply increasing the multiplier to 48 units, as well as increasing the voltage to 1.440 V. At a higher clock frequency, the processor behaved no longer so stably, even in the OS there were some whims, expressed in uncharacteristic thoughtfulness CPU and other symptoms that tell about the close limit of the capabilities of a particular instance. On the specified characteristics, the temperature of the hottest core in the S&M test did not rise above 67 degrees which is quite worthy.
The production of the Intel Core i7-2600K at Intel factories is gradually fading away, but the retail price for the specified processor still causes some shudder. Cheaper 11500 rubles finding a 2600K is hardly possible. This is quite natural, because the performance that today's guest demonstrates is enough not only in 2014, but it will be enough in a few years, this is obvious. And it is unlikely that the price factor can stop true connoisseurs of speed and users who are eager to conquer overclocking heights.
Test results for the Intel Core i7-2600K processor:
Product release date.
Lithography
Lithography indicates the semiconductor technology used to produce integrated chipsets and the report is shown in nanometer (nm) indicating the size of the features embedded in the semiconductor.
Terms of Use
The terms of use are the terms environment and exploitation arising from the context in which the system is used.
See the PRQ report for specific SKU terms and conditions.
For current terms of use, see Intel UC (CNDA site)*.
Number of Cores
The number of cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing modules in a single computing component (chip).
Number of threads
A thread or thread of execution is a software term for a basic ordered sequence of instructions that can be passed to or processed by a single CPU core.
CPU base clock
The base frequency of the processor is the speed of opening / closing of the processor transistors. 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 computing cycles per second.
Maximum clock speed with Turbo Boost technology
The maximum turbo clock speed is the maximum single-core processor clock speed that can be achieved with the Intel® Turbo Boost and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost technologies it supports. Frequency is measured in gigahertz (GHz) or billions of computing cycles per second.
Cache
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 access to the last level cache.
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 onboard Intel memory controller and the Intel I/O controller box on the motherboard; and a Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) interface connecting the processor and the integrated memory controller.
Estimated power
Thermal Design Power (TDP) indicates the average performance in watts when the processor's power is dissipated (when running at base frequency with all cores engaged) under a complex workload as defined by Intel. Review the requirements for thermoregulation systems in the datasheet.
Embedded options available
Available Options for Embedded Systems refers to products that provide extended purchase options for smart systems and embedded solutions. Product specifications and terms of use are provided in the Production Release Qualification (PRQ) report. Contact your Intel representative for details.
Max. amount of memory (depends on the type of memory)
Max. memory means 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
Application bandwidth depends on the number of memory channels.
Max. memory bandwidth
Max. memory bandwidth refers to the maximum rate at which data can be read from memory or stored in memory by the processor (in GB/s).
ECC Memory Support‡
ECC memory support indicates the processor's support for ECC memory. ECC memory is a type of memory that supports the detection and repair of common types of internal memory corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both the processor and the chipset to be supported.
Processor-Integrated Graphics ‡
The processor graphics system is the graphics data processing circuit integrated into the processor, which forms the operation of the video system, 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. See the Intel® Graphics Technology page for more information.
Base frequency of the graphics system
The base frequency of the graphics system is the nominal/guaranteed graphics rendering clock (MHz).
Max. graphics system dynamic frequency
Max. graphics dynamic 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 provides fast video conversion for portable media players, network sharing, and video editing and creation.
InTru 3D technology
Intel InTru 3D technology delivers 1080p Blu-ray* stereoscopic 3D content with HDMI* 1.4 and high-quality audio.
Intel® Flexible Display Interface (Intel® FDI)
Intel® Flexible Display is an innovative interface that allows you to display independent images on two channels using an integrated graphics system.
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 processor's integrated graphics system. These technologies make video playback more stable and graphics more clear, vivid and realistic. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology delivers brighter colors and more realistic skin through video quality improvements.
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 lanes
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 supported by the processor.
Supported Connectors
A connector 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 in the processor's integrated heat spreader (IHS).
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology‡
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the frequency of the processor to the required level, using the difference between the nominal and maximum values of temperature and power consumption, which allows you to increase power efficiency or "overclock" the processor if necessary.
Compliant with Intel® vPro™ platform ‡
The Intel vPro® platform is a set of hardware and technologies used to build end-to-end business computing systems with high performance, built-in security, modern features platform management and 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, which greatly speeds up the work.
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 manageability by 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 augments virtualization support on IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® (VT-i) processors with I/O virtualization features. Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O helps users improve system security, reliability, and I/O device performance in virtualized environments.
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT) ‡
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables, also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) technology, accelerates memory-intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables on Intel® Virtualization Technology-enabled platforms reduces memory and power overhead and improves battery life through hardware optimizations for page forwarding table management.
Intel® 64 architecture ‡
Intel® 64 architecture, combined with appropriate software, supports 64-bit applications on servers, workstations, desktops, and laptops.¹ Intel® 64 architecture delivers performance improvements that enable computing systems to use 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
Instruction set extensions are additional instructions that 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
The idle state (or C-state) mode is used to conserve power when the processor is idle. C0 means running state, that is, the CPU is currently executing useful work. C1 is the first idle state, C2 is the second idle state, and so on. 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 energy-saving requirements of mobile systems. Standard Intel SpeedStep® technology allows you to switch the voltage level and frequency depending on the load on the processor. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is built on the same architecture and uses design strategies such as separation of voltage and frequency changes, and clock distribution and recovery.
Thermal control technologies
Thermal management technologies protect the processor package and system from thermal failure through multiple thermal management features. An on-chip Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) senses the core temperature, and thermal management functions reduce the power consumption of the processor package when necessary, thereby lowering the temperature to ensure operation within normal operating limits.
Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology
Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology is an advanced video memory controller (GMCH) bus architecture that improves system performance by optimizing the use of available bandwidth and reducing latency when accessing memory.
Intel® Flex Memory Access Technology
Intel® Flex Memory Access makes it easy to upgrade by supporting a variety of memory module sizes in dual-channel mode.
Intel® Privacy Protection Technology‡
Intel® Privacy Protection Technology is a built-in security technology based on the use of tokens. This technology provides simple and secure access control to online commercial and business data, protecting against security threats and fraud. Intel® Privacy Protection Technology uses hardware-based PC authentication mechanisms in websites, banking systems, and network services, confirming the uniqueness of this PC, protects against unauthorized access and prevents attacks using malware. 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 Commands (Intel® AES New Instructions) are a set of commands that allow you to quickly and securely encrypt and decrypt data. AES-NI commands can be used for a wide range of cryptographic tasks, 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 override bit ‡
The Execute Cancel Bit is a hardware security feature that helps reduce vulnerability to viruses and malicious code, as well as prevent malware from executing and spreading on a server or network.
Introduction
Remember how in the good old days overclocking was the lot of advanced users? First of all, it was necessary to find a suitable processor such as the Intel Celeron "Mendocino", AMD Duron Spitfire or Pentium D 805. Each of these can be overclocked to 50% higher speeds than indicated in the specifications, but this required a motherboard with extensive capabilities, memory ready for overclocking, and a bit of luck in finding the optimal parameters, as well as the necessary support in the form of a series of errors and increased attention. Even dead equipment cannot be avoided - this is the price that will have to be paid for "proximity to the Sun." And yet the whole process of overclocking is a great pleasure.
The essence of the overclocking approach has not changed, but now there are special motherboards designed for overclocking and high-speed memory modules that allow you to deal with overclocking bottlenecks to achieve maximum processor speed.
Unfortunately, Intel recently integrated a clock generator on its newest platform into the chipset, which means that the P67 Express (Cougar Point) can no longer be overclocked by simply increasing the frequency. Since this will also affect the PCI Express settings, which usually do not work with too much overclocking. Thus, every overclocking enthusiast on the LGA 1155 platform should switch to the K-series Core i5 / i7 processors. The higher cost compared to conventional processors is quite justified, we will see why later.
AMD and Intel offer their Black Edition and K-series processors, respectively, emphasizing that there is nothing fundamentally new in them. They are specifically designed for overclocking and allow users to directly adjust the frequency multiplier. In this way, you can achieve higher clock speeds without having to increase the frequency of all platform components.
In the latest generation of Intel processors, codenamed Sandy Bridge, manufactured to technological process 32 nm, these overclocking-oriented processors find themselves in the mainstream segment thanks to Turbo Boost 2.0 technology and a power management system that monitors power consumption and temperature. Sandy Bridge controls most of the parameters that used to depend on experience and luck and that used to play a role in achieving high levels of clock speed, as well as the risk that always accompanied overclocking. This means that with Sandy Bridge, even beginners can safely overclock, and the platform will do the rest.
In this article, we are overclocking the Core i7-2600K using an Intel cooler. It will also analyze the performance and power efficiency, which actively grow with increasing clock frequency.
Intel Core i7-2600K for overclockers
We recommend reading if you are not already familiar with the details. Sandy Bridge is the code name for a product family that covers all market segments including mobile PCs, desktop PCs. A little later, servers will join them. Two and four core models are available today, but the day when six and eight core processors will appear is not far off.
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The main advantages of the new Core i7, i5, i3 processors are more performance at the same frequency, minimal power consumption at rest, a shared L3 cache (now called the last level cache) and a ring bus used to connect the cores, the graphics core, cache and system agent (which used to be located outside the kernel) containing the DDR3 memory controller. Among the main innovations, Intel highlights "cold" operation, which means the increase in the ratio of performance / power consumption to a greater extent than a linear relationship, and sometimes even an increase in performance with a decrease in power consumption.
Why is it so important? Maintaining existing power consumption levels, or even saving them with greater performance, has a huge impact on the system's ability to scale. This gives good opportunities for overclocking the processor, since the increase in clock frequency has a more significant effect. Now let's talk about the Turbo Boost feature. It allows you to increase the clock frequency of the Core i7 / i5 K-series processors by four steps in speed (each 100 MHz), until the heat dissipation exceeds the maximum allowable value. However, when you're aiming for a stable and powerful overclock, it's best to disable Turbo Boost altogether (even Intel's test lab engineers do this). You don't want a processor to reach its limit and then try to beat it, do you?
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The Core i7-2600K comes with an 8MB L3 cache. It operates at 3.4 GHz and can be overclocked up to 3.8 GHz. The price of $317 (in quantities of 1000 or more) is not small, but quite acceptable for enthusiasts when compared with the cost of Intel Extreme Edition processors, which is about $1000. A cheaper alternative is the Core i5-2500K, which runs at 3.3/3.7 GHz but only has 6 MB L3 cache.
Turbo Boost 2.0 and CPU Overclocking Control
In the Intel Core i7-2600K and Core i5-2500K processors, you can change the clock multiplier, DDR3 memory speeds up to 2133 MT/s, and disable power/current limits. P67-based motherboards have extensive overclocking capabilities, BIOS (or UEFI) provides options for changing more than just processor parameters. This is important because other Sandy Bridge-based chips have everything blocked. The beauty of the Turbo Boost feature and the so-called Intel PCU (Power Control) feature is that these features can be used at base frequency and when overclocked.
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This means that the built-in optimization features in the processor will also speed up the system even when it is already overclocked. Turbo Boost will be able to increase the multiplier by four, as long as the thermal package allows it. So - the main frequency is 4 GHz plus four to the multiplier (+400 MHz)? This is not a problem as long as you stay within the power consumption limits and supply enough power to keep things running smoothly. This is a safer and easier way to overclock because you target a lower frequency and let the platform manage the increase in frequency based on the available capabilities.
In addition, in the K-series processors, you can change the Turbo Boost multiplier to change the clock speed, as well as the power consumption limits. The default multiplier values are: plus one for four active cores, plus two for three cores, plus three for two cores, and plus four for one core. These values can also be adjusted if desired, but do not forget that a significant increase in the clock frequency can lead to problems with voltage regulation.
The power management unit keeps the system from overheating and crashing while overclocking as long as you're running within reasonable limits, and the CPU cooler handles the heat dissipation. To outsmart the power consumption control unit, it is enough to simply set the limit above the limits of reason or the capabilities of your processor cooler. But it is worth considering that in such a situation, the system is likely to fail in a known way.
However, for Turbo Boost in K-series processors, you can select sufficient granularity, and the power management system allows you to safely increase processor performance within acceptable limits. You choose how you work, and the Intel architecture will serve as autopilot. Let's see how it all works in terms of performance and efficiency.
Setting Overclocking Options
We decided to gradually increase the default frequency multiplier starting from 34x and still stay within the limits set for the Turbo Boost values. This means that the Core i7-2600K accelerates by 4x100 MHz until the maximum power consumption is exceeded. So we go from 34+4 to 46+4.
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We changed the power consumption limit to 300 watts as we want to test the capabilities of the Intel cooler. The cooler that comes with K-series processors is good enough and will likely be used by most K-series buyers.
However, even our power consumption limits, combined with the cooler, cannot protect the system from failure at high clock speeds. This is because the cooler will inevitably reach its limit, and the power control unit does not control the frequency of the processor in our case. The cooler for K-series processors works adequately for reasonable overclocking. Hardcore overclockers may need a more powerful cooling system.
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Here are the voltages we chose:
| Voltage in CPU-Z (4 cores), V | Voltage in CPU-Z (1 core), V | Voltage in BIOS, V | |
| 3.5GHz 4 cores; 3.8GHz 1 core | 1.176 | 1.224 | 1.25 |
| 3.7GHz 4 cores; 4.0 GHz 1 core | 1.236 | 1.224 | 1.305 |
| 3.9GHz 4 cores; 4.2GHz 1 core | 1.26 | 1.224 | 1.345 |
| 4.0 GHz 4 cores; 4.3GHz 1 core | 1.26 | 1.224 | 1.35 |
| 4.1GHz 4 cores; 4.4GHz 1 core | 1.272 | 1.224 | 1.35 |
| 4.2GHz 4 cores; 4.5GHz 1 core | 1.272 | 1.224 | 1.35 |
| 4.3GHz 4 cores; 4.6GHz 1 core | 1.284 | 1.224 | 1.355 |
| 4.4GHz 4 cores; 4.7GHz 1 core | 1.272 | 1.224 | 1.365 |
| 4.5GHz 4 cores; 4.8GHz 1 core | 1.32 | 1.272 | 1.365 |
| 4.6GHz 4 cores; 4.9GHz 1 core | 1.332 | 1.284 | 1.37 |
For testing, we used the Gigabyte P67A-UD5 motherboard and left the voltage settings in automatic mode for all frequencies, except for 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 GHz.
These were the fastest and most reliable settings for the Core i7-2600K. 45x frequency multiplier with the possibility of increasing the frequency by another 4x in Turbo Boost mode for a single core. It should be noted that the voltage readings are not accurate enough.
All Sandy Bridge processors switch to 16x (1600 MHz) at rest.
And one more note: the Core i7-2600K can always support a frequency multiplier one more than the default, which means that you will see a multiplier increased by three in frequency (instead of four) in all tests.
Test configuration and test parameters
| Common Platform Components | |
| RAM | 2 x 4 GB DDR3-2133 @ 1333 MT/s G.Skill F3-17066CL9D-8GBXLD |
| Discrete graphics card | Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 GPU Clock: Cypress (725MHz) Memory: 1024 MB GDDR5 (2000 MHz) Stream processors: 1440 |
| HDD | Western Digital VelociRaptor (WD3000HLFS) 300 GB, 10,000 rpm, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16 MB cache |
| Power Supply | Silencer 750EPS12V 750W |
| System software and drivers | |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Update 2010-07-29 |
| AMD Graphics Drivers | Catalyst 10.12 Suite for Windows 7 |
| Intel Graphics Drivers | Driver Release 8.15.10.2246 |
| Intel chipset drivers | Chipset Installation Utility Ver. 9.2.0.1016 |
G.Skill F3-17066CL9D-8GBXLD RAM kit
| Audio | |
| iTunes | Version: 9.0.3.15 Audio CD ("Terminator II" SE), 53 min. Convert to AAC audio format |
| Lame MP3 | Version: 3.98.3 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min. Convert to mp3 audio format Command: -b 160 --nores (160 kbps) |
| Video | |
| HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.94 Video: Big Buck Bunny (720x480, 23.972 frames) 5 minutes Audio: Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-channel, English, to Video: AVC1 Audio1: AC3 Audio2: AAC (High Profile) |
| MainConcept Reference v2 | Version: 2.0.0.1555 MPEG2 to H.264 MainConcept H.264/AVC codec 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2) Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16 bit, 224 kbps) Codec: H.264 Pro Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS) Profile: H.264 BD HDMV |
| Applications | |
| 7-Zip | Beta 9.1 LZMA2 Syntax "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" Benchmark: 2010-THG-Workload |
| WinRAR | Version 3.92 RAR, Syntax "winrar a -r -m3" Benchmark: 2010-THG-Workload |
| WinZip 14 | Version 14.0 Pro (8652) WinZIP Commandline Version 3 ZIPX Syntax "-a -ez -p -r" Benchmark: 2010-THG-Workload |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 | Version: 10x64 Rendering Space Flyby Mentalray (SPCapc_3dsmax9) Frame: 248 Resolution: 1440 x 1080 |
| Adobe After Effects CS5 | Creates a video that includes 3 streams Personnel: 210 Render multiple frames at the same time: on |
| Adobe Photoshop CS5 (64-bit) | Version: 11 Filtering a 16 MB TIF (15000x7266) Filters: Radial Blur (Amount: 10; Method: zoom; Quality: good) Shape Blur (Radius: 46 px; custom shape: Trademark symbol) Median (Radius: 1px) Polar Coordinates (Rectangular to Polar) |
| Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional | Version: 9.0.0 (Extended) == Printing Preferences Menu == Default Settings: Standard == Adobe PDF Security - Edit Menu == Encryption of all documents (128 bit RC4) Open password: 123 Permission password: 321 |
| Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 | Version: 2007 SP2 PPT to PDF Powerpoint document (115 pages) Adobe PDF Printer |
Test results
Audio Video
If you change the clock speed, you will immediately see the result in iTunes 9.
A similar result is observed with the Lame MP3 encoder. The same workload - encoding the soundtrack of the film "Terminator 2" from CD to MP3 format at a speed of 160 kbps, acceleration is possible from 1:26 to 1:07. Keep in mind that this application does not take advantage of multiple cores.
We were able to save a quarter of the processing time when converting MPEG-2 video to H.264 by overclocking the Core i7-2600K from 3.4 to 4.5 GHz. The table shows the frequency is 100 MHz higher. For example, 3.5 GHz instead of 3.4 GHz. This is because Turbo Boost can support 100 MHz more than the clock speed in the test system.
MainConcept shows the same significant performance gain.
office, graphics, rendering
PDF creation using Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional is also significantly faster.
The performance improvement when running Photoshop and 3ds Max is not as noticeable as in previous tests.
Archiving
WinRAR doesn't gain much from overclocking.
WinZip is not optimized for multithreading, so it benefits from every added megahertz.
Power consumption at rest and at maximum performance
The results are amazing! Regardless of which processor clock speed we choose, the system consumes almost the same amount of power when idle. 66 watts compared to 70 watts at maximum overclocking can hardly be considered a noticeable deviation. This is particularly interesting, since even a small increase in voltage on the three fastest configurations did not lead to a significant impact on idle power consumption.
Peak power consumption increases more significantly, which is not at all surprising. Here we see a more significant increase at the three fastest frequencies, that is, where we manually increase the processor voltage. The question is, how much does the performance increase compared to the increase in power consumption? This is what defines energy efficiency.
Efficiency
Single Core Usage
All the power that is used to run a single-threaded load depends on the power consumption and test time. The differences are not significant, but we found that a more overclocked processor performs better than a less overclocked one. It seems that the increase in performance is more significant than the increased power consumption.
Multithreaded Computing
Runtime in multi-threaded applications drops noticeably as clock speeds increase.
At the same time, power consumption increases with increasing clock frequency.
It is almost impossible to determine the frequency that gives advantages in power consumption when running a multi-threaded load. The differences are too small.
Combined efficiency: single/multi-thread
And in this case, the power consumption does not change much. Also, when running the Core i7-2600K at 3.5 GHz or 4.6 GHz, the efficiency changes slightly. Let's look at the overall performance situation.
Overall Power Efficiency During Overclocking
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The efficiency chart shows the power consumption at any given time under a load that consists of all the applications listed in the test configuration. It can be seen that in some cases the test ends earlier.
This graph shows the efficiency for each clock speed we used. The overall efficiency decreases somewhat as the clock speed increases, but starts to pick up after 4 GHz. Keep in mind that we are using a distorted scale to see the differences in detail. If you draw the graph at the correct scale, you get the following:
It's impressive. The efficiency value is the ratio of performance to power consumption in watt-hours. Obviously, the Sandy Bridge architecture in the Core i7-2600K processor is almost equally effective at different frequencies. This means that performance scales especially well when you increase the processor's clock speed. The results start to deteriorate only after we start increasing the voltage to get higher frequencies.
Data in a more familiar form.
Conclusion: overclocking becomes effective
In this article, we did not aim to achieve the highest frequency of the processor based on Sandy Bridge. To do this, we would need a more powerful cooling system, higher voltages and ... we would have to forget about our overall efficiency study. So far, existing BIOSes support a maximum frequency of 5700 MHz with a multiplier of 57x, and even a little more if you increase the BCLK. Now this is the limit, but Intel engineers told us that they plan to push this limit even higher.
In reality, any user can achieve air-cooled 4.5 to 5 GHz on all Core K-series processors based on the Sandy Bridge architecture and 32nm technology.
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Here are the three main takeaways we can draw from this article.
- Sandy Bridge processors overclock well.
Naturally, it was not worth writing this article to understand that Sandy Bridge overclocks well, at least while we are talking about Intel Core i5/i7 K-series processors. Overclocking to 4 GHz is easy, even without raising the voltage, and the processors in our tests were overclocked to 5 GHz on a standard Intel cooler.
- When overclocking, we no longer sacrifice efficiency for performance.
All previous generations of processors have had increased power consumption, which has always been more noticeable than the increase in performance (especially at higher and more difficult to achieve frequencies), and Sandy Bridge is the first processor architecture where clock speed and power consumption grow almost linearly.
In essence, this means that your attempts at overclocking do not greatly affect the power consumption of the computer. If you overclock the processor, it requires more power, but it also works faster, which saves time. This is achieved with a fairly low idle power consumption and high performance per clock cycle.
- Acceleration is now easy.
Today, the paradigm is changing: performance is determined not only by clock speed, but also by the power consumption of the processor. Once you understand that limiting power consumption is the right way to keep Core i5/i7 K-series processors within the thermal envelope, you will also understand that overclocking with the power management unit is very effective, as if you were adding another security system to your system. As long as your CPU cooler is able to dissipate the generated heat, you can increase the clock speed and end up with a very reliable platform that automatically reduces the frequency if the heat limit is reached.
The next step in the development of the Intel architecture will be the transition of Sandy Bridge to 22 nm. This architecture is currently codenamed Ivy Bridge. There should not be fundamental changes in it, but everyone is interested in whether Intel will continue to improve efficiency and power consumption. Ivy Bridge will be followed by Haswell's 22nm architecture. Will the clock speed change as it might make sense in terms of efficiency? What do you think?
