Friday, December 16th 2011
Intel Readies Core i5-2550K Quad-Core Unlocked Processor
Intel started its "Sandy Bridge" LGA1155 family with two processors geared for overclocking, the Core i7-2600K, at a $320 price-point, and Core i5-2500K at around $210. Both are extremely successful products, among the two the Core i5-2500K struck a price-performance sweet-spot, while the Core i7-2600K became the ideal chip to build high-end gaming PCs with. Around the time when AMD was releasing its AMD FX processor family, Intel released the new Core i7-2700K. This chip didn't necessarily replace the i7-2600K, but took a price point slightly higher than it. According to a CPU World report, Intel is readying a new sweet-spot processor geared for overclocking, the Core i5-2550K.
With a retail channel part number BX80623I52550K and OEM part number CM806230121300, the Core i5-2550K was added to the MDDS database. It will carry the S-spec code SR0QH. The exact clock speed of this chip is not known, but CPU World expects it to be 3.40 GHz. Based on the Sandy Bridge LGA1155 package, the Core i5-2550K will feature four cores, 256 KB L2 cache per core, 6 MB shared L3 cache, integrated dual-channel DDR3 IMC, , integrated PCI-Express 2.0 root complex, and TDP of 95W. We expect this not to necessarily displace the i5-2500K, but occupy a price-point slightly above it. Let's say, $239-$249, just to heat things up for the AMD FX-8150.
Source:
CPU World
With a retail channel part number BX80623I52550K and OEM part number CM806230121300, the Core i5-2550K was added to the MDDS database. It will carry the S-spec code SR0QH. The exact clock speed of this chip is not known, but CPU World expects it to be 3.40 GHz. Based on the Sandy Bridge LGA1155 package, the Core i5-2550K will feature four cores, 256 KB L2 cache per core, 6 MB shared L3 cache, integrated dual-channel DDR3 IMC, , integrated PCI-Express 2.0 root complex, and TDP of 95W. We expect this not to necessarily displace the i5-2500K, but occupy a price-point slightly above it. Let's say, $239-$249, just to heat things up for the AMD FX-8150.
39 Comments on Intel Readies Core i5-2550K Quad-Core Unlocked Processor
Intel "fine I'll compete with myself"
The 2550K will likely use more power than the 2500K, it could be 75w while the 2500K is using 70w, both would still be labelled as 95w.
I'm guessing since this isn't even a new stepping that there might be some slight better binning, but to a normal consumer that isn't using extreme cooling it won't make one bit of difference. And with 2500Ks easily doing 4.0GHz all day long, I don't think there is much point to this processor.
The only reason to release an identical product under a different name is to get the people who own the first product to buy the second.
I foresee the poor masses upgrading from the 2500k to the 2550k.
Usually, if I like the company I'll make an excuse for it saying that it needs to burn off chips and has to take such measures.. but in Intel's case, that's ridiculous. 2500ks are selling like flapjacks.
Oh, I foresee more such slight evil from Intel in the next decade.
They are releasing the 2550K so that they can basically sell the same product at a slightly higher price to make more money off the poor masses that are just now upgrading to SandyBridge and don't know that there really is no difference and don't know the 2500K can do everything the 2550K can do just by upping the multiplier yourself.
Why buy the "old" 2500K when there is a new kid on the block for probably not much more? and it gives extra incentive too, I mean its new and shiny ;)
2500K aimed at gamers -> 2550K aimed at gamers
We already know that the 2500K is on par with the 2600K/2700K in the majority of gaming scenarios...so the reviews will basically show:
1.The 2500K/2550K still reigns as a bang-per-buck CPU, and
2.Is still a better prospect (for the target audience) than Bulldozer
Free publicity and another opportunity for the tech forums to cue up the Benny Hill music for it's competitor, all for the vast sum of...a CPUID change and some automated binning time which may, or may not be required*
* I'm pretty certain that most (if not all) 2500-2700's could have been released with at least 3.8+ G base frequency and still not affect vCore/VID/TDP to any great extent.
Great times ahead for LGA 2011