Introduction

Intel released the Haswell-E line a few months ago, and it has been quite the talk in terms of the move to the newer and better "X99" platform that ushers in a new series of motherboards and DDR4 RAM modules for the die-hard PC enthusiast and graphics aficionado. Having released the Haswell Refresh line just a couple months ago, Intel is making a lot of people wonder: Is it worth it? Should I upgrade from my existing rig? Can that move to the Haswell-E line provide me with major benefits over its predecessors of the Ivy Bridge-E 6-core group? Are you yourself looking to upgrade or build a new PC this brand new year? Well, then you should keep on reading to find out which processor is right for you.



We took a while to get our review out because we unlike most publications that just review one of these processors (5960X) or compare two of the Haswell-E line in an attempt to rush out a review at launch were looking to put four processor families through all sorts of tests: Haswell-E, Ivy Bridge-E, Haswell Refresh, and Haswell itself. Such are the questions we intend to answer today by conducting an incredibly thorough review of the Haswell-E Intel Core i7-5820K, Intel Core i7-5930K, and Intel Core i7-5960X in a gladiator-like showdown of massive proportions.