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
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39 Comments on Intel Readies Core i5-2550K Quad-Core Unlocked Processor

#26
Riotpump
newtekie1That isn't how it works. Processors are labeled in thermal/power envelopes or ranges. So anything over 65w is labelled as a 95w processor. Just because the processor says 95w, that doesn't mean it is actually using 95w. It could be using 70w and it would still be labelled as a 95w processor.

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.
erockerIntel is smart. Instead of raising the prices on their current lineup due to a lack of real competition, they change the model number a bit and increase the price. I hope many people buy this over the 2500K. :)
newtekie1I don't think they are doing it to get people with 2500Ks to upgrade to 2550Ks. The "poor" masses don't upgrade CPUs, and the ones that do upgrade CPUs know that the 2500K with an unlocked multiplier will do the same as this 2550K.

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.
As a 2500k owner these posts sum up my sediments exactly. No point basically and a pure marketing move/money grab. Even if they are better binned chips...why spend more than what I have already spent for it's slightly younger brother. Well played Intel, well played.
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#27
SonDa5
These are probably on the same silicon wafer that other 2500ks come from. Intel probably knows where the best dies come from on an array on a wafer. I think they just pick the best locations for these and then up the speed a little. I'm sure there are many current 2500ks out there that are binned just as good as these.

I'm saving my money for i5-3750k.
Posted on Reply
#28
gman99
erockerIntel is smart. Instead of raising the prices on their current lineup due to a lack of real competition, they change the model number a bit and increase the price. I hope many people buy this over the 2500K. :)
Your comment makes no sense!
Posted on Reply
#29
MikeMurphy
micropage7why they dont go to socket 2011 as their future
Because its more expensive to produce and 99% of people out there don't need quad channel memory.
Posted on Reply
#30
MikeMurphy
So, people are hoping for better binned chips?

SB chips are already clocked woefully below their potential. Intel is in no need of binning anything.

At the 2550k pricepoint the 2600k makes much more sense
Posted on Reply
#31
WhoDecidedThat
Wanna heat things up? Make a 2600K w/o the iGPU for 299.99$ :D
Posted on Reply
#32
blibba
gman99Your comment makes no sense!
How so?
Posted on Reply
#33
Bundy
This as a price rise, disguised as binning. Future 2500K might not OC as well if the good ones are being rebadged.
Posted on Reply
#34
radrok
gman99Your comment makes no sense!
You should explain yourself if you are going to make such statement
Posted on Reply
#35
BarbaricSoul
blanarahulWanna heat things up? Make a 2600K w/o the iGPU for 299.99$ :D
I just got my 2600k for that price from tigerdirect last month
Posted on Reply
#36
antuk15
To make this a worth while chip over the 2500k it either :

1. Needs to be speed binned and overclock and or use less volts
2. Run hyper threading

If it's literally a speed bumped 2500k then it has no purpose.
Posted on Reply
#37
OOZMAN
antuk15To make this a worth while chip over the 2500k it either :

1. Needs to be speed binned and overclock and or use less volts
2. Run hyper threading

If it's literally a speed bumped 2500k then it has no purpose.
The whole point of i5s is that they don't run Hyper-threading and have less cache than i7s. And the other two things you mentioned have already been mentioned OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND times this thread. :D

Are you guys forgetting (understandably, this is TPU after all) about the i5 2500? Wouldn't they just be the binned ones?
Posted on Reply
#38
mediasorcerer
JATownesEveryone I know with a 2500K can clock it easily to 3.8 or 4.0Ghz on stock volts, if not clock it even higher. I don't understand why Intel doesn't release one clocked that high at stock. They run very cool and appear to be stable at that clock, and a stock 3.8Ghz SB 25XX would surely sell like mad. :confused:
I run my i5k stable/24/7 @4.7 without any issues, had it at that since i bought it few mnths back. havent even got that fancy cooler either,just basic single rad liquid etc. @ idle it sits on 20-30c depending on ambient. this version may have even more headroom id predict.
Posted on Reply
#39
OOZMAN
blanarahulWanna heat things up? Make a 2600K w/o the iGPU for 299.99$ :D
this minus $50.

What on earth is the point of iGPUs with a processor that fast? Waste of space and money. :mad: :laugh:
Posted on Reply
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