Preliminary Tests on Intel Core i5 Conducted

[newtekie1]

Remember Intel 975? lacks support for Penryn chips...

It is really a surprise to you that an desktop chipset doesn't support mobile processors?

Anyway, I assume you mean that the 975X doesn't support Intel's 45nm desktop processors(Wolfdale/Yorkfield).

In that case, you would be wrong. My old P5W DH Deluxe supported both the dual-core and quad-core 45nm processors. The chipset supports them fine, but that isn't the case with all motherboards based off that chipset. Which is why I said you need to buy a quality motherboard. If you bought a quality motherboard with a 975x chipset, it should support even the latest offerings.

Hell, even my P5B, which was the lowest of the Mid-Range boards when I bought it still supports Wolfdales and Yorkfields.

 

[lemonadesoda]

If you bought a quality motherboard with a 975x chipset, it should support even the latest offerings.

...except i5 and i7 of course!

(do not attempt to force a s1366 into a s775 socket! )

 

[insider]

Clock for clock it might be 50% improvement but the cost is well over 50% of your Q6600 excluding the huge price difference on the motherboard and DDR3 ram, >100% price difference on CPU alone?

 

[insider]

It is really a surprise to you that an desktop chipset doesn't support mobile processors?

Anyway, I assume you mean that the 975X doesn't support Intel's 45nm desktop processors(Wolfdale/Yorkfield).

In that case, you would be wrong. My old P5W DH Deluxe supported both the dual-core and quad-core 45nm processors. The chipset supports them fine, but that isn't the case with all motherboards based off that chipset. Which is why I said you need to buy a quality motherboard. If you bought a quality motherboard with a 975x chipset, it should support even the latest offerings.

Hell, even my P5B, which was the lowest of the Mid-Range boards when I bought it still supports Wolfdales and Yorkfields.

Yes but those boards (minority of them) is beyond reference design, something to do with the VRM being insufficient so all the Intel reference boards were rendered uselsss, just like the nv680i/650i boards.

 

[Sasqui]

Same base clock @133 as the i7

I can only surmise the PCI-E being brought to the chip is the big difference?

one day we are going to be buying CPU's and plugging a monitor straight into it and it will be all you will need

True, true.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Clock for clock it might be 50% improvement but the cost is well over 50% of your Q6600 excluding the huge price difference on the motherboard and DDR3 ram, >100% price difference on CPU alone?

Wait, dont confuse i5 and i7 pricing. The i5 is sub $200, and there will be multiple SKUs probably ranging $100-$200.

But LOOK this is what is interesting. This is a MAINSTREAM not performance or enthusiast market, and:

It's 4 core and HT. THAT is a big change over 3 years ago (one core) last year (two cores) and next year (4 cores). It will make a big change in what a typical "mainstream" computer can do, and will mean developers will really start changing how they program apps.

Will it run GTA4? Yes.

 

[insider]

The i7 is already selling for £240 at launch, I can see it drop to £150-£200 within the next 12 months, I just don't see how the i5 could add value when by that time you could probably pick up a Q95xx for peanuts and clock that around 4GHz+, better price/performance?

Then of course we've yet to see how well or poorly it overclocks which can change everything!

 

[newtekie1]

Yes but those boards (minority of them) is beyond reference design, something to do with the VRM being insufficient so all the Intel reference boards were rendered uselsss, just like the nv680i/650i boards.

No one said Intel's reference boards were quality boards. I would never buy an Intel reference board.

...except i5 and i7 of course!

(do not attempt to force a s1366 into a s775 socket! )

Obviously...

 

[Basard]

I think Core 5 and Core 7 are way catchier names than "core i7 and core i5" but hey, thats just a completely insane person's point of view.

 

[insider]

No one said Intel's reference boards were quality boards. I would never buy an Intel reference board.

Obviously...

Sorry I meant reference as in the VRM (power phase design), the vast majority of the boards conform to this, only a few exceeded the Intel spec.

 

[newtekie1]

Sorry I meant reference as in the VRM (power phase design), the vast majority of the boards confirm to this, only a few exceeded the Intel spec.

Every single ASUS board based on the 975x chipset supports Wolfdale and Yorkfield processors.

This is where the quality part comes in.

Your original statement was about the chipset, ignoring the other requirement I set forth, which is false, the chipset support the processors just fine.

Then you moved onto the boards, again ignoring the other requirement of my statement that the motherboard also be a quality motherboard.

Stop arguing with parts of my statement. If you can't argue with the whole statement, don't bother.

 

[origosis]

OK I think i am missing something... The QX9770 only got a 13182 on the Vantage CPU benchmark... so are the i5's and i7's just getting HIGH result in the synthetics.... or is this thing really that much more powerful?

 

[insider]

Yes if you mean beyond reference as quality, who is arguing, over what?

I'm just saying that the original Intel 975x platform reference design and it's VRM spec (which the majority of motherboard makers follow) does not fully support 45nm the chips, thus there is no guarantee that in the future current 1st generation i7/i5 boards won't lack some sort of additional hardware amendment/revision to support later 40/35nm chips, should there be one.

The older 945 chip could support 45nm chips given the proper VRM and bios support like the ASRock boards.

 

[PCpraiser100]

This is dissappointing, the i5 tops out on 3DMark V just over 13k, that is too close to the QX9770 as well as i7 if OC'd a bit. On the other hand, Phenom 2 is going to attempt to outperform the Q9550 with the 940 model, which is currently at a score near 12k so once its out I will be browsing at Overclockers Club begging that Phenom will hit near 13k now that the i5 is previewed. Quite funny that these guys got first dibs on the i5, I would laugh so hard if they stole it from Intel test grounds lol.

 

[Octavean]

LGA1366 and LGA1160 may have a hard time of it. Intel must truncate the LGA1160 platform with respect to performance if LGA1366 is to have a justified existence. If LGA1160 is hobbled too much and LGA1366 is deemed to expensive (it really isn't IMO) then Phenom II will likely take a great deal of market share from both LGA1366 and LGA1160. Its a slippery slope.

 

[TheGuruStud]

OK I think i am missing something... The QX9770 only got a 13182 on the Vantage CPU benchmark... so are the i5's and i7's just getting HIGH result in the synthetics.... or is this thing really that much more powerful?

Same thing as i7, so yes, the synthetics make wildly inaccurate high scores DESPITE what synthetic lovers say.

 

[BazookaJoe]

Not impressed

:\

My Q6600 Slaps this thing silly in Fritz, Wprime & SuperPi (and I stopped testing after that as I was clearly wasting my time)...

What have the Intel Elves been DOING over the past 2 years?!?!

Then again I suppose as long as AMD cant do a thing to oppose them - why SHOULD they raise the bar?

Imagine all of the money they would lose out on selling us this intermediate garbage...

 

[TheGuruStud]

:\

My Q6600 Slaps this thing silly in Fritz, Wprime & SuperPi (and I stopped testing after that as I was clearly wasting my time)...

What have the Intel Elves been DOING over the past 2 years?!?!

Then again I suppose as long as AMD cant do a thing to oppose them - why SHOULD they raise the bar?

Imagine all of the money they would lose out on selling us this intermediate garbage...

Easy on AMD We all know intel can't do anything until AMD shows them what to design

 

[Hayder_Master]

that's mean lga 775 is died , ohhh that's quick

 

[Haytch]

Im confussed. Doesnt the Core i5 handle the PCI-E aswell as memory, whereas the Core i7 ONLY does the memory ?

 

[LumberjackADAM]

Am I the only one?

It's almost like nobody else here actually reads Intel's roadmaps. Here is why the separation between i5 and i7:

The i5 is the replacement for the Core2 series (LGA775). It has no multi-processor support, and lower memory bandwidth, as well as lower inter-chip communications (lower QPI speeds).

The i7 is the new Xeon line of chips (LGA771). They have already been rolled out in the server and HPC markets. They have MP support (up to 4S), very high memory bandwidth, and very high inter-chip communication speeds (high QPI). They will also be marketed to the extreme performance crowd, as Intel knows they will be able to maintain higher margins in those market sectors.

As an aside, we already have an example of Intel doing exactly this with the current generation of CPUs- the SkullTrail platform: marketed as an extreme performance platform for gaming, over-clocking, and any other enthusiast activities. This board only accepts LGA771 Xeon processors like the QX9775, which retails for $1500, fully $500 more than the same processor that does not have MP support, the QX9770.

I keep seeing the same thing on all these posts, and I guess I am the only one who gets it, as no one else says it. We won't see large drops in the prices for i7 because the server/HPC markets will allow Intel to keep them inflated. The i5 will be the people's chip, and that is where we will see prices falling over time. The only way for the price of i7 to come down is for AMD's new server chips to really outdo the i7, but I don't see that happening.

thanks
ap

 

[mrhuggles]

i am thinking the core i5 will be really good, so long as it gets good enthusiast motherboards built for it mmm i my e2140 + asus p5k, but my cpu sucks soooo bad without a good board :?
im thinking thats how it will be like.

 

[FryingWeesel]

I really don't like Intel's idea of releasing two seperate sockets with the new generation.

to bad, intel is doing this for exectly one reasion, to allow them to limmit/stop overclocking on their entry level stuff and force people who want to overclock and tweak to buy their enthusist platform for FAR more.

all the overclocking on low end core2 chips they see as lost money, had they done something to prevent clocking they could have forced people to buy the higher end chips insted of e5400's or the like.

but hey, its instell so its the best, long live intel!!!

 

[niko084]

Remember Intel 975? lacks support for Penryn chips...

That's kinda a flawed statement, I put 45nm chips in 945/965 and 975 boards a lot!

I don't really like the multiple socket thing myself...
Hopefully next round AMD will have something to better directly compete and force Intel back into a corner.