Best Computer Year 2011
Every year, faster CPU change. That's how PC technology is developing. But once in a while, the new processor comes a slap upside the head and force market changes in expectations in terms of value and performance. Sandy Bridge Intel's new chip to do that. They modifier game for good and bad. For starters they were crazy fast. New quad-core Core i7 2600K so fast, it makes the six-core Intel Core i7s seem to be too expensive and ridiculous.
Sandy Bridge is also bringing some new technology to the table including an authentic fusion of architecture - the CPU and graphics processing on the same slice of silicon - and heterogeneous computing. If that sounds like digital double speak it basically means the new Sandy Bridge chips have special circuitry designed to perform specific jobs, such as video encoding, faster than before.
Of course, Intel's Sandy Bridge CPU processor does not make any other direct sales excessive. But they demanded re-assessment of what constitutes good value for money and upgrades that make sense.
If, for example, you're currently running an Intel Core 2 processors are older, whether it makes sense to build new systems based on Intel socket 156 LGA1 remember that Sandy Bridge chips require the latest LGA1, socket 155?
Similarly, while many AMD CPUs certainly offers exceptional value for money, the performance gap to Intel has now grown to truly epic proportions. Chip to the top of the list price of AMD would look precarious position.
Then there are questions about overclocking. Very disappointing that Intel has decided to severely limit overclocking with some of Sandy Bridge chips. Even so, open the K series are absolute Screamers.
You can also deny the latest Intel chip is so powerful, overclocking is not necessary.
Another big question Sandy Bridge pose is whether you need a discrete graphics card. To be sure, if you are remotely serious about gaming, an authentic graphics card is very important. But for others the latest integrated Intel video core is good enough for light gaming and has a remarkable set of features 2D. The time to express our thoughts ...
If you're boning up for each type of CPU upgrade or repair, you need to know about Intel's Sandy Bridge chips. That's not because they were the only option that makes sense. It's a question of context. You can not judge others or appreciate the benefits of CPU PC technology development direction unless you understand what makes Sandy Bridge chips tick.
First you must identify the new Sandy Bridge processor in Intel's list price stupidly overcomplicated. In the infinite wisdom, Intel has been done for, i3 i5 Core and Core i7 branding. Similarly, Intel has maintained its essential significance of the labels.
Yes, performance and features tend to increase with increasing numbers. But just as there i3, i5 and i7 chip, there is no consistency. A I5 Sandy Bridge may have two cores. But it may also have four. Dumb.
However, how you identify new processor Sandy Bridge is the quadruple-digit suffix '2000 '. Thus, the i5 Core 2500 is a quad-core chip that supports four threads and an official of the 3.3GHz clockspeed, while the Core i7 2600 is a quad-core chip with eight threads and at 3.4GHz. Got it?
At launch, there are 13 Sandy Bridge processors ranging from dual-core, quad-thread chip up to quad-core, eight-thread model. As if that was not confusing enough, some of them 13 CPU launch further differentiated by letter suffixes.
T and S series processors low power variants. For example, Core i5 2500T assessed at just 45W compared with a standard 95W I5 of 2500.
Finally, there is a chip series K. Currently, there are only two, which i5 i7 2500K and 2600K. They are synonymous with illiteracy their brothers but one important feature, an open mulitplier CPU.
As we will see, thanks to a new attitude Intel overclocking is a very important difference.
Subtle details
In terms of basic architecture, the Sandy Bridge CPU does not look that special at first sight. Intel sticking with the model of dual and quad-core processors at launch with a six-and eight-core version to follow.
Intel did not reveal the launch date is more powerful chips, but we expect the six-core model in the second half of 2011 and eight-core monster in 2012.
All the Sandy Bridge processor sire with the most advanced production process 32nm Intel, which is about half way through the two-year shelf life. Internally, Intel has been dismantled execution core Sandy Bridge, netting about 10 percent more performance per core and per clock cycle.
If it does not sound dramatic, Intel has seriously boosted clock. It was not immediately clear from the main specification. Chip 2600K above, for example, is officially a 3.4GHz. That's only slightly faster than the king of the performance of Intel, 3.33GHz Core i7 980X.
But there is one thing. The 2600K slot in at the high end of Intel's mid range. It costs about the same as the Core i7 is 875K, 3.06GHz processor. That's not all. By Sandy Bridge, Intel has introduced a revised 2.0 Turbo Boost from technology companies.
You can read our detailed thoughts on the Turbo Boost 2.0, good and bad, in review 2600K. But for now, just know this. In our experience, 2600K running at 3.8GHZ regardless of how many cores are active. That's one fast puppy.
Raw CPU alone is enough to recommend a new family of Sandy Bridge. But these chips have some serious special sauce that has nothing to do with processing traditional PC.
In contrast, Sandy Bridge breaks new ground in graphics. First, it was the first bona fide fusion processor. That means it has a good core CPU and graphics processing on a single piece of silicon. This is all part of a broader trend towards system-on-a-chip (SoC) on all digital devices.
Smartphone is fast approaching the status of full SoC and the PC will not be too far behind. Admittedly, it will be several more years before the graphics core integrated into the CPU is good enough for the game right. But with Sandy Bridge, Intel has really raised the game integrated graphics.
HD 3000 graphics core in the new i5 i6 2500K and 2600K at least twice as fast as any previous integrated GPU. That's good news. The bad news is that the Graphics HD 3000 and 12 units of limited execution on both models.
All other desktop Sandy Bridge processors is done by making Graphics HD 2000 and the six units of execution. What makes a really strange is that six other execution units are present in other models of Sandy Bridge. Intel, wisely, has just turned them off for marketing reasons.
Given that the ans 2500K 2600K is enthusiastic about the open-class chip multiplier and therefore likely to be paired with graphics card, it's a crazy decision. If there is Sandy Bridge processors really need an integrated graphics performance is higher, the lower end model which will end up in the box set-top-box and super-quiet media centers that can benefit from the increase gaming performance.
COD
Regardless, there is one further aspect to near-SoC architecture Sandy Bridge and other terms involving the buzz, heterogeneous computing. The idea here is that computer chips will increasingly incorporate both general purpose processors and purpose-built unit capable of crunching a particular workload thanks to super-fast for hardware acceleration.
In other words, the future of the PC processor cores not more and more. In fact, it might turn into the case that the traditional four-core processor is enough for any consumer-level computing tasks of the future. But, courtesy of the increased number of transistors, their cores will join the number one special purpose unit that is designed to rip through tasks like video encoding, encryption and, further, maybe even face recognition. Specific difficult to predict, but with Sandy Bridge, that process has begun.
Relevant feature is the Quick Sync Video transcoder engine. Built into the integrated graphics core, Fast Sync Video combine dedicated circuitry with the ability of parallel processing execution units 3D video transcoding to deliver a big performance.
Compared with even a large software encoding capabilities of the Core i7 2600K, Quick Sync Video least three to four times faster in video encoding benchmark comparable. Then factor in 2-4x performance advantage of the best Sandy Bridge chips compared to the likes of the old Core 2 Duo CPU and you have double-digit performance improvement factor for encoding video only.
Impressive as it is, Intel has made use Quick Sync Video problematic as a whole thanks to the limitations involving the chipset and discrete graphics. You can read more about the issues on the i5 Core and Core i7 review 2500K and 2600K. But the point is that most people tend to want to use Quick Sync Video is also the most likely to experience problems due to how Intel and motherboard manufacturers have implemented new features. It's pretty stupid.
The final part of the puzzle, Sandy Bridge is overclocking. You could say Intel has damaged us in the last few years. However, we have become accustom overclocks 1GHz-plus on most Intel chips. Just hop into the BIOS, providing a bump and say hello to computing baseclock 4GHz.
By Sandy Bridge, however, the party has ended. K Series next chip, overclocking up to 400MHz clockspeed limited additional uses partially opened CPU multiplier.
Admittedly, the K series chips will be opened up to 5.7GHz theoretical. But they are a little more expensive chip - cost between £ 20 and £ 40 more than standard models. The beauty of the old regime is that you can take a cheap version of the clock low and crank it up to an hour outside-Extreme-Edition. The days of simple, now ended.
Upgrade to the street
If everything you need to know about Sandy Bridge, how to plug into the puzzle CPU-upgrade?
A lot depends on your CPU socket and running. Starting with the Intel platform, the first thing you can do is ignore the socket LGA1, 366 entirely. According to our esteemed opinion, this is a dead platform.
For starters, only 366 LGA1, the chip is faster than the best offensive Sandy Bridge CPU is too expensive Gulftown Core i7 900 model series six-core. Making matters worse, LGA1, 366 is not long for this world.
When Intel issued a stronger Sandy Bridge chips coming later this year by adding cores, they will come with a new socket again, which is known as LGA2, 011. Basically, there is no upgrade path from the processor Gulftown.
Intel to other platforms that are easy to deal with is any kind of quad-core processor in the LGA 775 socket. If your current rig fits that description, no matter with a simple CPU upgrade. Either live with what you have for a while longer or go all the way to Sandy Bridge-based solutions.
On the other hand, if you're running a dual-core chip clocked lower in LGA 775, you have more options. You can pick up a cheap quad-core CPU Yorkfield, like the Core 2 Quad Q8300 and clock twangers from it. We would definitely recommend the option that if the games that really get you going.
Or, if video encoding is your bag, you might want to go for AMD-based systems on one processor Phenom II X6 thuban six-core. It may have less than £ 150. Factor in generally low-cost AMD overclocking motherboard plus a bit and you have a pretty funky rig encoding for low spending shock.
The owner LGA1, 156 system, that we feel most sorry for you. Intel has been a serious shift the boundaries in terms of price and performance with Sandy Bridge and we consider it surprising that LGA1, 156 owners have been abandoned.
To make it absolutely clear, we believe Intel's Sandy Bridge can be architected to largely or entirely compatible with existing LGA1, 156 motherboard with little if any compromise architecture. Whatever the truth, the fact is there is no place to go for LGA1, 156 users.
1156 mobo
With AMD currently does not offer anything to beat LGA1, 156 system, this is an upgrade all or none LGA1, 155. Sickening thing to remember that LGA1, 156 has been around for nearly 18 months.
But what AMD system? Traditionally, AMD is more concerned with good long-term interests of customers and backward compatibility. Socket AM2 dates back to 2006 and not all the current AMD chips are theoretically compatible with AM2 and DDR2 memory board ye olde.
In practice, your mileage will vary with BIOS support. But there are many old AM2 boards, for example, which supports the latest six-core Phenom chip II X6. Therefore, if you have an AM2 or AM2 + board and processor dating back to those days, it is very possible, route the most cost effective upgrades will be a new chip from AMD. Hell, even if your budget is super tight, you have a choice.
II 645 Athlon X4 quad-core processors are great for multi-threaded software if it is not so star for gaming. It's yours for under £ 90. A bargain with other words.
For owners of AM3, the things a little more complicated. If you already have a quad-core processor and the glory of the game is your thing, the six-core Phenom II X6 will not do much for you. In this case, you have two choices. Whether you go traitor and switched to Intel's Sandy Bridge or you ride out an hour until the second half of 2011 and awaiting the arrival of bulldozers.
We will not know for sure until the release, but now it looks like a myth Bulldozer architecture will not be compatible with AMD's socket AM3. Assuming your system's performance is currently not getting you down, we would be very tempted to at least wait and see whether the Bulldozer CPU architecture provides the promise of a new radical before the upgrade.
All of which means that some universal conclusions can be drawn. First, both Intel LGA1, 156 and LGA1, 366 platforms to be avoided in terms of buying both the CPU and motherboard. Only LGA1, 155 makes sense from Intel.
At the same time, AMD is still surprisingly relevant mainly thanks to long terms backwards compatibility. Intel will be advised of this lesson to learn. It is only possible if the upcoming AMD Bulldozer chips really took the fight to Intel. Only then will Intel be forced to treat customers right.
Category Article CPU terbaik 2011, Intel Sandy Bridge
