Samsung Chromebox Gets i5 CPU Upgrade
Samsung has given its Chromebox computer a significant upgrade. Instead of being powered by a Celeron B840 processor, the updated version now runs with a Core i5-2450M chip.
Both CPUs are based on the Sandy Bridge architecture, but the Core i5 is a substantially faster chip, runs with four (two physical, two virtual) cores instead of just two, scales to 2.5 GHz/3.1 GHz versus 1.9 GHz, has 3 MB cache instead of 2 MB while running at the same TDP of 35 watts.
What makes this processor an interesting choice is the fact that it has a rather high tray price of $225 compared to the $86 tray price of the Celeron B840, especially in the view of the $499 MSRP the Chromebox is selling for. It seems that Intel may be pushing its remaining Sandy Bridge stock out rather quickly and may be granting heavy discounts, which may explain the hefty CPU upgrade. The Core i5-2450M in the Chromebox is, by the way, very similar to the CPU Apple offers in its base $599 Mac mini setup, with the exception that Apple claims that its i5 chip has 4 MB cache, which is not officially offered by Intel for the i5 series.
Besides the i5-2450M CPU, the new Chromebox XE300M22-A01US comes with 4 GB RAM, a 16 GB flash of storage, six USB 2.0 ports, WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, as well as DisplayPort and DVI interfaces. It appears that the price of the new Chromebox has already dropped from its $500 price tag and is currently offered from $397.
well looking at web gl and the future of the cloud for processing applications and some of the run actual code on the browser stuff... i could see an i5 as a unnecessary tool in the coming years.
Can anyone verify / explain this?
Well I use my MAC mini for home security with Ext HDD and another for Home Entertainment system. These types of systems have their purposes
I'd give it at least 3-5 years. Many games still don't support more than four cores, which is why the i5 Ks are often considered better value for gaming than the i7 Ks.
...16Gb? 16...
It says 16GB, not 16Gb. That's almost an order of magnitude difference.
Sorry, but nitpicking here.
Most desktop i7s are quad core parts just like most desktop i5s. Furthermore, games don't see cores. Games see threads, if even that. It would be accurate to say that most games do not utilize more than four threads very effectively if at all and that wouldn't imply anything wrong either.
EDIT: Also worth mentioning is that the number of gamign situations where higher thread CPUs such as six to eight threads are getting better and better utilized as time goes on, so for the sake of decreasing the chances of an upgrade being important any time soon, higher thread count CPUs can be helpful.
Key point here is undoubtedly pricing. These older models are probably being sold with heavy discounts due to not being the newest models, hence their being used isntead of Celerons. If instead of these Sandy models, you wanted Ivy models, you'd probably get i3s at best and Pentiums at worst.
Yes, he's written incorrect stuff.
http://ark.intel.com/products/53452/Intel-Core-i5-2450M-Processor-3M-Cache-up-to-3_10-GHz
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB L3 cache
https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/specs.html