86 CPUs Benchmarked: 51 From AMD And 35 From Intel
We've been hard at work updating our CPU Charts with a brand new benchmark suite. And, before 2012 comes to a close, we wanted to share the results of no fewer than 86 processors with you. The models we tested range from dual-core budget-oriented chips to eight-core flagships. Fifty-one models come from AMD, and 35 are Intel's.
In this overview, the CPUs are organized by micro-architecture, each covered on its own page. It’s a free-for-all once we hit the benchmarks. At that point, performance is all that matters. Let’s have a look at the contenders:
AMD
| AMD CPUs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | FX Processors | A-Series APUs | Phenom II | Athlon II |
| Architecture and Model Number | Bulldozer FX-4100 FX-4170 FX-6100 FX-6200 FX-8100 FX-8120 FX-8140 FX-8150 FX-8170 | Llano A6-3650 A6-3670K A8-3850 A8-3870K Trinity A10-5800K | Stars Phenom II X2 550 Phenom II X2 555 Phenom II X2 560 Phenom II X2 565 Phenom II X3 705e Phenom II X3 710 Phenom II X3 720 Phenom II X3 740 Phenom II X4 830 Phenom II X4 840 Phenom II X4 905e Phenom II X4 910e Phenom II X4 955 Phenom II X4 965 Phenom II X4 970 Phenom II X4 975 Phenom II X4 980 Phenom II X6 1035T Phenom II X6 1045T Phenom II X6 1055T Phenom II X6 1065T Phenom II X6 1075T Phenom II X6 1090T Phenom II X6 1100T | Stars Athlon II X2 240e Athlon II X2 250 Athlon II X2 255 Athlon II X2 260 Athlon II X3 425 Athlon II X3 435 Athlon II X3 440 Athlon II X3 445 Athlon II X4 620 Athlon II X4 630 Athlon II X4 635 Athlon II X4 640 Athlon II X4 645 |
Intel
| Intel CPUs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Family | Core (First Generation) | Core (Second Generation) | Core (Third Generation) |
| Architecture and Model Number | Nehalem Core i3-530 Core i5-661 Core i5-670 Core i5-750 Core i5-750S Core i5-760 Core i7-860 Core i7-870 Core i7-875K Core i7-880 Core i7-920 Core i7-930 Core i7-960 Core i7-970 Core i7-975 Extreme Edition Core i7-980 Core i7-980X Core i7-990X | Sandy Bridge Core i5-2300 Core i5-2310 Core i5-2400 Core i5-2400S Core i5-2500K Core i5-2500T Core i7-2600K Core i7-2700K Core i7-3930X Core i7-3960X Pentium G620 Pentium G630 Pentium G630T | Ivy Bridge Core i5-3450 Core i5-3470 Core i5-3550 Core i5-3570K Core i7-3770K |
When we set out to create this resource, AMD's FX family of desktop CPUs was still based on Zambezi, which employs the company's Bulldozer architecture. Of course, as we all know now, the Piledriver-based Vishera parts are available, and have been since late October. Worry not; we are in the process of running several more processors based on Piledriver through the same suite of benchmarks, and will be updating the charts soon. If you want to take a look at how the FX-8350, specifically, sizes up to seven other CPUs (including a number of the chips tested in this story), have a look at AMD FX-8350 Review: Does Piledriver Fix Bulldozer's Flaws?
Regardless of whether you're looking at a Bulldozer- or Piledriver-based chip, though, All FX CPUs are manufactured at 32 nm. They all drop into the Socket AM3+ interface. And they all include between 4 and 8 MB of shared L3 cache.
Naming of the older FX processors is pretty straightforward: FX-41xx comes with two active modules, totaling four integer cores; FX-61xx-series chips employ three modules, comprised of six integer cores; and the FX-81xx family features four modules, for eight integer cores. Piledriver updates these to FX-43xx, FX-63xx, and FX-83xx.
Notice the distinction between modules and cores. Bulldozer is different from more traditional designs in that it only duplicates resources where necessary. So, one module has two integer clusters, but shares a floating-point unit, decoder, and L2 cache. The idea is to balance complexity and performance, achieving better parallelism at any given power level or transistor count.
More information:
- AMD's Bulldozer Architecture: Overclocking Efficiency Explored
- AMD FX: Energy Efficiency Compared To Eight Other CPUs
- AMD Bulldozer Review: FX-8150 Gets Tested
Benchmarked AMD Bulldozer CPUs:
| FX | Code Name | Rev. | CPU Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FX-4100 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 4 | 3.6 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-4170 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 4 | 4.2 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| FX-6100 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 6 | 3.3 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-6200 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 6 | 3.8 GHz | 3 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| FX-8100 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 8 | 2.8 GHz | 3 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-8120 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-8140 | Bulldozer | B3 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-8150 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.6 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| FX-8170 | Bulldozer | B3 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.9 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
AMD's Fusion initiative sought to combine host processing and graphics resources in the same chip, ideally circumventing the need for separate CPUs and graphics cards in mainstream PCs. In many ways, this is similar to what Intel does with its Sandy and Ivy Bridge architectures, though Intel more heavily emphasizes x86 performance, while AMD's strength is its GPUs.
A disagreement with another vendor led AMD to move away from its Fusion brand and adopt Heterogeneous Systems Architecture, or HSA. The SoCs belonging to both efforts are referred to as APUs (accelerated processing units).
The first desktop APUs emerged under the code name Llano in 2011, and were manufactured using a 32 nm process. They combined AMD's Stars architecture without L3 cache and its Evergreen graphics design. Second-generation Trinity-based APUs employ the company's most modern Piledriver CPU architecture and its VLIW4 graphics configuration (the same shader arrangement found on Radeon HD 6900-series cards).
More information:
- Gaming At 1920x1080: AMD's Trinity Takes On Intel HD Graphics
- AMD Desktop Trinity Update: Now With Core i3 And A8-3870K
- AMD Trinity On The Desktop: A10, A8, And A6 Get Benchmarked!
- Better With Time? The A8-3870 And Pentium G630, One Year Later
- Professional Help: Getting The Best Overclock From AMD's A8-3870K
- AMD A8-3850 Review: Llano Rocks Entry-Level Desktops
Benchmarked AMD Fusion-Based APUs:
| A-Series | Code Name | Rev. | CPU Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | iGPU | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A6-3650 | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 2.6 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6530D 444 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A6-3670K | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 2.7 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6530D 444 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A8-3850 | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6550D 600MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A8-3870K | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 3.0 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6550D 600MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A10-5800K | Trinity | A1 | FM2 | 4 | 3.8 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | HD 7660D 800 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
AMD offers a great many multi-core CPUs built using its K10 architecture. The most modern models are sold under the Athlon II and Phenom II brands. The company code-named each unique configuration of cores and cache using stars, so the architecture is also commonly referred to as Stars as well.
Athlon II CPUs entered the market in 2009, manufactured using 45 nm process technology. They include two to four cores and drop into the Socket AM3 interface. Dual-core versions are branded as Athlon II X2, triple-core models are Athlon II X3, and the quad-core versions are sold as Athlon II X4. The Athlon IIs don't have any L3 cache.
In contrast, Phenom IIs do generally come with up to 6 MB of L3 cache, though AMD decided to get tricky and sell a few Phenom IIs with less or no L3 memory. The 45 nm Phenom II line-up is similarly named to indicate core count: from the dual-core Phenom II X2 to the hexa-core Phenom II X6, which was introduced in 2010.
The most modern Phenom IIs (the Thuban-based Phenom II X6 and Zosma-based Phenom II X4) also sport Turbo Core technology, which automatically overclocks up to half of the processor's cores when thermal conditions allow.
More information:
- AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Review: The New Six-Core Flagship
- AMD Athlon II X2 / Phenom II X2 And Low-Power CPU Bonanza
- Athlon II Or Phenom II: Does Your CPU Need L3 Cache?
- AMD Athlon II X4 620: Quad Core For The Masses At $100
Benchmarked AMD Athlon II CPUs:
| Athlon II | Code Name | Rev. | CPU Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlon II X2 240e | Regor | C2 | AM3 | 2 | 2.8 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 45 W |
| Athlon II X2 250 | Regor | C2 | AM3 | 2 | 3.0 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Athlon II X2 255 | Regor | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.1 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Athlon II X2 260 | Regor | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.2 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Athlon II X3 425 | Rana | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.7 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X3 435 | Rana | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.9 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X3 440 | Rana | C3 | AM3 | 3 | 3.0 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X3 445 | Rana | C3 | AM3 | 3 | 3.1 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 620 | Propus | C2 | AM3 | 4 | 2.6 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 630 | Propus | C2 | AM3 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 635 | Propus | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 640 | Propus | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.0 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 645 | Propus | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Benchmarked AMD Phenom II CPUs:
| Phenom II | Code Name | Rev. | CPU Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phenom II X2 550 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.1 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X2 555 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.2 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X2 560 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.3 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X2 565 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.4 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X3 705e | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.5 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Phenom II X3 710 | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.6 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X3 720 | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.8 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X3 740 | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 3.0 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X4 830 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X4 840 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | - | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X4 905e | Deneb | C2 | AM3 | 4 | 2.5 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Phenom II X4 910e | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 2.6 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Phenom II X4 955 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 965 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.4 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 970 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.5 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 975 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.6 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 980 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.7 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X6 1035T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.6 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1045T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.7 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1055T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.8 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1065T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.9 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1075T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 3.0 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X6 1090T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 3.2 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X6 1100T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 3.3 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
Intel’s Nehalem architecture is partially based on an advanced Core design. These flexible 45 nm desktop CPUs are available as Core i3, i5, and i7 versions, and include two, four, or six cores.
The first Nehalem-based CPUs hit the market in 2008 under the code name Bloomfield. The quad-core family of CPUs sold as Core i7 and dropped into Intel's LGA 1366 interface. The company followed up with a mainstream incarnation code-named Lynnfield toward the end of 2009. Lynnfield-based chips also sported four cores, but surfaced under the Core i5 Core i7 brands, and leveraged an LGA 1156 interface.
Nehalem at 45 nm was succeeded by Westmere (32 nm) at the beginning of 2010. The architectural update materialized as the dual-core Clarkdale design for mainstream desktops and the hexa-core Gulftown configuration for enthusiasts.
Westmere was replaced by Sandy Bridge in 2011.
More information:
- The Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor Review
- Intel Core i7-980X Extreme: Hello, Six-Core Computing
- Does Turbo Boost Help Or Hurt Core i5/i7's Power Efficiency?
- Intel Core i5 And Core i7: Intel’s Mainstream Magnum Opus
Benchmarked Intel Nehalem-Based CPUs:
| Nehalem | Code Name | Rev. | Manufacturing Process | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Core i3-530 | Clarkdale | C2 | 32 nm | 1156 | 2 | 2.93 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 4 MB | on-package up to DDR3-1333 | 73 W |
Core i5-661 | Clarkdale | C2 | 32 nm | 1156 | 2 | 3.33 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 4 MB | on-package up to DDR3-1333 | 87 W |
Core i5-670 | Clarkdale | C2 | 32 nm | 1156 | 2 | 3.47 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 4 MB | on-package up to DDR3-1333 | 73 W |
Core i5-750 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.67 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i5-750S | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.4 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 82 W |
Core i5-760 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-860 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-870 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.93 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-875K | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.93 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-880 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 3.07 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-920 | Bloomfield | C1 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 2.67 Ghz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-930 | Bloomfield | D0 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-960 | Bloomfield | D0 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-970 | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.2 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-975 Extreme Edition | Bloomfield | D0 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 3.33 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-980 | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.33 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-980X | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.33 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-990X | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.47 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Sandy Bridge does borrow from Nehalem. However, this is a new architecture for Intel, so there are also a lot of new features, including a more advanced HD Graphics component and a ring bus able to feed on-die subsystems faster and more efficiently.
Previously, graphics, PCI Express, and memory control were separate from the processing cores. Now, all of the logic exists on the same piece of silicon, manufactured at 32 nm. Intel maintains the Core i3, i5, and i7 brands, but adjusts its model names to indicate that Sandy Bridge is the second generation of Core processors. Gone is LGA 1156, unfortunately, replaced by the LGA 1155 interface.
Sandy Bridge-based chips can be found with two, four, or six cores. All of the dual- and hexa-core versions, along with some of the quad-core models, have Hyper-Threading enabled, doubling the number of threads that the processor can handle simultaneously. In other words, six-core Sandy Bridge-E-based CPUs juggle up to 12 threads at a time. That sort of complexity imposes hefty power requirements, though: up to 130 W.
Really, most power users don't need those LGA 2011-based chips, since Intel's quad-core products that center on Sandy Bridge have little trouble competing against AMD's six-core Phenom IIs.
More information:
- Sandy Bridge-E: Core i7-3960X Is Fast, But Is It Any More Efficient?
- Intel Core i7-3960X Review: Sandy Bridge-E And X79 Express
- Core i7-2600K Overclocked: Speed Meets Efficiency
- Intel’s Second-Gen Core CPUs: The Sandy Bridge Review
Benchmarked Intel Sandy Bridge-Based CPUs:
| Sandy Bridge | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | iGPU | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentium G620 | Sandy Bridge | Q0 | 1155 | 2 | 2.6 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 3 MB | HD Graphics 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Pentium G630 | Sandy Bridge | Q0 | 1155 | 2 | 2.7 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 3 MB | HD Graphics 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Pentium G630T | Sandy Bridge | Q0 | 1155 | 2 | 2.3 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 3 MB | HD Graphics 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 35 W |
| Core i5-2300 | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i5-2310 | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i5-2400 | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i5-2400S | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.5 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Core i5-2500K | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.3 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 3000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Core i5-2500T | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.3 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Core i7-2600K | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.4 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8MB | HD Graphics 3000 850-1350 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i7-2700K | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.5 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | HD Graphics 3000 850-1350 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i7-3930K | Sandy Bridge-E | C1 | 2011 | 6 | 3.2 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | - | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 130 W |
| Core i7-3960X | Sandy Bridge-E | C1 | 2011 | 6 | 3.3 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | - | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 130 W |
Ivy Bridge is Intel's current-generation design. The company's tick-tock cadence establishes a new architecture (the tick), and then follows it up with a updated manufacturing technology (the tock). That way, the next tick is implemented on a mature process, paring back some of the risk associated with transitioning to a significantly-updated architecture.
After the tick that was Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge employs a very similar design on a 22 nm process. Intel maintains its Core i3, i5, and i7 nomenclature, updating the model names to reflect a third generation. Fortunately, Ivy Bridge-based chips drop into the same LGA 1155 interface as the Sandy Bridge-based parts.
Though its x86 cores remain largely the same, Ivy Bridge does offer a more advanced graphics engine, along with a memory controller that officially supports 1,600 MT/s data rates. The unlocked parts boast maximum multipliers of 63x (up from Sandy Bridge's 57x), and the entire line-up includes 16 lanes of PCI Express 3.0 connectivity.
More information:
- Gaming At 1920x1080: AMD's Trinity Takes On Intel HD Graphics
- Core i5-3570K, -3550, -3550S, And -3570T: Ivy Bridge Efficiency
- Intel Core i7-3770K Review: A Small Step Up For Ivy Bridge
Benchmarked Intel Ivy Bridge-Based CPUs:
| Ivy Bridge | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | iGPU | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i5-3450 | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2500 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i5-3470 | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2500 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i5-3550 | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.3 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2500 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i5-3570K | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.4 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 4000 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i7-3770K | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.5 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | HD Graphics 4000 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
CPU Charts: All AMD Processors
| FX-Series | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FX-4100 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 4 | 3.6 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-4170 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 4 | 4.2 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| FX-6100 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 6 | 3.3 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-6200 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 6 | 3.8 GHz | 3 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| FX-8100 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 8 | 2.8 GHz | 3 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-8120 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-8140 | Bulldozer | B3 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 95 W |
| FX-8150 | Bulldozer | B2 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.6 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| FX-8170 | Bulldozer | B3 | AM3+ | 8 | 3.9 GHz | 4 x 2048 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 125 W |
| A-Series | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | iGPU | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A6-3650 | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 2.6 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6530D 444 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A6-3670K | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 2.7 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6530D 444 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A8-3850 | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6530D 600MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A8-3870K | Llano | B0 | FM1 | 4 | 3.0 GHz | 4 x 1024 KB | HD 6530D 600MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| A10-5800K | Trinity | A1 | FM2 | 4 | 3.8 GHz | 2 x 2048 KB | HD 7660D 800 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1866 | 100 W |
| Athlon II | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlon II X2 240e | Regor | C2 | AM3 | 2 | 2.8 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 45 W |
| Athlon II X2 250 | Regor | C2 | AM3 | 2 | 3.0 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Athlon II X2 255 | Regor | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.1 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Athlon II X2 260 | Regor | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.2 GHz | 2 x 64 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Athlon II X3 425 | Rana | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.7 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X3 435 | Rana | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.9 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X3 440 | Rana | C3 | AM3 | 3 | 3.0 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X3 445 | Rana | C3 | AM3 | 3 | 3.1 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 620 | Propus | C2 | AM3 | 4 | 2.6 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 630 | Propus | C2 | AM3 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 635 | Propus | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 640 | Propus | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.0 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Athlon II X4 645 | Propus | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phenom II X2 550 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.1 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X2 555 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.2 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X2 560 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.3 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X2 565 | Callisto | C3 | AM3 | 2 | 3.4 GHz | 2 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 80 W |
| Phenom II X3 705e | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.5 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Phenom II X3 710 | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.6 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X3 720 | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 2.8 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X3 740 | Heka | C2 | AM3 | 3 | 3.0 GHz | 3 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X4 830 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X4 840 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | - | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X4 905e | Deneb | C2 | AM3 | 4 | 2.5 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Phenom II X4 910e | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 2.6 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Phenom II X4 955 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 965 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.4 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 970 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.5 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 975 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.6 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X4 980 | Deneb | C3 | AM3 | 4 | 3.7 GHz | 4 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X6 1035T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.6 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1045T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.7 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1055T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.8 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1065T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 2.9 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Phenom II X6 1075T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 3.0 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X6 1090T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 3.2 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
| Phenom II X6 1100T | Thuban | E0 | AM3 | 6 | 3.3 GHz | 6 x 512 KB | 6 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 125 W |
CPU Charts: All Intel Processors
| Nehalem | Code Name | Rev. | Manufacturing Process | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Core i3-530 | Clarkdale | C2 | 32 nm | 1156 | 2 | 2.93 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 4 MB | on-package up to DDR3-1333 | 73 W |
Core i5-661 | Clarkdale | C2 | 32 nm | 1156 | 2 | 3.33 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 4 MB | on-package up to DDR3-1333 | 87 W |
Core i5-670 | Clarkdale | C2 | 32 nm | 1156 | 2 | 3.47 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 4 MB | on-package up to DDR3-1333 | 73 W |
Core i5-750 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.67 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i5-750S | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.4 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 82 W |
Core i5-760 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-860 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-870 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.93 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-875K | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 2.93 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-880 | Lynnfield | B1 | 45 nm | 1156 | 4 | 3.07 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
Core i7-920 | Bloomfield | C1 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 2.67 Ghz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-930 | Bloomfield | D0 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-960 | Bloomfield | D0 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-970 | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.2 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-975 Extreme Edition | Bloomfield | D0 | 45 nm | 1366 | 4 | 3.33 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-980 | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.33 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-980X | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.33 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
Core i7-990X | Gulftown | B1 | 32 nm | 1366 | 6 | 3.47 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 130 W |
| Sandy Bridge | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | iGPU | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentium G620 | Sandy Bridge | Q0 | 1155 | 2 | 2.6 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 3 MB | HD Graphics 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Pentium G630 | Sandy Bridge | Q0 | 1155 | 2 | 2.7 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 3 MB | HD Graphics 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 65 W |
| Pentium G630T | Sandy Bridge | Q0 | 1155 | 2 | 2.3 GHz | 2 x 256 KB | 3 MB | HD Graphics 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1066 | 35 W |
| Core i5-2300 | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.8 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i5-2310 | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i5-2400 | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i5-2400S | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.5 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Core i5-2500K | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.3 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 3000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Core i5-2500T | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 2.3 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2000 850-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 65 W |
| Core i7-2600K | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.4 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | HD Graphics 3000 850-1350 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i7-2700K | Sandy Bridge | D2 | 1155 | 4 | 3.5 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | HD Graphics 3000 850-1350 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1333 | 95 W |
| Core i7-3930K | Sandy Bridge-E | C1 | 2011 | 6 | 3.2 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | - | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 130 W |
| Core i7-3960X | Sandy Bridge-E | C1 | 2011 | 6 | 3.3 GHz | 6 x 256 KB | 12 MB | - | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 130 W |
| Ivy Bridge | Code Name | Rev. | Socket | Number of Cores | Clock Frequency | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | iGPU | Memory Controller | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i5-3450 | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.1 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2500 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i5-3470 | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.2 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2500 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i5-3550 | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.3 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 2500 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i5-3570K | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.4 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 6 MB | HD Graphics 4000 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
| Core i7-3770K | Ivy Bridge | E1 | 1155 | 4 | 3.5 GHz | 4 x 256 KB | 8 MB | HD Graphics 4000 650-1100 MHz | integrated up to DDR3-1600 | 77 W |
Our Benchmark Hardware and Software
| Benchmark System Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Hardware | Details |
| Performance Benchmarks | |
| Socket AM3 Motherboard | Asus M5A99X Evo, Chipset: AMD 990X, BIOS: 1208 |
| Socket FM1 Motherboard | MSI A75MA-G55, Chipset: Intel Z77, BIOS: 1.6b6 |
| LGA 1156 Motherboard | Gigabyte P55A-UD7, Chipset: Intel P55, BIOS: F8b |
| LGA 1155 Motherboard | Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H Wi-Fi, Chipset: Intel Z77, BIOS: 1504 |
| LGA 1366 Motherboard | MSI Big Bang, Chipset: Intel X58, BIOS: 1.2 (2010-06-18) |
| LGA 2011 Motherboard | Intel DX79SI, Chipset: Intel X79, BIOS: 0537 |
| DDR3 Memory (Dual-Channel) | 2 x 8 GB DDR3-1600 CL10-10-10-27, (Corsair Vengance CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10) |
| DDR3 Memory (Dual-Channel) | 2 x 8 GB DDR3-1866 CL10-11-10-30, (G.Skill RipjawsX F3-14900CL10D-16GBXL) |
| DDR3 Memory (Triple-Channel) | 3 x 4 GB Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX |
| DDR3 Memory (Quad-Channel) | 4 x 4 GB Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX |
| Graphics | Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 FleX GPU: Pitcairn (1000 MHz), Graphics RAM: 2048 MB GDDR5 (2400 MT/s), Stream Processors: 1280 |
| System Drive | Samsung PM810, 256 GB, SATA 3Gb/s , MZ5PA256HMDR |
| Power Supply Unit | Seasonic X-760, SS-760KM Active PFC F3 |
| System Software | |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 x64 |
| Drivers and Settings | |
| Graphics Driver | AMD Catalyst 12.8 Suite for Windows 7 |
| Chipset Driver AMD | AMD Catalyst 12.8 Suite for Windows 7 |
| Chipset Driver Intel | Chipset Installation Utility Ver. 9.3.0.1019 |
| Game Benchmarks and Settings | |
|---|---|
| Benchmark | Details |
| Crysis 2 | Version: 1.9 Video Mode: 1280x720 Game Settings - Anti-Aliasing none - Filtering Trilinear - Wait for vertical sync disabled - Shader Detail Medium - Effect Detail Medium - Model/Texture Detail Medium Demo: THG Demo 1 |
| Mafia II | Video Mode: 1024x768 Game Settings - Anti-Aliasing disabled - Filtering Anisotropic Trilinear - Wait for vertical sync disabled - Shader Detail Medium - Effect Detail Medium - Model/Texture Detail Medium Demo: THG Demo 1 |
| Audio Benchmarks and Settings | |
| Benchmark | Details |
| iTunes | Version: 9.0.3.15 Audio CD ("Terminator II" SE), 53 min. Convert to AAC Audio Format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min Convert wav to mp3 Audio Format Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
| Video Benchmarks and Settings | |
| Benchmark | Details |
| HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.98 Video: Video from Canon EOS 7D (1920x1080, 25 frames) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds Audio: PCM-S16, 48,000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile) |
| TotalCode Studio 2.5 | Version: 2.5.0.10677 MPEG2 to H.264 MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2) Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 kHz, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s) Codec: H.264 Pro Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS) Profile: H.264 BD HDMV |
| Application Benchmarks and Settings | |
| Benchmark | Details |
| 7-Zip | Version: 9.28 LZMA2 Syntax "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| WinRAR | Version: 4.2 RAR Syntax "winrar a -r -m3" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| Autodesk 3d Studio Max 2010 | Version: 10 x64 Rendering Space Flyby Mentalray (SPECapc_3dsmax9) Frame: 248 Resolution: 1440 x 1080 |
| Blender | Version: 2.62 Syntax blender -b Helicopter-2.6.1-toms.blend -f 1 Helicopter-2.6.1 (scene-Helicopter-2.6.1.blend) Frame: 1 Resolution: 1280x720 Threads: Auto-Detect |
| Cinebench 11.5 | Version 11.5 Build CB25720DEMO CPU Test single- and multi-threaded |
| Adobe After Effects CS5.5 | Create Video which includes 3 Streams Frames: 210 Render Multiple Frames Simultaneosly: on |
| Adobe After Effects CS6 | Create Video which includes 3 Streams Frames: 210 Render Multiple Frames Simultaneosly: on |
| Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 | Video Length 2 min 21 sec Export to H.264 Blu-ray Source 960x720 Output 1280x720 |
| Adobe Photoshop CS 6 (64-Bit) CPU | Version: 13 Filtering a 16 MB TIF (15,000x7266) Filters: Radial Blur (Amount: 10; Method: zoom; Quality: good) Shape Blur (Radius: 46 px; custom shape: Trademark sysmbol) Median (Radius: 1px) Polar Coordinates (Rectangular to Polar) |
| Adobe Acrobat X Professional | Version: 10.0.0 Pro == Printing Preferenced Menu == Default Settings: Standard == Adobe PDF Security - Edit Menu == Encrypt all documents (128 bit RC4) Open Password: 123 Permissions Password: 321 |
| Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 | Version: 14.0.4734.1000 (32-bit) PPT to PDF Powerpoint Document (115 Pages) Adobe PDF-Printer |
| Abbyy FineReader | Version: 10 Professional Build (10.0.102.82) Read PDF save to Doc Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 | Compile Miranda in Two Editions with MSBuild form .NET 4.0.30319 1. Release Unicode Win32 2. Release Unicode x64 |
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 | Compile Chrome Project (1/31/2012) with devenv.com /build Release |
| Fritz | Fritz Chess Benchmark Version 4.3.2 |
| Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
| Benchmark | Details |
| 3DMark 11 | Version: 1.0 |
| PCMark 7 | Version: 1.04 |
| SiSoftware Sandra 2012 | Version: 2012.06.18.53 Processor Arithmetic, Cryptography, Memory Bandwith |
Benchmark Motherboards and Graphics Card
Asus M5A99X EVO:
MSI A75MA-G55:
Gigabyte P55A-UD7:
Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H Wi-Fi:
MSI Big Bang:
Intel DX79SI:
Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 FleX:
Intel's Sandy and Ivy Bridge-based CPUs clearly dominate in PCMark 7. The only chip from AMD to at least make it into the top range of the field is its Bulldozer-based FX-8170.







Intel's Sandy Bridge-E-based Core i7-3960X and -3930K lead by a wide margin in almost all of this diagnostic's modules. The only exception is encryption with the SHA-256 Secure Hash Algorithm, where AMD’s Bulldozer FX-8170 exhibits the best performance thanks to its eight integer cores running at high clock rates.






Intel's Sandy Bridge-E, Ivy Bridge, Sandy Bridge, and Nehalem flagships all clearly beat AMD's best efforts in Adobe's Creative Suite. This is especially true in our Acrobat X Professional test, where we're converting a PowerPoint 2010 presentation to PDF format.
The Intel CPUs are grouped together in one large block, while AMD's A10-5800K stands out as the sole example of Piledriver. In this single-threaded workload, it does really well compared to the company's previous-gen parts.




Professional application benchmarks show us a familiar picture. Intel’s Sandy Bridge-E-based Core i7-3930K and Core i7-3960X are in the front, followed by Intel’s Ivy Bridge-, Sandy Bridge-, and Nehalem-based offerings.
AMD's FX-8170 and FX-8150, based on Bulldozer, come closest to Intel's offerings, but can't quite compete.





Intel's Sandy Bridge-E, Sandy Bridge, and Ivy Bridge architectures lead the field again. The company's top-end Nehalem-based processors also hold their own. AMD remains competitive with its Bulldozer-based CPUs, but the design isn't fast enough to earn a top spot in our charts.






3DMark 11 is a synthetic gaming benchmark, so its chart should generally be taken with a grain of salt.
In this case, however, it's right on the money compared to our real-world game tests. Intel's CPUs are the way to go for the highest frame rates.








The raw data makes it pretty clear that Intel's Sandy Bridge, Sandy Bridge-E, Ivy Bridge, and Nehalem micro-architectures are clearly faster than AMD's highest-end models. Even though we're missing Piledriver-based chips right now (again, they're going to be added soon, along with some older Core-based chips), benchmarks we've already run show that the flagship FX-8350 goes up against Intel's Core i5-3570, not its faster Core i7s.
There's no way around it: if outright speed is your top priority, and you have some money to spend, Intel wears the crown. From about $250 to $1050 or so, AMD simply cannot compete. Anything pricier than that and you're out of the desktop market entirely.
The silver lining, of course, is that AMD's FX processors do handle threaded applications fairly well. Even though they use quite a bit of power, a combination of modest performance and low cost is attractive to power users on a budget.
Lower-end Athlon II and Phenom II models are respectable in their own right, too. Depending on the applications you're running, screaming frame rates and lightning-fast transcodes may not be as important. For basic desktop-oriented productivity, you can get away with a dual-core CPU and spend very little. The quad- and hexa-core models are decent performers as well.
As you ascend the hierarchy of speed, each percentage point of performance costs increasingly more. Just look at the difference between a $320 Core i7-3770K and $1030 Core i7-3960X. If you're looking for a sweet spot in Intel's line-up, we're still fans of the Core i5-3570K at $215. The Core i5-3470 at $200 isn't bad either, though an unlocked multiplier ratio on the K-series part is easily worth $15 on its own.
In AMD's line-up, an FX-8320 might be your best bet for a desktop PC with discrete graphics. That's one of the models we plan to add shortly. At $180, it looks like a decent alternative to the FX-8350 at $220 or FX-8150 at $190. If your graphics requirements are more modest, and you don't need to spend extra on an add-in card, the A10-5800K is AMD's one Trinity-based APU that tends to do everything better than the previous generation. Selling for $120, it's good enough to warrant a look.
If power consumption is a major concern, it'd be hard to generalize and recommend one vendor over the other. Intel and AMD both offer low-power parts capable of going easy on your electricity bill. The former has its Sandy Bridge-based Pentium G630, Core i5-2500T, and Core i5-2400S processors that we tested, while the latter has the Athlon II X2 240e and Athlon II X2 250.









