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 |
- Tom's Hardware: CPU Benchmark Charts, Updated
- AMD: Bulldozer
- AMD: A-Series APUs (Trinity/Llano)
- AMD: K10 (Stars)
- Intel: Nehalem
- Intel: Sandy Bridge
- Intel: Ivy Bridge
- CPU Charts: AMD Processor Overview
- CPU Charts: Intel Processor Overview
- Benchmark Hardware And Software
- PCMark 7
- SiSoftware Sandra 2012
- Adobe Creative Suite 6
- Professional Applications
- Audio/Video And File Compression
- 3DMark 11 And Games
- Power Consumption
- No Surprise: Intel Takes The Performance Crown, AMD Represents Value
But i want some processors which were legendary overclockers, and representatives of their generation of CPU's, included with a nominal OC :
intel C2D E7300 : 2.66- > 3.33
Intel C2Q Q6600 : 2.4- > 3.0ghz
Intel i5-750 : 2.66 - >3.33
Its highly likely that a person has owned at least one of these CPU's. I want to know how well these compare to modern processors.
But i want some processors which were legendary overclockers, and representatives of their generation of CPU's, included with a nominal OC :
intel C2D E7300 : 2.66- > 3.33
Intel C2Q Q6600 : 2.4- > 3.0ghz
Intel i5-750 : 2.66 - >3.33
Its highly likely that a person has owned at least one of these CPU's. I want to know how well these compare to modern processors.
I always wish this. Beyond that the AM3 Athlon X2's are still being sold at newegg and the Phenom X2's are not...
Agreed, maybe just one dual core and one quad? q9550 and e6850? not that I still own both of those or anything...
But let's do some math. Just for a rough order of magnitude I figure an average of 15% increase in performance per clock cycle, per generation (not including clock speed, number of cores, etc.). So if we start back at Conroe and work our way to present day Ivy Bridge, that's 5 new generations of processors. 1.15^5 = 2.01
Which means that an Ivy Bridge CPU at the same speed as a Conroe CPU (2006ish) is about 2x as fast per clock cycle, on average. Once you take into account faster clock speeds, number of cores, cache sizes, integrated memory controllers, etc. and more importantly what software will be used with the CPUs the real world performance difference could be almost nothing to somewhere around 10-15x as fast.
I digress. The point being, is I would like to see some more benchies Tom's! Prove me wrong!
Yes! Core 2 Duo E6750 CPU owner here.
i'll skip ivy and Haswell as well with this Sensational Cpu at 4.6Ghz
There should be i3 3220 too. Really wanted to know about that.
Throw in a Pentium 4 as a reminder to those folks who still think they can run BF3 on a 1.8 GHz Willamette.
And as for fun, there should've been a CPU rendering test. Windows 7 has a function that allows a CPU do to DX10 graphics, completely bypassing the GPU. The only obviously issue that CPUs are terrible compared to GPUs when it comes to graphics.
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20081126/direct3d-warp10-to-enable-you-to-play-dx10-crysis-using-software-renderer-only-albeit-slowly/
There is no need to bench 2600K/2700K & Core i5-2300/Core i5-2310, just one of the 2 set will do, because we all know their performance is close to identical.
Sorry, didn't get to read that