H55 And H57 Chipsets
Connecting The Dots
As with Intel chipsets past, there’s a four-lane DMI pathway connecting the Clarkdale chips to component number two in Intel’s dual-chip platform. Capable of moving 1 GB/s in each direction, this should once again be plenty of bandwidth for the I/O not yet integrated onto the processor.
This time, however, there’s another interface between the CPU and PCH called the Intel Flexible Display Interface (FDI). Enabled by DisplayPort, this connection carries a display output from the processor package’s core to the connectors attached to H55/H57. The FDI consists of two separate links (one for each of the GPU’s display pipelines), and the unidirectional downstream pairs can be scaled depending on bandwidth requirements. This is why, while the core technically supports output resolutions up to 2560x1600, our Asus P7H57D-Evo only offers DVI output up to 1920x1200.
H55 And H57: Anti-Climactic Core Logic
With all of the integration that Intel is pushing, there’s actually very little left to talk about once we get into the chipset itself. You’re already familiar with P55—Intel’s first Platform Controller Hub, necessitated by a move to a two-component platform (and away from the processor/northbridge/southbridge configuration it once employed).
| Features | H57 | H55 | Q57 | P55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socket Support | LGA 1156 | LGA 1156 | LGA 1156 | LGA 1156 |
| HD Graphics with PAVP 1.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
| USB 2.0 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| SATA Ports | 6 x SATA 3 Gb/s | 6 x SATA 3 Gb/s | 6 x SATA 3 Gb/s | 6 x SATA 3 Gb/s |
| PCI Express 2.0 Graphics | 1 x 16 | 1 x 16 | 1 x 16 | 1 x 16 or 2 x 8 |
| PCI Express 2.0 (2.5 GT/s) | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Legacy PCI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Remote PC Assist for Consumers | Yes | Yes | - | - |
| Rapid Storage Technology | Yes | - | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-Theft Technology | - | - | Yes | - |
| Identity Protect Technology | Yes | Yes | - | - |
| Quiet System Technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
| AMT 6.0 w/ Remote PC Assist for Business | - | - | Yes | - |
| ME Ignition Firmware | - | - | - | Yes |
| ME Firmware 6.0 | 8MB | 8MB | 8MB | - |
| SPI Device Size Required (in MB) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
There are actually three chipsets launching today, but we’ll keep our focus on the two most relevant to desktop users: H55 and H57. Q57 is more interesting to system builders working on business machines, since it enables Active Management Technology. Still, between these, you’ll find very few differences.
Let’s start at the top of our chart and work downward. As with P55, H55 and H57 are designed to complement LGA 1156 processors. Duh.
H55 and H57 are differentiated in that they support Intel’s HD Graphics core with a protected audio and video path—needed to support HDCP and bitstream high-def audio. This PAVP 1.5, as it’s called in the chart, is a component of the management engine built into both chipsets. P55 doesn’t have it, which makes sense since it’s a discrete graphics-only platform.
Of course, you also get the I/O normally found in a southbridge. H55 offers 12 USB 2.0 ports, six SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and six lanes of 2.5 GT/s PCI Express 2.0, while H57 serves up 14 USB 2.0 ports, six SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and eight lanes of 2.5 GT/s PCI Express 2.0 connectivity. Both offer four legacy PCI slots, too.
From there, the two chipset are identical, except that H57 offers Intel Rapid Storage Technology 9.5—follow-up to what was once called Intel’s Matrix storage technology with software RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10.
Related Stories :
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- Intel Core i5-661: Clarkdale Rings The Death Knell Of Core 2
- Intel Core i3, i5 Arrandale and Clarkdale in Photos
- Clarkdale's Efficiency: Core i5-661 Versus Core 2, Athlon II, And Phenom II
- Next Intel NUC Will Carry Core i5 & i7 CPUs
- Intel Core i5, i7 Haswell Processors to be Released in June
- Intel May Drop Prices for Core i5 ULV to Push Ultrabooks
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- Intel Core i5 CPU Mauled by Dog
Well... I think that takes care of the dreaded "But can it play Crysis?" question regarding its GMA
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can i ask why you teased us at the end with the 4.5ghz OC but didn't include them in the benchmarks? =[ i'm guessing most of use at tom's like to OC... it could be the difference that gets us to buy the i5 661 over the phenom II
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Fixed! Had to keep it private pre-launch
I really like the improvements Larrabee brought about....not! I do like the fact they are making progress but they really need to skip ahead a few generations or buy out some other company to design a GPU for themselves.
^ Many more reasons to buy AMD Phenoms II X4 in the mid-range segment...
Only drawback with the AMD CPUs is the power consumption, that I feel can be brought down with slight undervolting...
I'm looking to upgrade from my Athlon X2 @ 2.7GHz because I do more with the computer now than I did before - sometimes I'll play a game while my TV tuner is recording from my cable signal, and having more cores would help these multiple tasks run more smoothly.
I was waiting until the Clarkdale-based i5 launched, thinking it would be a quad-core that was more competitively priced against the Phenom II X4, but it looks like a Phenom II X4 is my only option to get more cores for less money.
The only good news coming out of this launch is that LGA1156 is not changing for the Clarkdale chips, so it looks to be the most future-proof platform to upgrade to, if one was so inclined. I'm personally going with a Phenom II since I can get one without changing motherboards. This is one of the more disappointing launches in the last year or so.
can i ask why you teased us at the end with the 4.5ghz OC but didn't include them in the benchmarks? =[ i'm guessing most of use at tom's like to OC... it could be the difference that gets us to buy the i5 661 over the phenom II
We have another overclocking piece planned--I wanted to get a Core i3, at least, to include
I would love to see what GTA IV would do do the dual cores in gaming! I do know that its a bear of a game on the CPU and it would truly show off if hyperthreading could actually make a major difference.
Great video once again! Thanks for this and the review itself. Very informative. I really liked the graph on the first page too
good touch on the world of warcraft fraps. although not very playable on high settings is good to know what speeds it actualy gets
Would be nice to know if this thing can handle blue ray playback, as some of these would probably be sold as a HTPC. Ya, they put features for it, but does it play or not?
Last preview I read showed it doing fine in windowed mode, but blowing chunks at full screen playback, dropping to 15fps and lower.
Idle power in the 70s for an IGP-based system is a huge failure not a win, though using an 1100W PSU probably deserves a lot of the blame. Systems built on the 780G, 730i, G4x, etc. (similar to this test platform, but use a more appropriate PSU) idle in the 40s.
Nice dual....
E8500 was beaten badly...
Wud really like to see what these chips can do once overclocked.
Where are the H55 and H57 motherboards priced? So what if the processor is $200 if the motherboard is going to be another $200 on top of it, like P55. I'm not an AMD fanboi, but for less than $300, you can get excellent computing power. Platform cost is where AMD rules, currently.
Very meh at their price points with disappointing idle consumption. Intel is just biding time until AMD's 32 nm process is ready. No reason why they couldn't have a 4 GHz stock chip, load power proves it.
If you use a E8600 with integrated G45 graphics, I bet you that power consumption will be lower that the 661 (integrated). This GPU-on-package is all just a marketing ploy.
I really wish you had benchmarks for the low end chips though I doubt IT managers will be running out to replace their fleets of E7500's.
same as the p55 but less room for Gpu's.... and newer h55,h57 onboard gpu.... well I guess if you really want to get over all the unneeded jargon and you dont really have a budget just skip this and go X58..... regardless.... even if you have a little extra money to spare and you ARE on a budget, save on the 2nd GPU,monitor, or RAM and get an X58 now!
I think there is a big mistake in the gaming benchmarks...
Wolfdale is a awesome gaming chip. Its a first to me that the Core 2 Quad is faster in Crysis and all the other games vs. Wolfdale...
Are you sure it was running at full speed?
I think there is a big mistake in the gaming benchmarks...
Wolfdale is a awesome gaming chip. Its a first to me that the Core 2 Quad is faster in Crysis and all the other games vs. Wolfdale...
Are you sure it was running at full speed?