Intel's Ivy Bridge Hotter Than Sandy Bridge When Overclocked

The question among reviewers while overclocking Ivy Bridge chips is why the processors run hotter than their predecessor, Sandy Bridge. Overclockers.com reports temperatures “to be as much as 20 °C higher on Ivy Bridge compared to Sandy Bridge when overclocked.”

This extra heat is a huge drawback when overclocking, allowing Sandy Bridge to hit a much higher frequency and effectively matching the performance levels of Ivy Bridge. The question remains, how is it possible that the more power-hungry Sandy Bridge chips run cooler than Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors?

According to The Inquirer, Intel has no problem admitting that the Ivy Bridge platform runs hotter than its predecessor, stating that the extra heat is due the 22 nm die shrink, causing increased thermal density. The company noted that it is also using “a different package thermal technology”, that “thermal technology” is known as thermal paste, which replaced  a soldered heat spreader used on Sandy Bridge processors. Intel further added that “users may observe higher operating temperatures when overclocking,” but reassured customers that “this is as designed and meets quality and reliability expectations for parts operating under specified conditions.”

So there you have it, Ivy Bridge runs hotter than Sandy Bridge when overclocked but offers reduced power consumption and meets Intel's expectations at stock speeds. If you are interested in overclocking, make certain to purchase an adequate cooling solution or hold off on Ivy Bridge until the next stepping, which may improve overclocking capabilities.