Intel has quietly added seven new Sandy Bridge processors in the i5 and Celeron M series.
The i5-2550K with four cores and 3.4 GHz clock speed replaces the i5-2500K as the i5 flagship product and sells for a tray price of $225, while the 2500K remains at $216.
There are two new "P" processors in the lineup - the i5-2450P (quad-core, 3.2 GHz) and the i5-2380P (quad-core, 3.1 GHz). It is already challenging for the average PC buyer to read and interpret Intel's model numbers. The "P" has, of course, a cryptic meaning: These Sandy Bridges do not have a (functional) graphics core. Compared to their counterparts with graphics support, the P processors are slightly cheaper: The i5-2380P sells for $177, which is $7 less than the i5-2400 (quad-core, 3.1 GHz). The i5-2450P lists for $195, $10 less than the i5-2500 (quad-core, 3.3 GHz).
Also included in the refresh are the Celeron M B815 (dual-core, 1.6 GHz, $86) and B720 (single-core, 1.7 GHz, $70) as well as the Celeron M ULV 867 (dual-core, 1.3 GHz, $134) and 797 (single-core, 1.4 GHz, $107).
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
