Intel Core i7-875K And Core i5-655K Battle Beyond 4 GHz

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Do you like the idea of an unlocked clock multiplier, but don't want to pay $1,000 for an Extreme Edition? Intel's K-series CPUs bring overclocking down to the mainstream. The question is: can these scalable parts keep up with AMD's Black Edition CPUs?

Benchmark Results: Crysis

At 1680x1050, the resolution least bottlenecked by graphics, Intel’s Core i7-875K really stretches out. And even at 1920x1080, the chip’s first-place finish is commanding. Though far fewer people actually play at 2560x1600 on 30” displays, it’s worth noting that the results even out a lot more without AA turned on, while excessive I/O access makes the 4xAA-based scores inconsistent (the screen alternates from smooth to slideshow-like on the Radeon HD 5970).

The Phenom II X6 doesn’t seem to be a performance-inhibitor, but as we observed in the Phenom II X6 1090T review, the extra cores certainly don’t seem to help for gaming. We’ll see if this trend continues through our other test titles.

Chris Angelini
Chris Angelini
Chris Angelini is an Editor Emeritus at Tom's Hardware US. He edits hardware reviews and covers high-profile CPU and GPU launches.
113 Comments Comment from the forums
  • xurwin
    BE vs K!! go K series
    Reply
  • sarsoft
    LGA 1366 i7 hopefully will be available soon. GRRRRRRRRR........
    Reply
  • Known2Bone
    wow now that is some serious over-clocking... and here i am trying to push my 955 up past 3.93. i would have liked to see some liquid cooling tossed in to spice things up and maybe one more 5970... great job Chris!
    Reply
  • cangelini
    Known--I'll talk to Thomas about getting some of that going in his next System Builder Marathon piece. He loves liquid cooling =)
    Reply
  • hok
    still love my 930...
    Reply
  • Stardude82
    Intel did release the E6500K for the LGA 775, but only in Asia.

    The only good thing here is that these chips will probably ship with heat sinks that don't suck and a good price drop for the i7 870. Otherwise, who cares, FSB stability on decent P55 boards has not been a problem. What the socket really needs from Intel is a better chip-set, not easier overclockers.
    Reply
  • nurgletheunclean
    9. All prize winners are responsible for taxes and other surcharges on the prizes they win.

    1099'd for $1499? I hate how contest prizes all have full MSRP on everything. Even if you win it end up costing you $500+ in taxes.
    Reply
  • SpadeM
    Intel makes good cpus, that's a given. Their problem lies in the pricing of such chips. I mean if you could buy a processor because you want to overclock it then the locked but cheaper one is as good as the unlocked one. Sure, it's more difficult, but I for one love a challenge.

    Also, as a side note, I do have a problem with the benchmarks and more accurately with the conclusion you extracted from them. Who in their right mind would buy a processor, overclock it, and then do iTunes all day ... I mean come on, there's more to life then music ripping. What I'm saying is that the benchmark section SHOULD be remade entirely. Same old tests, that I could anticipate the outcome of every time, isn't a very compelling way to make a point. I do appreciate the game section though, at least i saw a new title.
    Reply
  • jecastej
    Finally, very good news for serious desktop processing power that wont leave me with an empty wallet. The 875K is going to be my next CPU for 3D modeling and rendering. I hope it will keep me entertained for a while =)

    Don't get me wrong but I was getting bored with the tiny world of ARM and Tegra and on the other side of the spectrum the hexacores and dual Xeons were far and away for my budget.
    Reply
  • anamaniac
    sarsoftLGA 1366 i7 hopefully will be available soon. GRRRRRRRRR........On Xtremesystems.org, I just read about a guy reaching 4.644GHz on air with his i7 930. Granted, he has a great chip, but by no means is a unlocked multiplier needed for high overclocks.

    If I were to build a new PC, the 1090T/1055T would be very complelling.
    Reply