Socket LGA1156 L3 cache size 8192 KB Number of cores 4 CPU frequency 2667 MHz Integrated graphics core No

General characteristics

Socket LGA1156 Gaming yes

Core

Lynnfield Core (2009) Number of Cores

New processor manufacturing technology allows more than one core to be placed in one package. The presence of multiple cores significantly increases the performance of the processor. For example, the Core 2 Duo line uses dual-core processors, and model range Core 2 Quad - quad-core.

4 Process technology 45 nm

Frequency characteristics

Clock frequency

Clock speed is the number of processor cycles (operations) per second. The processor clock speed is proportional to the bus frequency. Generally, the higher the processor clock speed, the better its performance. But such a comparison is only appropriate for models of the same line, since, in addition to frequency, processor performance is affected by such parameters as the size of the second level cache (L2), the presence and frequency of the third level cache (L3), the presence of special instructions, and others. Glossary of terms categories Processors (CPU)

2667 MHz DMI system bus Multiplication factor 20 Core voltage 0.65B Built-in memory controller yes, 21 GB/s bandwidth

Cache

L1 cache size

Level 1 cache is a block of high-speed memory located directly on the processor core. Data extracted from RAM is copied into it. Storing core instructions improves processor performance due to faster data processing speed (processing from the cache is faster than from RAM). The capacity of the first level cache is small and amounts to kilobytes. Typically, “older” processor models have a larger L1 cache. Glossary of terms for the category Processors (CPU)

64 KB L2 cache size

L2 cache is a block of high-speed memory that performs the same functions as the L1 cache (see "L1 Cache Size"), but has more low speed and larger volume. If you are choosing a processor for resource-intensive tasks, then a model with a large L2 cache will be preferable.

As you know, Intel microprocessor architectures change every two years. Computing power is constantly growing, the flagships of the recent past are turning into outsiders, giving way to the strongest representatives of the new architecture. With the launch of processors based on the Nehalem architecture in November 2008, Intel significantly strengthened its position in the Hi-End desktop PC sector. And the recent top models in the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo lines could no longer compete with Core i7 processors, so they had to shift to the middle price niche, giving way to high-performance newcomers in the Hi-End segment. Intel's future plans include expanding the presence of representatives of the new architecture in all market segments. However, the Core i7 line in its original form is in no way able to fit into the budget of mid-range and budget desktop PCs. That is why, for the general public, the company’s engineers have developed a “lightweight” series of CPUs based on the Nehalem architecture. Today, Intel officially introduced three new microprocessors - Core i7 870, Core i7 860 and Core i5 750, designed to work in the Socket LGA 1156 processor socket. The first representatives of the Core i7 family were designed for installation in the Socket LGA 1366 processor socket, and motherboards for these processors were built on the basis of the only available set system logic- Intel X58. The entry of new members of the Core family into the market required the development of a new chipset and motherboards based on it. The new chipset is the Intel P55 chipset. Before we look in detail at the differences between the new solutions for Socket LGA 1156 and the old LGA 1366, let's take a look at the summary table of the characteristics of the central Core processors i5/i7 and system kits Intel logic P55 and X58.

Main characteristics
Intel Core Processor	i5-750	i7-860	i7-870	i7-920	i7-940	i7-950	i7-965 Extreme	i7-975 Extreme
Core	Lynnfield			Bloomfield
Technical process	45 nm
Connector	Socket LGA 1156			Socket LGA 1366
Chipset	Intel P55			Intel X58
Kernel stepping	B1			C0/D0	C0/D0	D0	C0	D0
Core frequency, GHz	2.66	2.8	2.93	2.66	2.93	3.06	3.2	3.33
Factor	20	21	22	20	22	23	24	25
Multiplier step with Turbo Boost*	1 - 4	1 - 5	1 - 5	1 - 2	1 - 2	1 - 2	1 - 2	1 - 2
L1 cache, KB	32/32
L2 cache, KB per core	256
L3 cache, MB	8
Bus type "Processor-chipset"	DMI			QPI
Integrated PCI-Express controller	Yes			No
TDP, W	95			130
Maximum memory bandwidth of the processor-chipset bus, GB/s	2			25
RAM channels	2			3
Physical cores	4
Supported technologies
Hyper-Threading	No	Yes
VT-x	Yes
VT-d	No	Yes
TXT	Yes
EIST	Yes
Intel 64	Yes

*The frequency step is determined by the step of the processor multiplication factor from the original one, depending on the load on the cores. From the above table it follows that the differences in internal structure LGA 1366 and LGA 1156 processors are not limited only by the lack of support for a three-channel memory controller from Lynnfield. In fact, the difference is much more significant. Let's take a more detailed analysis of the differences between these CPUs.

Design

Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors Lynnfield core designed to work with the Socket LGA 1156 processor socket, which, in fact, is not very different from the Socket LGA 775/LGA 1366 sockets. The only difference is that the CPU locking mechanism has changed slightly, as well as the location of the holes for mounting the cooling system. Next we will take a closer look at the new connector.

Memory controller

All processors, designed to work in motherboards with Socket LGA 1366, have a three-channel integrated DDR-3 memory controller, providing extremely high memory bandwidth. Core i5 and Core i7 processors designed for Socket LGA 1156 have a dual-channel integrated memory controller, which may slightly reduce its throughput. However, testing the memory subsystem will show how big the difference in memory bandwidth is.

Hyper-Threading Technology

This technology first appeared back in the days of Pentium 4 processors with NetBurst architecture. All Intel Core i7 processors, regardless of design, support HT, which allows them to perform up to 8 computational threads simultaneously. Intel Core i5 series processors Hyper-Threading support deprived.

Turbo Boost Mode

The essence of this mode is to increase the operating frequency of one or more processor cores, depending on the computing load, by increasing the processor multiplier. Intel Core i7 processors for Socket LGA 1366 are capable of increasing the operating frequency by 1 or 2 steps (by step we mean the CPU multiplier step). While processors designed to work in Socket LGA 1156, depending on the load, can be overclocked by 1-5 steps for the Core i7 series and 1-4 steps for the Core i5 series. It is obvious that Turbo Boost technology has reached a certain maturity, and new Intel processors are able to increase the frequency significantly more than before. In addition, it is worth noting an interesting trend. Modern technologies Intel allows processors to “intelligently” distribute their forces to achieve maximum results depending on the type of tasks being performed.

Bundle "Lynnfield - P55"

Core i7 processors for Socket LGA 1366 interact with the Intel X58 system logic set using the QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) bus, providing throughput up to 25 GB/s. In turn, Core i7 and Core i5 processors, developed for Socket LGA 1156, “communicate” with the Intel P55 chipset via the DMI (Direct Media Interface), first used by Intel back in 2004 in conjunction with the ICH6 southbridge. It's no secret that the DMI interface cannot provide the same high throughput as the QPI bus. Judge for yourself, the bandwidth of the DMI interface is ~2 GB/s versus ~25 GB/s for QPI. And how, in this case, to “pump” huge amounts of data between the processor and devices connected to the PCI-Express 2.0 bus, for example, video cards that require data transfer rates of up to 16 GB/s. But there are also less demanding devices, such as network controllers, hard disks etc. Intel engineers solved the problem quite elegantly. The PCI-Express controller and DMI interface, along with the memory controller, are now integrated into the CPU, which largely solves the bottleneck. Why largely and not completely? The fact is that the integrated PCI-Express 2.0 controller supports up to 16 lanes, which will be entirely occupied by one or a pair graphics accelerators. For a single video card, all 16 PCI-Express lanes are allocated; when installing two video cards, the lines are distributed as 2x8. It turns out that for other devices the capabilities of the integrated PCI-Express controller are no longer enough. However, this problem has been successfully solved! Thanks to the integration of part of the control units on the CPU substrate, the Intel P55 chipset is just one chip, which has received a new name. Now this is not just a south bridge, it is the so-called Platform Controller Hub (PCH), which, along with the standard set of south bridge functions, also received support for a PCI-Express 2.0 controller to meet the needs of peripheral devices.

VT-d

Virtualization technology for directed I/O is an input/output virtualization technology created by Intel as an addition to the existing Vanderpool computing virtualization technology. The essence of this technology is to allow a remote OS to work with I/O devices connected to PCI/PCI-Ex directly at the hardware level. All modern Intel Core i7 processors, regardless of the processor socket used, support this technology, but Core i5 series processors do not.

TDP

Thanks to optimization of production technology and a modified CPU core, Intel managed to reduce the TDP value for Core i7/i5 series processors for Socket LGA 1156 to 95 W, versus 130 W for Intel Core i7, designed for the Socket LGA 1366 platform.

From theory to practice. Test platform

Before moving on to testing, let's look at the components of the test platform based on Socket LGA 1156, and also consider the nuances in the operation of the Lynnfield + P55 combination. An engineering sample of the Intel Core i5 750 processor arrived in our laboratory. Unfortunately, modern engineering CPU samples are in no way different from production units, even the available multiplication factors are the same as those of ordinary representatives of this series. The sizes of processors with the Socket LGA 1156 design are significantly smaller than the sizes of the CPUs of their older brothers, designed to work in Socket LGA 1366, compare:

Core i5 750 on the left, Core i7 920 on the right

As the basis for our test bench, we used the MSI P55-GD65 motherboard, kindly provided by the Russian representative of MSI. We will definitely publish a detailed review of the MSI P55-GD65 a little later, but for now we’ll focus on the description key features fees:

• Processor support for Socket LGA1156
• 4 slots for DDR-3 memory
• Supports 7 SATA II connectors
• Support SLI technology and CrossFireX
• Supports proprietary MSI OC Genie technology

RAM manufactured by Apacer. The kit consists of three modules with a capacity of 1 GB each and is designed to work in three-channel mode with Core i7 processors. Of course, to test the Core i5 750 processor we used only two modules from the kit.

Now is the time to look at the Core i5 in action and talk about the features of overclocking new Intel processors based on the Lynnfield core.

Features of Core i7 and Core i5 processors on the Lynnfield core

CPU Clock - CPU cores operate at this frequency. unCore Clock (UCLK)- operating frequency of the north bridge integrated into Core i7/i5 processors. The integrated third-level cache operates at this frequency, as well as the Core i7/i5 RAM controller. QPI bus frequency. The frequency at which the QPI interface operates, connecting the Core i7 9xx to the Intel X58 chipset. Overclocking of non-extreme Core i7 processors of the 9xx family very often rested on the frequencies of UCLK, QPI and DDR-3 memory (to a lesser extent). The fact is that the processor frequency multiplication factor for conventional Core i7s is strictly limited from above. Therefore, to increase CPU frequencies it is necessary to increase the base frequency (BCLK), and an increase in BCLK entails an increase in the UnCore, UCLK and DDR-3 frequencies. It was possible to “cope” with the increase in RAM frequency using dividers, but there was no way to tame the increase in QPI and UCLK frequencies, because the requirement that the UCLK frequency must be at least twice the DDR-3 frequency contributed. It was precisely because of the instability of one of these CPU units at higher frequencies that CPU overclocking was limited to values ​​slightly exceeding 200 MHz BCLK. With the arrival of Lynnfield, some of the problems for overclockers have been solved. Now the UCLK frequency is locked, and the dividers for the QPI bus frequency are smaller, so in theory we can get a higher stable BCLK frequency.

This material opens a series of notes in which I will tell you about the overclocking potential of interesting pieces of hardware. Processors, video cards, RAM- these are the three main components that every overclocker overclocks. The idea of ​​​​creating an overclocking database has existed for quite a long time, but statistical data is too scarce, so we will tell you about our impressions of the overclocking of our charges.

We start with perhaps the most interesting ones this moment processors from Intel - Core i5 750. The cheapest processors of the current generation will face each other today, and we will find out which of the 8 copies will be the best.

Test stand

To study the platform for socket 1156, we chose the following configuration:

• Maternal Asus board P7P55D Deluxe
• Cooler Scythe Ninja 2
• RAM 2x2Gb OCZ Flex 1600MHz CL6 1.65v
• Saphire 4890 OC video card (PCI-E plug required)
• Chiftec 1200W power supply
• Seagate 7200.12 250Gb hard drive

C motherboard from Asus on the P55 chipset I came across for the first time and I want to note that the first acquaintance can be considered successful. The board worked easily and without problems with all set voltages. Among the features, I would like to note that the voltage set for the processor in the BIOS matched the readings with CPU-Z, which is very pleasing.

Testing methodology

All eight processors were tested at three frequencies:

• max valid frequency – maximum validated CPU-Z frequency.
• max bench frequency – the frequency at which the processor can be forced to operate in light benchmarks; the Super Pi1M test is taken as an indicator.
• max stable frequency – the frequency at which the processor will work 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, without turning off for a second. Naturally, I'm joking - in our express testing conditions it is difficult to find a truly stable frequency. But as an estimate, we will take the test frequency of Hyper Pi 32M - the same Super Pi32M only multi-threaded.

From the settings in the BIOS the following were used:

• CPU Voltage: 1.35-1.45 V;
• CPU PLL:1.9-2.0V;
• IMC Voltage:1.4V;
• Dram Bus Voltage: 1.65 V.

The system was overclocked from under Windows utility from Asus - TurboV. Used for tests operating system Windows XP SP2.

№	Max valid frequency, MHz	Max bench frequency, MHz	Max stable frequency, MHz	Butch	Voltage on the core, B	Validation CPU-Z	Screenshot Super Pi1M	Screenshot Hyper Pi32M
1	4577	4465	4274	L922B943	1,432
2	4535	4442	4233	L922B943	1,432
3	4527	4380	4213	L922B943	1,400
4	4577	4400	4256	L922B943	1,408
5	4527	4360	4214	L924B920	1,440
6	4600	4535	4337	L930B637	1,448
7	4536	4464	4256	L922B943	1,440
8	4577	4442	4274	L922B943	1,440

conclusions

Eight processors from three weeks of release took part in the testing: six copies from the 22nd week, one copy from the 24th week, and one copy from the 30th week. Based on the results, we can identify the winner of our testing: it was the copy with serial number 6, released in the 30th week of 2009. This processor is the coldest, and it is the only one that achieved the coveted numbers of 4.6 GHz. The processors of the 22nd week of release can be called strong middle peasants; half of the processors showed results close to 4600 MHz, but at the same time, the other half overclocked 50 MHz worse. And the most unfortunate, in my opinion, was the processor released in the 24th week of 2009; its distinctive features were its hot temper and zero response to voltage increases higher than 1.4 V.

The frequency at which the processors were able to withstand Super Pi1M was on average 4400-4450 MHz, the best percentage was able to pass 1M at 4535 MHz, and the worst only at 4380 MHz. 100 MHz means a lot in benchmarking. But in terms of stability, the frequency spread of all processors is not that high. Everyone withstood 4200 MHz, the winner even 4300 MHz. With confidence, you can set your home system to 4 GHz and operate the computer for your pleasure.

In 2009 American manufacturer microprocessors Intel presented a new model line of crystals built on the basis of modern Lynnfield architecture. The cheapest processor from this line was the Core i5 750, specifications which were almost identical to last year’s lineup. Nevertheless, these crystals are very popular among users and allow solving many modern problems.

Market positioning and price range

Engineers from the innovative technology development section, when developing the LGA 1156 processor socket, divided the chip market into several categories:

— Processors of the Celeron and Penrium series. The former were intended for assembling budget system units, ideal for performing office tasks, while the latter had a higher level of performance, sufficient to run some modern computer games with low settings GUI. The main difference between both representatives was the amount of cache memory and clock frequency, thanks to which higher performance is achieved;

— CPUs of the Core i3 and i5 family, to which the model of the crystal discussed in our article today belongs. These processors are designed for advanced users who need increased productivity. Budget models have only two physical cores, however, thanks to hyperthreading technology capable of processing program code in four threads, these solutions are in no way inferior to similar ones AMD processors, having 4 cores. CPU models of the Core i5 line are more powerful due to full four cores, increased cache, as well as proprietary TurboBoost technology, which provides a tremendous increase in performance when performing more complex tasks.

— Core i7 crystals are ideal solution for enthusiasts and professionals who, due to the specific nature of their activities, need powerful productive desktop computers. These processor models have four physical cores and HyperThreading technology, thanks to which the crystal is capable of operating in eight-thread mode. In addition, this line of microprocessors has increased cache memory and increased clock speed.

Despite the fact that the CPU Core i5 750 is a representative of the mid-price range, in terms of its hardware characteristics and performance level it can easily compete with some of its older brothers. The thing is that most modern programs and computer games are designed to work with quad-core processors, so there is no noticeable difference in the execution process various tasks There are no crystals between our today's hero and the flagship lines.

Factory equipment

There are two delivery options for this processor available to consumers: Tray and Box. The first option is cheaper and, in addition to the microprocessor itself, upon purchase the consumer receives a FGT, a proprietary Intel sticker that can be affixed to the system unit, and operating instructions. The Tree package is designed primarily for more advanced users who assemble a powerful system unit on their own and want to install a more powerful cooling system for their CPU. The boxed version, which is called a boxed version among ordinary people, in addition to all of the above, contains a proprietary Intel cooling fan and thermal paste to ensure better thermal conductivity between the crystal and the cooling radiator.

CPU Core i5 750 is designed to work with all motherboards, developed on the basis of the LGA1156 socket. The peculiarity of this connector is that it operates on a single chip. At the time the processor went on sale, Socket LGA1156 made it possible to assemble completely different system units: from budget and simple cars to powerful ones gaming computers. This processor socket was popular until 2011, after which it was gradually replaced by the more modern LGA1155. Nevertheless, many users today continue to use processors and motherboards with socket 1156 due to the fact that their performance is still sufficient to solve problems large quantity tasks.

Technological process

Considering the fact that the CPU Core i5 750 hit store shelves in 2009, it is quite obvious that it was manufactured using a forty-five nanometer technological process, which was one of the most modern at that time. This technology made it possible to create reliable and productive processors with which there were no problems. Later, engineers from Intel developed a thirty-two nanometer technological process that made it possible to create thinner crystal wafers.

Architecture

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the CPU Core i5 750 is designed based on four physical cores. However, support for HyperThreading technology is not provided in this model, as a result of which the processor operates in four-thread mode. However, this did not prevent the crystal from coping with the most complex tasks and working with all modern software. Therefore, if you compare it with representatives of older generation Core i7 crystals, the difference in the speed of completing tasks will be unnoticeable.

Cache memory

Like any other modern processor, the Core i5 750 has a three-level cache memory, which has the following hardware characteristics:

— The first level cache memory consists of four clusters, each of which is 64 KB, working with one computing module;

— The second-level cache memory is designed in the same way, however, the size of each block is 256 kilobytes;

— The third level cache is used by all computing modules of the processor, and the size of each cluster is 2 megabytes.

RAM memory compatibility

One of the key features of the 1156 processor socket is that engineers have completely redesigned compatibility with RAM memory modules. Among the main changes is the transfer of the north bridge, which is responsible for supplying power to the chip, and the RAM controller to the CPU, thanks to which the engineers were able to significantly increase the speed of RAM memory. As for compatibility with RAM modules, the Core i5 750 supports third-generation DDR RAM strips with a bandwidth of 1066 MB. It is worth noting that installing more expensive RAM memory that supports more high frequency, does not provide any increase in the speed of information exchange between RAM and the microprocessor.

Thermal package and operating temperature

The thermal package of the microprocessor discussed in our article today is 95 watts. Thus, the maximum temperature of the crystal when performing complex operations does not exceed 72 degrees. The temperature in normal operation is around 45 degrees, and after overclocking it increases to 55 degrees. However, this all concerns the official information provided by the manufacturer, but how does this crystal behave in practice? Under maximum load, it is possible to bring the processor to maximum temperature only if the cooling cooler fails, or when an overclocked CPU is running resource-intensive applications on a weak cooling system.

Clock frequency

The maximum operating frequency of the Core i5 750 is 2.7 GHz, which is not used when performing everyday tasks. The chip supports innovative TurboBoost technology, which automatically adjusts the clock frequency of each core at the software level depending on the complexity of the operations being performed. When four cores operate simultaneously in four-thread mode, the peak value clock frequency is 2.8 gigahertz, and when performing tasks in 2 threads, this figure increased to 2.93 GHz. But when only one computing unit was operating, the operating frequency could increase to 3.2 gigahertz. In addition, the manufacturer supplies the crystal to stores with an unlocked multiplier, so anyone can overclock the CPU and get a thirty percent increase in performance.

Retail price and consumer reviews

Buying a CPU Core i5 750 will cost users approximately $213, which is very reasonable, since in 2009 it was possible to build a powerful gaming machine based on this crystal. Moreover, even today this CPU has not lost its relevance and copes excellently with any tasks assigned. Some problems may arise when running the latest computer games with maximum graphic effects settings, but at minimum settings this little guy provides a very comfortable gaming experience.

Conclusion

The CPU Core i5 750 from Intel became a real masterpiece of high technology in 2009, the demand for which remains to this day. This crystal will be an excellent solution for the majority of average users who do not distinguish between work and leisure, and use their computer both for office tasks and to enjoy their favorite toys. The main advantages of this model are low cost, excellent performance and low power consumption.