Intel Core i5 750 : Real Value For Money

1. Introduction:

On September 8, 2009, Intel released the first Core i5 processor: The Core i5 750,which is a 2.66 GHz quad-core with Turbo boost upto 3.2 GHz. Intel has codenamed it as Lynnfield. This Processor comes with Hyper-threading disabled.

Intel Core i5 750 processors have a whooping  8 MB L3 cache, a DMI bus running at 2.5 GT/s and support for dual-channel DDR3-800/1066/1333 memory.

 2. Closer Look: 

Intel core i5 750 comes in a typical Intel Core series average sized blue box. However in this beautiful box lies the most powerful gaming processor for the price. 

                                  

All of the Lynnfield processors launched today are based on the same Nehalem microarchitecture.First up is the smaller socket design, 1156 vs 1366. The lower pin-count is primarily the result of a revised memory controller. Tripple channel memory support has been dropped in favor of a more economical dual channel configuration.

  Now having a closer look at this Quad-core processor it looks very similar to it's bigger brother i.e.Core i7

For the most part, its internal workings are identical to existing Core i7 processors which have been on sale since late last year. It's built using the same 45nm silicon production process and benefits from Intel's newest processor architecture, known as Nehalem.                                                                       
                                                 




                        

However, the new Lynnfield processors officially support DDR3 1333, a step up from 1066. Unchanged, it seems, are the cache sizes and associativity. Each core gets 64 KB of L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache, and shares a larger 8 MB L3 cache.

 3.Features and Specifications:

• Quad-Core Processing: Provides four complete execution cores in a single processor package. Four dedicated physical threads help operating systems and applications deliver additional performance, so users can experience better multitasking and multithreaded performance across many types of applications and workloads.
• Intel® Turbo Boost Technology: Dynamically increases the processor’s frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom when operating below specified limits. Get more performance automatically, when you need it the most.
• 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache: This large last-level cache enables dynamic and efficient allocation of shared cache to all four cores to match the needs of various applications for ultra-efficient data storage and manipulation.
• Integrated Memory Controller:  An integrated memory controller offers stunning memory read/write performance through efficient prefetching algorithms, lower latency, and higher memory bandwidth making the Intel® Core™ i5 processor ideal for dataintensive applications.
• Intel® HD Boost:  Includes the full SSE4 instruction set, significantly improving a broad range of multimedia and compute-intensive applications. The 128-bit SSE instructions are issued at a throughput rate of one per clock cycle, allowing a new  level of processing efficiency with SSE4-optimized applications.
• Performance
  • Maximize speed for demanding applications with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology,1 which accelerates processor clock speed up to 20 percent2 to match your workload.
  • Multitask up to 28 percent faster, so you can do more things at once
  • Enjoy incredibly fast computing with fewer frustrating lags.
• Digital Media
  • Unleash an amazing digital media experience with up to 37 percent faster conversion of video for Web upload,4 up to 15 percent faster photo editing,5 and up to 17 percent faster conversion of CD music tracks to MP3.
• Gaming
  • Get a 32 percent improvement in artificial intelligence for game characters.7

Here we will compare Intel Core i5 750's features and specifications with it's big brothers Intel Core i7-860 and Core i7-870.

 
Further deeply, we can compare it with other member of Core i7 models.  

4.Benchmarking and Review:

 Now, we will perform some test using SYSMark 2007. Here we will test the overall capabilities of these new generation processors.

Here we can clearly see i5 750 clearly outperforms i7 920 which is priced at $284 and i5 750 does not get far behind i7 940 for the difference in their price.We have seen above the overall performance of the Core i series processors. Now lets move on to test the real gaming performance of these processors.

Firstly, we will benchmark it using Fallout 3.

FALLOUT 3:

 

The numbers are all very close, but the Core i7 870 edges out the 975 for the lead here. The i5 750 manages to outperform the i7 920 thanks to its more aggressive turbo modes, but lags behind 975 but it was expected but for the huge price difference between these two, i5 750 emerges a clear value for money. The Phenom II X4 965 BE is faster than its closest competitor, but it needs a price adjustment in a major way.

LEFT 4 DEAD:

 In LEFT 4 DEAD we can see that i5 750 outperforms i7 920 and got really close to i7 870 . This time 975 took the lead from 870.  

In brief ,even when four cores are stressed, the i5 750 can pull ahead of the i7 920.

CRYSIS WARHEAD: 

 Crysis Warhead is a standalone expansion pack situated in time with the story line of the original Crysis. As Sergeant "Psycho" Sykes, you have a secret mission to accomplish on the far side of the island. Along the way ,there are EMP blasts and aliens to contend with, as you hunt down the KPA chief. This game uses an enhanced version of the CryEngine 2.

                         

 This time also Core i7 975 maintains the lead over 870. And, i5 750 also merely outperformed 920. AMD still lagging behind like in all the benchmarkings.

5.CONCLUSION:  

After seeing all the benchmarking, I can only say that if you have loads of money and budget is no problem for you , then get yourself Core i7 975 or 870. But if you are on a tight budget , then just close your eyes and get a Core i5 750 at around 200$, you will never regret. Moreover, by saving money on CPU , you can get yourself a good GPU. 

These Lynnfield processors have a 40-45% lower idle power consumption than either of our Core 2 Quad models. The i5-750 uses a remarkable 56% less power at idle than the i7-920.

Realistically, not everyone needs or even has the budget for a $284 processor, and that is where the the decidedly more budget-friendly $199 i5-750 comes into play. Despite having one hand tied behind its back due to a lack of Hyper-Threading, this model put the proverbial smackdown on the Core i7-920, pretty much across the board. It also resoundingly outperformed two close competitors in the form of the Phenom II X4 945 and the Core 2 Quad Q9550.   

 Pros:

• Performance
• Pricing (i5 750)
• Overclocking
• Turbo Technology

 Cons:

• Temperatures when overclocked
•  

Intel Core i5 750 provides substantially better performance when it's needed most, it is impressively energy-efficient, and fairly affordable at around $200 too. 
We give it 9.5 out of 10.