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Overclocking is no longer an occupation for the elite. Today it is a mass phenomenon that involves not only a wide range of computer enthusiasts, but also computer hardware makers. The army of overclockers has become so numerous, that even such giants as Intel can’t disregard them any longer. As a result, over the past few years we have the chance to witness how different computer hardware manufacturers not only adapt their components for overclockers’ needs, but also start making special overclocker products. For example, in the processor market these solutions would be processors with unlocked clock frequency multiplier. They allow increasing their clock frequency easily, which will eliminate any additional requirements to the rest of the platform and in the end may let you set unprecedented overclocking records.AMD has been especially favorable towards overclockers until recently.
They are offering several processors within their Black Edition family (with unlocked clock frequency multiplier) that belong to different price categories. Moreover, this company was even offering hand-picked
TWKR processor modifications that could work at a pretty aggressive core voltage setting. As for Intel, they used to be much more conservative to overclocking fans: the only special products that company had been offering over the past few years were only extremely expensive 1000-dollar CPU models with unlocked clock multipliers.
However, the current situation in the market and the community interest towards overclocking was reason enough for the microprocessor giant to start taking action. About a year ago Intel undertook an experiment aimed at exploring the demand: they rolled out an inexpensive LGA775 Pentium E6500K processor with an unlocked frequency multiplier in a regional Chinese market. This experiment must have produced a highly positive result, because Intel decided to expand this initiative. And very soon, to be more exact at the upcoming computer show Intel decided to announce a couple of affordable overclocker processors with unlocked clock frequency multipliers for the most current LGA1156 platform.
The quad-core Core i7-875K and dual-core Core i5-655 K processors. In terms of their formal specifications, these CPUs will become analogues to the long shipped Core i7-870 and Core i5-650 processors. But unlike
their predecessors, the new CPUs will boast an unlocked clock frequency multiplier that will offer additional overclocking opportunities. It is especially nice that Intel is not going to position overclocker models as exclusive solutions, so they will be selling at a very affordable price differing from that of the regular models by only 20-25%.As a result, computer enthusiasts will have a pretty wide range of processors with unlocked clock frequency multiplier for almost any current platform
Intel Core i7 875K
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series processor is Intel’s highest caste today. This series of Intel processors have several advantages compared to other series of Intel processors. One of the advantages of the processor multiplier is not locked. In another series of Intel processors, the processor multiplier can only be lowered. While the Extreme Edition series, the processor multiplier can not only reduced but also can be raised freely. Multiplier processor that is not locked will give ease when you overclock the processor. Overclocking enthusiasts will love this course. You simply raise the (play) the processor multiplier to increase the clock speed of the processor.
Although it has features that are not locked multiplier, Intel Extreme Edition series has a relatively high selling price is about U.S. $ 999. With prices that high, making this series processors can only be enjoyed by a handful of computer users who have more funds. Then if the computer user with limited funds can not enjoy an Intel processor with the multiplier is unlocked? The answer is that it can. In addition to the series Extreme Edition, Intel processors have the variant with a multiplier that is not locked. The Intel series is given the initial letter “K” behind the name of the series like the Intel Core i7 875K which will be discussed this time. Intel Processor K series has a more affordable price than the Extreme Edition series.
This is not the first time Intel released processors K series, previously contained an Intel Pentium E6500K boasts intended for socket LGA775. Unfortunate enough processors are only sold in the Chinese territory, causing many computer users do not use it. Here is the comparison among Intel Core i-7.
Intel Core i7 870 Specifications:
Code Name : Lynnfield
Number of Cores : 4
Number of Threads : 8
Clock Speed : 2.93 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency : 3.6 GHz
L3 Cache : 8 MB
Bus/Core Ratio : 22
Instruction Set Extensions : SSE4.2
Fabrication Process : 45 nm
Memory Types : DDR3
Memory Channels : Dual
Sockets Supported : LGA1156
Intel Core i7 875K Specifications:
Code Name : Lynnfield
Number of Cores : 4
Number of Threads : 8
Clock Speed : 2.93 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency : 3.6 GHz
L3 Cache : 8 MB
Bus/Core Ratio : 22
Instruction Set Extensions : SSE4.2
Fabrication Process : 45 nm
Memory Types : DDR3
Memory Channels : Dual
Sockets Supported : LGA1156
Intel Core i7 930 Specifications:
Code Name : Bloomfield
Number of Cores : 4
Number of Threads : 8
Clock Speed : 2.8 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency : 3.06 GHz
L3 Cache : 8 MB
Bus/Core Ratio : 21
Instruction Set Extensions : SSE4.2
Fabrication Process : 45 nm
Memory Type : DDR3
Memory Channels : Triple
Sockets Supported : LGA1366
Intel Core i7 socket LGA1156 875K using a motherboard with a socket and usually is aimed at mainstream computer users. From the Core i7 series naming scheme 875K, it looks like this processor is the successor to the previous series of Intel Core i7 870. If you look at the specifications table above, is the Intel Core i7 875K similar specifications with the Intel Core i7 870 or series underneath. In addition, the architecture used is the same i.e. “Lynnfield” with 45 nm fabrication process. Cache size and number of cores (threads) processor also no different
Unlock the Speed
Intel Core i7 875K with a multiplier that is not locked it is intended to provide ease of overclocking. Therefore, incomplete if only testing the Core i7 875K only in their default state only.
This is the default clock speed of Intel Core i7 875K at 2.93 GHz.
On the motherboard that we used, the multiplier value can be increased up to value 62.
For overclocking the Core i7 875K, we tried a wide variety of settings. Besides changing the multiplier setting, we also change the settings Bclk. We increase the processor voltage for the processor to a more stable overclocking
With heatsinks that we use, we managed to raise the clock speed Core i7 875K up to 4256 MHz (32 x 133 MHz). When the overclock, we turn off EIST and the Turbo Boost function.
Platform Testing
Processor:
1. Intel Core i7 875K
Clock speed @ default, @ 3.4 GHz (200 × 17), @ 4 GHz (133 × 30 and 200
× 20), @ 4.2 GHz (200 × 21), dan@4.256 (133 × 32)
2. Intel Core i7 930
Speed@2.8 GHz clock (200 × 14), @ 3.4 GHz (200 × 17), @ 4 GHz (200 × 20)
Motherboard:
Gigabyte X58A-UD3R
P55A-UD3P Gigabyte
Graphics card: MSI N480GTX
Memory: 3x1GB Kingston KHX16000D3T1K3/3GX
Harddisk: Western Digital Caviar Black 500 GB (32 MB Cache)
Power Supply: Enermax Revolution 85 + 1050 Watt
Heatsink: Thermaltake contac 29
Monitor: Philips 221E
Added: Genius (Keyboard and Mouse)
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
Driver: NVIDIA ForceWare 197.41
Testing Results
In scenario E-Learning and VideoCreation, Core i7 and Core i7 930 875K has a performance that is not far adrift. While in the Productivity and 3D scenarios, Core i7 930 Core i7 must recognize the benefits of
875K. Meanwhile, the final score Preview Rating, Core i7 875K pretty far ahead of the Core i7 930. It seems, Turbo Boost clock speed is higher on the Core i7 875K take a leadership role here given the Sysmark 2007 still uses some older applications that do not utilize many processor threads.
MediaShow Espresso
Although using the same clock speed, the difference was the way to overclock the influence of performance on this test.
WinZip
Core i7 875K with 4256 GHz clock speeds seem to be able to balance the performance of the Core i7 930 with a clock speed of 4 GHz.
Setting: P-Rating (Default)
With a clock speed of 4.2 GHz, Core i7 CPU 875K able to achieve a relatively high score. Increase of approximately 31% compared to the default condition.
Left4Dead
Setting: No-AA: AF-Trilinear
Testing “CPU” in this game, were able to show scaling clock speed of processors we tested. This also applies in the test “GPU”.
Settings: 1920×1080; No-AA; High
The variation of the processor clock speed looks the most diverse in the test in DirectX 10 mode.
Crysis
Settings: 1920×1080, DirectX 10; High: No-AA
On the clock speed of 3.4 GHz and above, variations in frame rate because of different clock speeds begin to decrease with variations below 1 fps.
Conclusion
Intel Extreme Edition series, especially the Core i7 series, which is the flagship of their line of processors, does offer features not multiplier locked. However, because the price is high, only a handful of people with more money just to enjoy it. You who have limited funds would be think twice to buy a processor with a price of around U.S. $ 999 is. Not to mention you have to spend more if additional funds do not have a motherboard with the Intel X58 chipset.
For those of you who love overclocking but have limited funds you can glance at the Intel Core i7 875K. Based on our monitoring on the Internet, Core i7 875K price range U.S. $ 350-375. This price is relatively much more affordable than Intel’s Extreme Edition series or closest relatives Intel Core i7 870. Moreover with these prices you get Intel processors with unlocked multiplier. In addition, this processor uses socket LGA1156 motherboard which is a mainstream class of air-Intel chipset motherboard. Of course, this motherboard has a price more affordable than the motherboard socket LGA1366.
In terms of performance, the Intel Core i7 default 875K offers a satisfactory performance. Especially if this over-clocked processor.
Processor overclocking ability is also impressive. Clock speed of 4.256 GHz was achieved only with water-cooling. Better cooling system it will make the clock speed is achieved even higher.
So, who is suitable to use this processor? Of course, fans of overclocking would be the main users of these processors. They will love the multiplier is not locked because it gives them freedom in determining the overclock settings. In addition, a computer gamer who does not want to bother with complicated settings to overclock this processor. If gamers need extra performance for games played, simply by raising the multiplier to secure the border higher processor performance was obtained. As for ordinary computer users, the
processor type is usually designed for extreme use and thus has more endurance. If you are a regular user of this processor is only running at standard speed, you get the endurance better processor so that the
system lives longer.
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