Testing Intel Haswell Core i7 and Core i5 processors in games. Again about i5: review of the line of Intel Core i5 processors with Ivy Bridge microarchitecture

Introduction

This article will test new Intel Haswell processors, which were announced in early summer 2013:

• Core i7-4770K;
• Core i7-4770;
• Core i5-4670K;
• Core i5-4670;
• Core i5-4570;
• Core i5-4430.

The following models were chosen as their competitors:

• Core i7-3770K;
• Core i7-3770;
• Core i5-3570K;
• Core i5-3570;
• Core i5-3550;
• Core i5-3470;
• Core i5-3450;
• Core i5-3330;
• Core i3-3250;
• FX-8350 BE;
• FX-6350 BE;
• A10-6800K;
• A10-5800K;
• Phenom II X6 1100T BE.

Test configuration

Tests were carried out on the following stand:

• Motherboard #1: GigaByte GA-Z87X-UD5H, LGA1150, BIOS F7;
• Motherboard #2: GigaByte GA-Z77X-UD5H, LGA 1155, BIOS F14;
• Motherboard #3: ASRock 990FX Extreme4, AM3+, BIOS 2.0;
• Motherboard #4: ASRock FM2A85X Extreme4, FM2, BIOS 1.6;
• Video card: GeForce GTX 680 2048 MB - 1006/1006/6008 MHz (Gainward);
• CPU cooling system: Corsair Hydro Series H100 (~1300 rpm);
• RAM: 2 x 4096 MB DDR3 Geil BLACK DRAGON GB38GB2133C10ADC (Spec: 2133 MHz / 10-11-11-30-1t / 1.5 V), X.M.P. - off;
• Disk subsystem: 64 GB, SSD ADATA SX900;
• Power unit: Corsair HX850 850 Watt (standard fan: 140 mm inlet);
• Frame: open test stand;
• Monitor: 21.5" Philips 227E3QPH (Wide LCD, 1920x1080 / 60 Hz).

Processors:

• Core i7-4770K - 3500 @ 4500 MHz;
• Core i7-4770 - 3400 MHz;


• Core i5-4670K - 3400 @ 4500 MHz;
• Core i5-4670 - 3400 MHz;
• Core i5-4570 - 3200 MHz;
• Core i5-4430 - 3000 MHz;


• Core i7-3770K - 3500 @ 4600 MHz;
• Core i7-3770 - 3400 @ 4200 MHz;


• Core i5-3570K - 3400 @ 4600 MHz;
• Core i5-3570 - 3400 @ 4200 MHz;
• Core i5-3550 - 3300 @ 4100 MHz;
• Core i5-3470 - 3200 @ 4000 MHz;
• Core i5-3450 - 3100 @ 3900 MHz;
• Core i5-3330 - 3000 @ 3600 MHz;


• Core i3-3250 - 3500 MHz;


• FX-8350 BE - 4000 @ 4700 MHz;
• FX-6350 BE - 3900 @ 4700 MHz;


• A10-6800K - 4100 @ 4700 MHz;
• A10-5800K - 3800 @ 4500 MHz;


• Phenom II X6 1100T BE - 3300 @ 4100 MHz.

Software:

• Operating system: Windows 7 x64 SP1;
• Video card drivers: NVIDIA GeForce 326.58 Beta.
• Utilities: FRAPS 3.5.9 Build 15586, AutoHotkey v1.0.48.05, MSI Afterburner 3.0.0 Beta 14.

Testing tools and methodology

For a more clear comparison of processors, all games used as test applications were launched at a resolution of 1680x1050.

Built-in benchmarks, FRAPS 3.5.9 Build 15586 and AutoHotkey v1.0.48.05 utilities were used as performance measurement tools. List of gaming applications:

• Assassin's Creed 3 (Boston port).
• Batman Arkham City (Benchmark).
• Borderlands 2 (Benchmark).
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (Angola).
• Dragon Age Origins (Ostagar).
• Far Cry 3 (Chapter 2. Hunter).
• Formula 1 2012 (Benchmark).
• Hard Reset (Benchmark).
• Hitman: Absolution (Benchmark).
• Just Cause 2 (Concrete Jungle).
• Medal of Honor: Warfighter (Somalia).
• Prototype 2 (Resurrection).
• Resident Evil 5 (Benchmark - Scene 2).
• Sleeping Dogs (Benchmark).
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Solitude).
• World of Tanks (Mines).

Measured in all games minimum And average FPS values. In tests in which there was no possibility to measure minimum FPS, this value was measured by the FRAPS utility. VSync was disabled during testing.

To avoid errors and minimize measurement errors, all tests were performed three to five times. When calculating the average FPS, the arithmetic mean of the results of all runs (three non-idle runs) was taken as the final result. The minimum value of the indicator based on the results of three runs was chosen as the minimum FPS.

Processor Specifications

Overclocking processors

The processors were overclocked as follows. The stability of overclocking was checked using the OSST 3.1.0 “Perestroika” utility by running the CPU for half an hour on the maximum matrix with a forced 100% load. I agree that overclocking the tested CPUs is not absolutely stable, but for any modern game it is one hundred percent suitable.

With maximum overclocking for all AMD processors, the memory controller frequency was raised to 2400-2800 MHz.

Core i7-4770K

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3500 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x35), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.08 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled, Hyper Threading – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4500 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 45 (100x45), DDR3 frequency - 2133 MHz (100x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.25 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - off, Hyper Threading - off.

Core i7-4770

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3400 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x34), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.08 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled, Hyper Threading – enabled.

Core i5-4670K

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4500 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 45 (100x45), the DDR3 frequency was 2133 MHz (100x21.33), the supply voltage was up to 1.25 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V, Turbo Boost was turned off.

Core i5-4670

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3400 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x34), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.07 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

Core i5-4570

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3200 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x32), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.06 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

Core i5-4430

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3000 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x30), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.06 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

Core i7-3770K

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3500 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x35), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.11 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled, Hyper Threading – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4600 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 46 (100x46), DDR3 frequency – 2133 MHz (100x21.33), supply voltage – up to 1.2 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – off, Hyper Threading – off.

Core i7-3770

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3400 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x34), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.1 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled, Hyper Threading – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4200 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 40 (105x40), DDR3 frequency - 2240 MHz (105x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.2 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - on, Hyper Threading - off.

Core i5-3570K

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3400 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x34), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.08 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4600 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 46 (100x46), the DDR3 frequency was 2133 MHz (100x21.33), the supply voltage was up to 1.2 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V, Turbo Boost was turned off.

Core i5-3570

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3400 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x34), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.1 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4200 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 40 (105x40), DDR3 frequency - 2240 MHz (105x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.2 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - enabled.

Core i5-3550

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3300 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x33), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.1 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4100 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 39 (105x39), DDR3 frequency - 2240 MHz (105x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.125 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - enabled.

Core i5-3470

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3200 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x32), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.11 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4000 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 38 (105x38), DDR3 frequency - 2240 MHz (105x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.125 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - enabled.

Core i5-3450

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3100 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x31), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.09 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 3900 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 37 (105x37), DDR3 frequency - 2240 MHz (105x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.125 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - enabled.

Core i5-3330

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3000 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x30), DDR3 frequency – 1600 MHz (100x16), supply voltage 1.1 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Boost – enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 3600 MHz. To do this, the multiplier was raised to 34 (105x34), DDR3 frequency - 2240 MHz (105x21.33), supply voltage - up to 1.125 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Boost - enabled.

Core i3-3250

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3500 MHz, base frequency 100 MHz (100x35), DDR3 frequency – 1333 MHz (100x13.3), supply voltage 1.1 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Hyper Threading – enabled.

FX-8350 BE

Normal mode. Clock frequency 4000 MHz, system bus frequency 200 MHz (200x20), DDR3 frequency - 1866 MHz (200x9.33), core supply voltage 1.28 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Core and APM - included.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4700 MHz. To do this, the processor multiplier was raised to 23.5 (200x23.5), the core supply voltage was up to 1.54 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V. The DDR3 frequency was 2133 MHz (200x10.67), Turbo Core and APM were turned off.

FX-6350 BE

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3900 MHz, system bus frequency 200 MHz (200x19.5), DDR3 frequency - 1866 MHz (200x9.33), core supply voltage 1.28 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Core and APM - included.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4700 MHz. To do this, the processor multiplier was raised to 23.5 (200x23.5), the core supply voltage was up to 1.53 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V. The DDR3 frequency was 2133 MHz (200x10.67), Turbo Core and APM were turned off.

A10-6800K

Normal mode. Clock frequency 4100 MHz, system bus frequency 100 MHz (100x41), DDR3 frequency – 2133 MHz, core supply voltage 1.31 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Core and APM are included.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4700 MHz. To do this, the processor multiplier was raised to 47 (100x47), the core supply voltage was raised to 1.5 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V. The DDR3 frequency was 2133 MHz, Turbo Core and APM were turned off.

A10-5800K

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3800 MHz, system bus frequency 100 MHz (100x38), DDR3 frequency – 1866 MHz, core supply voltage 1.32 V, DDR3 supply voltage – 1.5 V, Turbo Core and APM are included.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4500 MHz. To do this, the processor multiplier was raised to 45 (100x45), the core supply voltage was up to 1.45 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V. The DDR3 frequency was 2133 MHz, Turbo Core and APM were turned off.

Phenom II X6 1100T BE

Normal mode. Clock frequency 3300 MHz, system bus frequency 200 MHz (200x16.5), DDR3 frequency - 1600 MHz (200x8), core supply voltage 1.34 V, DDR3 supply voltage - 1.5 V, Turbo Core - enabled.

The processor was overclocked to a frequency of 4100 MHz. To do this, the processor multiplier was raised to 20.5 (200x20.5), the core supply voltage was up to 1.5 V, the DDR3 supply voltage was 1.5 V. The DDR3 frequency was 1600 MHz (200x8), Turbo Core was turned off.

Let's move directly to the tests.

At the beginning of 2017, Intel released seventh generation desktop processors under the name Kaby Lake. Our editor received a processor Intel Core i5-7600K with an unlocked multiplier. In the seventh generation models, overclocking capabilities were improved, the built-in graphics were updated, and new technologies were added.

Let's not waste time on theoretical discussions about the tick-tock strategy and details about the 14nm process technology. Many publications talked about this even before the processors went on sale.

We will provide you with practical information on testing the capabilities of the Core i5-7600K processor on a motherboard with the Z270 chipset. Let's overclock the processor and test the graphics capabilities.

Specifications

• Model: Intel Core i5-7600K;
• Codename: Kaby Lake;
• Processor socket: Socket LGA1151;
• Number of cores/threads: 4/4;
• Base/dynamic clock speed: 3800/4200 MHz
• Multiplier: 38, unlocked;
• Base FSB frequency: 100 MHz
• L1 cache size: 4 x 32 (data memory), 4 x 32 (instruction memory) KB;
• L2 cache size: 4 × 256 KB;
• L3 cache size: 6 MB;
• Maximum Design Power (TDP): 91 W;
• Maximum operating temperature: 100 °C;
• Process technology: 14 nm;
• Support for instructions and technologies: Intel VT-x, Intel VT-d, Intel Device Protection with Boot Guard, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, EM64T, AEX, AVX, AVX2, FMA3, TSX;
• Memory type: DDR4 / DDR3L;
• Supported frequency: 2400 / 1600 MHz;
• Built-in graphics core: Intel HD Graphics 630
• Dynamic frequency: 1150 MHz;
• Average price: 17,000 rub.

Appearance

The processor arrived at our editorial office without its original packaging. Judging by official data, it will be a standard box with a window on the back side. Processors with the “K” index are supplied without a cooling system.

The appearance of the processor itself has remained virtually unchanged. Minor changes affected the shape of the heat distribution cover.

The protrusions should make it easier to install the processor into the socket. But the socket has not changed and the socket frame also presses the processor at two points.

It’s difficult to notice changes on the contact pad compared to previous generations; there are literally just a few contacts.

Textolite is the same thickness as its predecessor.

Characteristics Analysis

The nominal operating frequency of the processor is 3.8 GHz; with Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology activated, the processor operates most of the time under load at a frequency of 4.2 GHz at a voltage of 1.224 V. During tests, the frequency never dropped to the nominal values ​​- this is apparently only possible with insufficient cooling or on budget motherboards. When you enable the Game Boost function on the MSI Z270 GAMING M5 motherboard, the frequency increases to 4.5 GHz, but under load it regularly drops to 3.7 GHz with a corresponding decrease in voltage. During idle time, the frequency drops to 0.8 GHz and the voltage to 0.8 V. During the tests, the following picture was observed: without load, the voltage was reset, and the frequency remained at 4.2 GHz. Whether this is related to the characteristics of the BIOS or the processor is not clear.

The RAM controller is guaranteed to support DDR4 memory modules with a frequency of 2400 MHz or higher. The processor also supports the previous generation DDR3L-1600 MHz memory.

The dynamic frequency of the integrated graphics adapter Intel HD Graphics 630 is 1150 MHz. Base frequency 350 MHz. 24 execution units. Supports image output via HDMI and DP with a resolution of 4096 × 2304 at 60 Hz. It is also possible to hardware encode and play HEVC (Main 10) and VP9 codecs designed for 4K format in YouTube. Previous generations of Intel integrated graphics couldn't cope with these tasks.

Overclocking and testing

We will evaluate the performance and overclocking potential of the Intel Core i5-7600K processor on a platform based on the new Z270 chipset.

Test configuration:

• Motherboard: ;
• Cooling: LSS Deepcool CAPTAIN 240 EX;
• Thermal interface: ARCTIC MX-4;
• RAM: Qumo DDR-4 2400 8 GB;
• Video card: PowerColor PCS+ R9 370;
• Power unit:
• Storage: SSD OCZ Solid-3 60 GB;
• Frame: ;
• Monitor: Acer S242HL;
• Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit.

Kaby Lake processors do not have an integrated voltage regulator; as a result, overclocking largely depends on the potential of the motherboard.

The RAM operated at 2400 MHz with timings of 16-16-16-39 CR2. All Turbo Boost and power saving functions worked as normal. The cooling fans operated at maximum rotation speed.

Activating the “GAME BOOST” function allows you to automatically overclock the i5 7600K processor to 4.5 GHz. The voltage rises to 1.336 V.

In the process of manual overclocking by increasing the multiplier, we managed to achieve stable operation of the processor at a frequency of 4.8 GHz with a voltage of 1.328 V. First, we increased the frequency to stable values, then reduced the Vcore voltage to the lowest possible parameters. The stability of operation was checked by the LinX test for at least 10 minutes. The temperature at the hottest core reached 91 °C.

Overclocking a processor can also be done by increasing the base frequency of the CPU. This indicator does not affect other system parameters. You can get the same 4.8 GHz by reducing the multiplier to 24 and increasing the base frequency to 200 MHz.

The processor also operated at a frequency of 5 GHz at a voltage of 1.35 V, but in the LinX test the temperature rose to 100 ° C and the computer rebooted. But we managed to get around this situation. The new AVX function helped, allowing the multiplier to be reduced by a selected value when the heat dissipation is exceeded. This value was set to -2. This allowed 200 MHz to be reset when executing AVX instructions. The multiplier was set to 45, and the bus frequency was 112 MHz, resulting in a processor frequency of 5.04 GHz. The voltage was fixed at 1.344 V. These manipulations allowed us to pass the LinX test within 10 minutes with a maximum temperature of 91 ° C.

The processor was tested in three modes:

1. At a nominal frequency of 3.8 GHz with Turbo Boost enabled, which in reality amounted to a frequency of 4.2 GHz.
2. At the maximum possible frequency of 4.8 GHz by setting the multiplier to 48.
3. And at a frequency of 5.0 GHz with an AVX value of -2.

We were able to evaluate the change in performance as a result of overclocking in test programs.

CINEBENCH R15

The program demonstrates a good increase in rendering speed by 22%.

WinRAR v5.20

This program works with archiving; the more the processor scores in the test, the better. The test runs in multi-threaded mode. There are practically no noticeable changes in this program.

PCMark 8

A synthetic PCMark 8 package that simulates real everyday tasks. Here we also see a good increase due to the increased frequency - about 10%.

The test will allow you to evaluate the effect of increased frequency on memory speed characteristics.

The increased frequency does not affect the speed characteristics of memory, the changes are within the error.

HWbot x256 Benchmark v2.0.0

This application will demonstrate the capabilities of high definition video encoding. The increase is insignificant - a couple of FPS.

wPrime v2.10

This utility perfectly loads all computational threads with mathematical tasks. In this test, the lower the value, the higher the performance. With increasing frequency, the speed of calculations increases; the increase was 20%.

Fritz Chess Benchmark

The Fritz Chess Benchmark test calculates algorithms for chess problems. Here, not only multithreading matters, but also the performance of each core. The increase was 17%.

The integrated HD Graphics 630 clearly cannot compete with discrete graphics cards. In Full HD resolution, almost all modern games, even at low or medium settings, struggle to overcome the comfortable average FPS, with drawdowns at the minimum FPS. With an HD screen resolution and low settings, you can already play at a comfortable FPS level, but the picture quality will not be pleasing to the eye.

Results in synthetic Unigine tests:

Here is a summary table of average FPS in games on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 630.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i5-7600K processor compares favorably with its predecessors. There were no revolutionary changes, but new technologies were added, frequencies and energy efficiency increased, and the integrated graphics were updated. And the main thing that is important for buyers of processors with an unlocked multiplier is that this processor has good overclocking potential. Simple manipulations, accessible even to a beginner, allow you to overclock it to 5 GHz without significantly increasing the voltage. And a more or less decent cooler can cope with its low heating. Overclockers should appreciate the new product and remember the glory days with successful overclocking of Sandy Bridge generation processors.

• Good overclocking potential;
• High performance;
• New technologies: Intel Authenticate, Windows Hello, etc.;
• Support for DDR4-2400 MHz RAM;
• Improved multimedia capabilities of integrated graphics;
• Intel Optane Memory support;
• The shape of the heat distribution cover has changed;
• Possibility of installation on motherboards with 100 series chipsets;
• The price is at the same level as its predecessor.

• Thin textolite making scalping more difficult;
• Thermal paste, not solder under the cap.

05.07.2018 16:11

Who would have thought that in 2018 a new 6-core processor for a modern mainstream platform would cost less than $200? This is the reality that the 14 nm Coffee Lake CPU family has given us. And the most affordable solution of this format is the Intel Core i5-8400, which will be discussed today.

This " stone", like “ monsters" for Socket LGA 2066, saves time.

This stone not designed for overclocking, because it does not have an unlocked multiplier. But six physical cores and a high clock speed are enough to perform any tasks that a user of a multimedia computer faces. This is a universal product that will be useful to gamers, content creators (audio and video processing) and professionals.

Technical features

The 14 nm Intel Core i5-8400 processor has six physical cores (the same number of computational threads, the Hyper-Threading function is not used here) and 9 MB of cache. The nominal clock frequency is 2800 MHz (in automatic acceleration mode, one core operates at 4 GHz).

The maximum multiplier of the reviewed CPU is x40, however, all six cores at 4000 MHz do not start, but we will talk about this later.

The declared TDP level of the Intel Core i5-8400 is 65 W, while stone quite hot. A Box format cooler will certainly be enough to remove heat, but you shouldn’t count on 100% silent operation and low operating temperatures. It is better to choose a full-format tower-type CO with a 120 or 140 mm fan that will rotate at low speeds.

To cool the Intel Core i5-8400, we used an Aerocool Verkho Plus cooler (TDP 90 W). Under load stone heated up to 89 degrees, and the propeller rotated at maximum speed (2000 rpm), creating acoustic discomfort.

Intel Core i5-8400 and DDR4-3066

Intel Core i5-8400 is compatible with fast RAM (DDR4-2666). If you have a platform based on the top-end Intel Z370 chipset, we recommend purchasing modules with a frequency of 3000 MHz and higher.

The reviewed processor has a built-in Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics core. Integrated adapter is intended exclusively for displaying images on one or several displays (including in high resolution), it will not be possible to play normally on such a “video card”, it is too weak. For external graphics there are 16 standard PCI-E lines.

We remind you that the Core i5-8400 supports Intel Optane Memory technology, which is the basis for extremely powerful SSDs.

Test stand:

The 14 nm Intel Core i5-8400 processor has six physical cores and 9 MB of cache.

These products can be found at flea markets at an affordable price, but the problem can be a profile motherboard (with the exception of devices with Socket LGA 2066), which are becoming fewer and fewer (new ones are no longer produced).

Against this background, the affordable Intel Core i5-8400 looks great. IN battle it is practically not inferior to any of the above CPUs if we are talking about multimedia tasks. Although support for 4-channel RAM and additional computational threads in professional applications may be in great demand.

We never tire of saying that the eighth generation of Intel Core is a device for growth. This is the flagship, locked, fast, and today's guest Core i5-8400. We recommend that only those who really know how to use six physical cores pay attention to it, and for light tasks it is better to look for something simpler.

It's been almost a month since Intel introduced the Coffee Lake family of processors, and the past weeks have clearly demonstrated that they were released somewhat hastily. There are a lot of indicators of poor preparation of an announcement. The availability of new products in retail is extremely limited, and prices are noticeably inflated by sellers due to shortages. The situation with motherboards is also not ideal: on the shelves there is a fairly wide selection of LGA1151 motherboards based on the Z370 logic set compatible with Coffee Lake, but many of them cause serious complaints from users due to constantly revealing flaws in the firmware.

However, despite all the existing problems, platforms based on Coffee Lake are assessed by the community as purely positive. By adding additional processing cores to the new processors, Intel has done exactly what users have long wanted from it. The performance of mainstream Intel processors has made a noticeable leap, and as a result, representatives of the new family have become very good candidates for inclusion in modern desktops, even despite all the “childhood diseases” and the existence of competing AMD Ryzen processors.

We have already expressed our own opinion about Coffee Lake in the review: testing then showed that Intel was able to quickly catch up with the emerging gap from the competitor in certain aspects. However, for all its advantages, the Core i7-8700K is not very suitable for the mass user. Not only that, with the transition to the Coffee Lake design, Intel increased its appetite and priced its new flagship mainstream processor more expensive than before, raising the recommended price of the Core i7-8700K from the usual $339 to $359. In addition, real retail prices go far beyond this line. For example, in the largest North American online stores they will ask for at least $410 for this chip (subject to availability in the warehouse), and domestic retail is not constrained by such limits.

It’s clear that not everyone is ready to buy a mass-produced processor for more than $400. Therefore, we decided to pay attention to new products of a lower class, which belong to the Core i5 family, and not the Core i7. As before, such CPUs differ from their older brothers in the lack of support for Hyper-Threading technology, that is, they retain a six-core structure. This means that in terms of price and performance, Coffee Lake in the guise of Core i5 may be even more attractive than Core i7. They are also capable of offering an increased number of computing cores compared to their predecessors, but even according to the official price list, their cost is lower than that of the Core i7, by at least $100.

In the past, we've often recommended unlocked Core i5 processors for mid-range desktops, primarily for gaming. Now, it seems, having acquired a couple of additional cores, this series offers an even better combination of consumer characteristics. That's why we decided to conduct detailed testing of the older Coffee Lake Core i5 series and try to evaluate whether this option is much worse compared to the Hyper-Threading Core i7 processor and how it stands up to competing offerings from the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 series, which, despite Intel's modernization of its lineup continues to have superiority in the number of threads and sometimes cores.

Core i5-8600K in detail

The Core i5-8600K processor, like the Core i7-8700K, can be described as a typical representative of the Coffee Lake family - it has six processing cores at its disposal. The main difference from its older brother is the disabled Hyper-Threading technology: this is what desktop Core i5 has always been different from Core i7 since the appearance of these brands in 2011. Intel's commitment to this principle makes today's Core i5-8600K especially attractive - compared to its predecessor, the Kaby Lake generation, the computing power of the new product has increased significantly: it not only has one and a half times more cores, but also increased operating frequencies. All this is clearly visible when comparing the specifications.

There are no improvements at the microarchitectural level in Coffee Lake, that is, with a single-threaded load and at the same clock frequency, the new processors are identical in performance to Kaby Lake. However, for the production of new products, an improved 14++ nm technological process is used. While Intel is unable to begin producing large processor chips using the more advanced 10-nm technology, the start of which has been pushed back to the manufacture of desktop processors until at least the second half of 2018, engineers are optimizing the old 14-nm process technology. And not without success. Today's 14++ nm technology, compared to the original process technology, was able to provide a significant reduction in leakage currents, which resulted in a 52 percent reduction in heat dissipation at the same level of performance. It is thanks to this achievement that the Core i5-8600K has one and a half times more cores, and the maximum frequency in turbo mode has increased from 4.2 GHz to 4.3 GHz.

True, some concerns are caused by a decrease in the base frequency characteristics: for the Core i5-8600K it is set at 3.6 GHz, which is 200 MHz less than the corresponding Kaby Lake. However, this lag should be compensated by the aggressive Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, which in Coffee Lake can increase the processor frequency much more than before. Even with a load on all six cores, if the power consumption and heat dissipation of the Core i5-8600K remains within the established limits, the operating frequency of the processor can increase to 4.1 GHz. As a result, taking into account the active turbo mode, the Core i5-8600K should always be ahead of its quad-core predecessor.

In addition to increased frequencies and additional cores, the Core i5-8600K can offer a 3 MB increase in L3 cache, as well as official support for dual-channel DDR4-2666 with a bandwidth of up to 42.7 GB/s versus DDR4-2400 with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. With.

True, to get all the benefits provided by the new product, you will need a new motherboard based on the Intel Z370 chipset. The new version of LGA1151, which is used by Coffee Lake processors, adds additional power lines, and in older LGA1151 boards based on Z270 or Z170 (and other chipsets of previous generations), 8000-series processors do not work. But without exception, all new motherboards compatible with the Core i5-8600K can provide overclocking. It, like the Core i7-8700K, has an unlocked multiplier, so with a couple of manipulations in the motherboard BIOS, its operating frequency can be easily increased, as well as the frequency at which the L3 cache and system memory operate. At the same time, for overclocking LGA1151 processors of the Coffee Lake family, compliance with a 95-watt thermal package is declared, which means that theoretically their moderate overclocking is quite possible without the use of bulky air or liquid cooling systems.

There is no doubt that the Core i5-8600K is better than its Kaby Lake generation predecessor, the Core i5-7600K, in all respects. However, this processor now needs to be compared not only with internal competitors, but also with those processors that AMD offers in the same price segment. The actual retail price of the Core i5-8600K today is about $300, and for this amount you can buy an eight-core Ryzen 7 1700. If you focus on official prices, then the direct competitor to the older Core i5 is the six-core Ryzen 5 1600X. Let's compare the Core i5-8600K's specs to both AMD alternatives.

From the point of view of formal characteristics, AMD's proposals continue to look attractive, even despite the fact that Intel has significantly increased the number of processing cores in its Coffee Lake processors. Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 continue to outperform their competitors in at least the number of executed threads and cache memory sizes. However, Coffee Lake has the leadership in clock frequencies, plus we should not forget that modern Intel processor cores have a clear advantage in terms of IPC - the number of instructions executed per clock.

As our previous tests have shown, in resource-intensive applications, the six-core Core i7-8700K performs at least no worse than the eight-core Ryzen 7 1700X. But the gap in the characteristics of the Core i5-8600K and Ryzen 7 1700 is more significant: while Intel blocks Hyper-Threading in new mid-range processors, SMT technology in Ryzen is present not only in the eight-core Ryzen 7, but in the six-core Ryzen 5. Which means that the situation in the mid-price segment may remain ambiguous even after updating the Intel processor lineup.

Naturally, detailed tests will dot all the “e”s, but it’s too early to move on to them.

We were deceived: features of the turbo mode in Coffee Lake

When we first got acquainted with the Coffee Lake generation processors and tested it, we noted that its actual frequency always corresponds to the maximum allowed turbo frequency for the corresponding load. This had a positive effect on performance: indeed, the Core i7-8700K with a nominal frequency of 3.7 GHz, even with maximum AVX load on all six cores, “splashed” at 4.3 GHz, leaving no doubt about the superiority of the new processor technology design and 14++ nm. True, the thermal and electrical indicators caused some confusion. The fact is that while the thermal package of the Core i7-8700K is set at 95 W, and the maximum permissible temperature is 100 degrees, its actual consumption under maximum load reached 140-145 W, and the temperature with the highly efficient Noctua NH-U14S cooler - up to 88 degrees. It is very doubtful that this mode of CPU operation can be considered normal.

Even bigger questions regarding the correct operation of Coffee Lake processors in turbo mode began to arise when we began to get acquainted with the Core i5-8600K sample. This time we had a serial CPU in our hands, and it was no longer possible to attribute the oddities observed with consumption and temperatures to the peculiarities of the engineering sample. And the reasons for surprise only increased. The fact is that in nominal mode with a full AVX load, which we traditionally created using the LinX 0.8.0 utility, the temperature went beyond all reasonable limits.

As you can see from the above screenshot, the processor frequency under full load in LinX 0.8.0 is 4.1 GHz - this is the maximum possible frequency of the Core i5-8600K when all six cores are used. At the same time, CPU consumption reaches the already familiar 145 W, and the temperature reaches the maximum allowed by the specification - 99 degrees. And this is with the Noctua NH-U14S cooler, which there is not the slightest reason to accuse of its inability to withstand the high thermal power of the chip! It is clear that such a high temperature is largely due to the low efficiency of the internal thermal interface used in Intel processors, but at the same time it is quite obvious that there should still be no critical heating of the Core i5-8600K in nominal mode.

Therefore, we turned to Intel engineers for clarification, who gave a very discouraging comment: on many LGA1151 motherboards based on the Z370 chipset, Turbo Boost 2.0 technology is not implemented correctly. In an attempt to squeeze maximum efficiency out of new processors, board manufacturers deliberately ignore the established limits on processor power consumption, and this can actually lead to overheating. Unfortunately, the ASUS Strix Z370-F Gaming motherboard we used turned out to be a prime example of a board with an incorrectly configured turbo mode. Therefore, it is not surprising that when tested on this platform, the Core i7-8700K and Core i5-8600K demonstrated sky-high temperatures and power consumption.

In fact, processors from the Coffee Lake family, when turbo mode is activated, should not operate at the maximum frequencies specified for the load on a particular number of cores. This is just an upper limit, and there are some other conditions attached to it. The main one is: processor consumption over long periods of time should not exceed the established TDP limits (that is, beyond 95 W for the Core i7-8700K and Core i5-8600K) and can only reach 120 W for a short time. However, many motherboard manufacturers have blocked checking these additional conditions at the BIOS level, and now Intel is working with partners to ensure that the correct operation of Turbo Boost 2.0 technology is restored.

It is clear that this will entail a slight decrease in the performance of the new processors under high computing load, but the temperature regime of Coffee Lake will finally not cause any concern. And Intel representatives have already been able to achieve some success in mentoring board manufacturers. For example, in the latest BIOS versions for our ASUS Strix Z370-F Gaming board (0419 and 0420), the implementation of turbo mode is already quite consistent with the norm. After updating the firmware, the frequency of the Core i5-8600K, when tested in LinX 0.8.0, no longer remains at 4.1 GHz and drops to 3.5 GHz, thanks to which the temperature and consumption remain within acceptable limits: 95 W and 72 degrees respectively.

As for performance, the transition of the motherboard to working correctly with the multiplier expectedly led to a 10% decrease in performance in the Linpack test (from 330 to 300 GFlop). However, in this case, the maximum underclocking occurs, since Linpack uses extremely energy-intensive AVX2 instructions. For example, when tested in Prime95 with AVX instructions deactivated, the operating frequency of the Core i5-8600K is already 3.9 GHz, which is noticeably closer to the maximum set for full load, but still does not reach it.

Nevertheless, one cannot help but pay attention to the fact that due to incorrect support for turbo mode on motherboards, the results of Coffee Lake performance measurements made at the time or before the announcement of processors of this family turned out to be somewhat overestimated (this applies not only to ours, but also to the vast majority reviews available on the Internet). In fact, the performance of Coffee Lake in nominal mode under heavy multi-threaded loads will be somewhere 3-7 percent lower than that obtained in initial tests, but in reality they will now be able to operate at a more adequate temperature and demonstrate much more moderate power consumption.

Such operation of processors with multipliers, when under heavy computing load the frequency drops noticeably, and sometimes even below the basic passport value, was previously typical exclusively for the HEDT platform, where processors have a significant number of computing cores. However, with the introduction of the Coffee Lake design, regular mainstream models also became multi-core, so it is not strange that the multiplication factor now dynamically adjusts to consumption in the LGA1151 platform.

That is why Intel decided to stop describing in detail the values ​​of the turbo frequency at different loads, limiting itself to indicating only the general maximum - the details now do not make much sense. The fact is that the frequencies inherent in the turbo mode may be unattainable in reality. It all depends on the current level of power consumption, and it is not only determined by the nature of the load, but can also vary for different instances of processors depending on the quality of the semiconductor crystal and the rated voltage VID.

Greetings everyone. Let's continue our series of reviews about Haswell family processors. This time we'll talk about mid-price processors, namely Intel Core i5 processors. These processors, unlike our previous guests, have 4 physical cores and have a fairly high level of performance (paired with a good video card, gaming systems are most often built on these processors).

Our guests today have slightly different prices, but there are no fundamental differences in them, except for frequency. Many are tormented by the question: is it worth overpaying 1.5-2 thousand for the frequency? We will try to answer this question and see what other interesting things are hidden in the new generation i5 processors. The Intel Core i5 4670 processor, as is the case with other top i5 solutions of previous generations of processors, has a version with an unlocked i5 4670K multiplier, which costs about a thousand more than its younger brother, but in this case the overpayment is completely justified, because it is possible to overclock the processor at multiplier.

Specifications

Intel Core i5 4670
Socket – H3 (LGA 1150)
Line – Core i5
Core – Haswell
Technological process – 22 nm
Processor frequency – 3400 MHz (up to 3800 MHz in turbo mode)


Maximum graphics core frequency – 1200 MHz
Stream processors – 20


Number of cores – 4
L1 cache size – 128 KB
L2 cache size – 1024 KB
L3 cache size – 6144 KB

SSE4 support – yes

Heat dissipation – 84 W

Intel Core i5 4430
Socket – H3 (LGA 1150)
Line – Core i5
Core – Haswell
Technological process – 22 nm
Processor frequency – 3000 MHz (up to 3200 MHz in turbo mode)
Integrated graphics core – yes
GPU model – Intel HD Graphics 4600
Maximum graphics core frequency – 1100 MHz
Stream processors – 20
Built-in memory controller – yes
Maximum memory bandwidth – 25.6 GB/s
Number of cores – 4
L1 cache size – 128 KB
L2 cache size – 1024 KB
L3 cache size – 6144 KB
Hyper-Threading support - no
SSE4 support – yes
Virtualization Technology support – yes
Heat dissipation – 84 W

Packaging and accessories

Appearance

Test stand

Since we tested the Haswell family of i3 processors, we will compare our guests with them, leaving the AMD A10 6700 processor in the list and adding the AMD FX-8350 and Intel Core i5 3330 processors. The general list of processors will be as follows:
- Intel Core i3 4330;
- AMD FX-8350;
- Intel Core i5 Ivi Bridge 3330;
-AMD A10 6700.


We added GT 630 graphics to the AMD FX-8350 processor (it was planned to use GT 610, but it was not available at the time of testing). At the time of testing, it was not possible to find the Intel Core i5 3570 processor, which is the predecessor of the Core i5 4670. In order to make the test more fair, in all variations we will use only boxed coolers; for newly arrived processors (i5 Haswell) this is the Foxconn F90T12NS1A7 cooler , for i3 4330 and i5 3330 processor – Delta DTC-DAA10, for AMD processors – AMD A10M5M00 (boxed A-series cooler from AMD – maximum heat dissipation –125 W).



As you can see, the average price of the FX-8350 is slightly lower than the i5 4430 and significantly lower than the i5 4670 (the difference between these processors even includes the cost of our video card).






Appearance of testing participants.

Testing and Performance

1. Synthetic tests

2. Game tests

Conclusions

Summing up the results of our review, we can say that I simply did not have a clear opinion about processors in the mid-price category. The processors are undeniably productive and are not inferior to their predecessors. We were especially surprised by the results of the FX-8350 processor, in relation to our guests. If earlier representatives of AMD processors of the mid-segment, despite the larger number of cores and cache, lost to i5 processors, now in most applications the difference is either insignificant or it simply does not exist, work on bugs carried out, and it is quite productive. Of course, the picture is somewhat spoiled by the old technical process, higher heat dissipation and the inability to increase performance by upgrading to a more powerful processor (FX-8350 is one of the highest-performance processors from AMD, with the exception of the 9-series for enthusiasts, which has a very high price and huge TDP). But now Reds fans can at least not think that their favorite brand can't compete in games with i5 processors. But back to our guests, so the pros and cons:

Intel Core i5 4430:
+ high performance;
+ presence of good built-in graphics;
+ availability of support for all modern instructions;
+ 4 physical cores;

+ low cost relative to the representatives of the previous generation and the family as a whole (the most budget model i5), while the performance is not much different;
- heat dissipation is even higher than that of its predecessors in the form of Ivy (affected by the presence of more powerful graphics);
- insignificant level of auto acceleration (TurboBoost).

Intel Core i5 4670:
+ one of the best in its class in terms of performance;
+ good built-in graphics;
+ support for all modern instructions;
+ 4 physical cores;
+ sufficient amount of cache memory;
+ good performance gain from auto overclocking (Turboboost);
- the price is only slightly lower than that of a model with an unlocked multiplier (i5 4670K), and the difference in performance between younger and cheaper models may simply be insignificant;
- heat dissipation is even higher than that of its predecessors in the form of Ivy (this is due to the presence of more powerful graphics).

We can add that, against the backdrop of pros and cons, for most users the i5 4430 will be the best choice, the price difference between the processors is significant, the difference in performance ranges from 5 to 10%. As with previous generations, the difference between representatives of the same processor family is not significant, so everyone will decide for themselves where exactly to compromise. As for the choice between i5 and FX-8350 processors, then let religion and financial capabilities decide (if there is no point or opportunity to pay extra for third-party cooling and discrete graphics), then the choice will become a little easier. It is worth considering that the difference in the cost of ready-made platforms from Intel and AMD at this time is not very different (an AMD 970 motherboard costs about the same as its competitor, the Intel B85). Ultimately, everyone will decide for themselves what is more important to them.
That's all, AnSoReN was with you, see you again in the digital space...