Core i7-2600K CPU Review

Introduction

Intel launched this month their new CPUs based on the “Sandy Bridge” architecture. Let’s check the performance of the new Core i7-2600K (3.4 GHz) and compare it to the CPU it came to replace, the Core i7-875K (2.93 GHz), and to the most expensive CPU from AMD, the Phenom II X6 1100T (3.3 GHz).

For a detailed explanation of what is new in the Sandy Bridge architecture, please read our Inside the Intel Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture tutorial.

The new Core i7-2600K (3.4 GHz) is a quad-core CPU, coming in two flavors: with its clock multiplier unlocked (“K,” being the equivalent to the “Extreme Edition” CPUs Intel used to carry and to the “Black Edition” CPUs from AMD), giving you an extra way to overclock the CPU, and the standard model with a locked clock multiplier. The “K” model can be found today costing USD 330, while the standard model can be found for USD 300.

The Core i7-2600K comes with Hyper-Threading technology, meaning that the operating system recognizes eight CPUs, two per CPU core. Of course these extra “cores” are simulated.

We decided to compare the new Core i7-2600K (3.4 GHz) with the Core i7-875K (2.93 GHz), since both carry similar price tags.

The truth is that the new Core i7-2600K (3.4 GHz) has no direct competition. The most expensive CPU AMD currently has is the Phenom II X6 1100T (3.3 GHz), at USD 270, which is a six-core CPU. Therefore, throughout our review we will consider it as the Core i7-2600K’s main competitor, since no other CPU fits this spot.

CPU	Cores	HT	IGP	Internal Clock	Turbo Clock	Base Clock	Core	Technology	TDP	Socket	Price
Core i7-2600K	4	Yes	Yes	3.40 GHz	3.8 GHz	100 MHz	Sandy Bridge	32 nm	95 W	1155	USD 330
Core i7-875K	4	Yes	No	2.93 GHz	3.6 GHz	133 MHz	Lynnfield	45 nm	95 W	1156	USD 340
Phenom II X6 1100T	6	No	No	3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz	200 MHz	Thuban	45 nm	125 W	AM3	USD 270

TDP stands for Thermal Design Power which advises the user of the maximum amount of heat the CPU can dissipate. The CPU cooler must be capable of dissipating at least this amount of heat.

Prices were researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this review.

CPU	L1 Cache	L2 Cache	L3 Cache	Memory Support	Memory Channels
Core i7-2600K	32 KB + 32 KB per core	256 KB per core	8 MB total	DDR3 up to 1333 MHz	Two
Core i7-875K	32 KB + 32 KB per core	256 KB per core	8 MB total	DDR3 up to 1333 MHz	Two
Phenom II X6 1100T	64 KB + 64 KB per core	512 KB per core	6 MB total	DDR3 up to 1333 MHz	Two

While all CPUs listed above have an integrated memory controller, only the new Core i7-2600K has an integrated graphics processor (IGP). Both the Core i7-2600K and the Core i7-875K have an integrated PCI Express 2.0 controller, handling 16 PCI Express lanes, allowing those CPUs to drive one PCI Express slot at x16 or two PCI Express slots at x8.

AMD CPUs talk to the external world (i.e. the chipset) thru a bus called HyperTransport. For a detailed explanation how this bus works, please read our The HyperTransport Bus Used by AMD Processors tutorial.

Socket LGA1156 and 1155 CPUs use the DMI (Digital Media Interface) bus to talk to the chipset, which is the interface previously used to make the connection between the north bridge and the south bridge chips on Intel chipsets.