Sandy Bridge CPU / GPU / Overclocking

With Sandy Bridge E Intel shows the first major overwork of their Core i7-9XX series CPU architecture. The two CPUs we tested aim at the high-end desktop segment where they can really show what they're capable of. "A bit more of everything" this could have been the motto under which this CPU was developed. Therefore you find more cache, more cores, more threads and a wider memory interface which now offers quad channel, which by the way allows massive throughputs. In other words it looks like Intel took a Sandy Brdige CPU, removed the integrated graphics applied the changes mentioned and volia there it is: Sandy Brdige E.
The new Intel processors also come with Turbo Versino 2.0. When there is load on all core they will automatically be overclocked by 300 MHz and when there's only load on one core the frequency can increase by up to 600 MHz.

The most important change regarding the chipset concerns the 40 PCI-Express 2.0 lanes. If you take a P67 or a Z68 for comparison you'll only find 16 PCI-Express lanes. Especially motherboard manufacturers are excited about this. They're much more flexible now then they were with other chipsets. Furhtermore no additional chips are needed, like for instance the NF200.
With X79 you get a new Socket and a quad channel memory interface. The memory modules standard clock frequency is 1333 MHz and the theoretical throughput is 51.2 Gigabyte per second. For the desktop segment this memory interface is oversized. But having in mind, that the same CPUs will also be used in server setups with more than one CPU on the same motherboard a wide memory interface makes sense. This allows a faster communication between the CPUs.

Already before this launch there were lots of rumors that the new X79 chipset won't ship with native USB3.0 functionality. Finally we can confirm this. Nevertheless there are 14 USB2.0 ports, six SATA-III-Ports but no native USB3.0. Motherboard manufacturers will haven to add USB3.0 themselves be for example adding corresponding chips from ASMEDIA.

Overclocking

Intels high-end desktop chipset doesn't have limitations regardin overclocking. This means that the multiplyer as well as the BCLK can be used for overclocking. This really is good news for the community because being allowed to overclock using both BCLK and multiplyer offers more flexibility to overclockers. Furhtermore the option to overclock the BCLK is a good indicator in order to tell how powerful a boards power design is.

Page 1 - Introduction	Page 9 - SuperPi / WPrime
Page 2 - Specifications	Page 10 - WinRar
Page 3 - Sandy Bridge CPU / Chipset / Overclocking	Page 11 - Crysis
Page 4 - Test Setup	Page 12 - Resident Evil 5
Page 5 - Futuremark	Page 13 - Street Fighter 4
Page 6 - Cinebench	Page 14 - Power consumption
Page 7 - SiSoft Sandra 1	Page 15 - Conclusion
Page 8 - SiSoft Sandra 2

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