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Characteristics and overclocking of the Intel Core i5 processor

The processors of the Intel Core i5 line are presented in such a wide range of models that it is not easy to choose the optimal chip for solving problems related to the popular in the environment of Russian IT specialists with a passion - "overclocking". That is acceleration of "iron". What are the criteria for choosing the best Intel Core i5 processor for such purposes? What should I look for when I overclock the chip?

Facts about the line of chips

Intel Core i5 is not just one processor, but a huge family of chips, positioned as products of the middle price segment. In terms of performance, the Intel Core i5 processor (reviewed by many IT specialists confirm this) occupies an intermediate position between its "brethren" - i3 and i7. What are the distinguishing features of these chips? What are the main characteristics of the Intel Core i5 processor, typical of most of its modifications?

Processor, self-accelerating

It is possible, for example, to note that the Turbo Boost technology is implemented in the chips of the line . It implies overclocking the processor in automatic mode, in the event that the nominal values reflecting the performance becomes insufficient. Also, a number of models of the line has a built-in chip that is responsible for graphics-independent graphics processing.

The clock frequency interval determining the performance of the Intel Core i5 processor is 1.2-3.6 GHz. The rate of data exchange via DMI is more than decent - 2.5 GP / s. The technology of manufacturing chips is different - there are those that are produced on the basis of crystals at 45 nm, and there are those in the release of which elements in 32 nm are involved. The microarchitecture of the processors of this line is realized in two variants - Intel Nehalem and Sandy Bridge. The number of cores varies - 2 or 4, the second level cache - 256 KB (per core), the third - 4-6 MB.

Many IT specialists are sure that it is possible to implement an impressive overclock of the Intel Core i5 processor in most of its modifications. Therefore, we will study the features of this chip, correlating them with the prospects of increasing productivity by the "overclocking" method.

Features of architecture

Let's first consider some aspects that reflect the structure of the processor. If we are talking about Sandy Bridge, then it should be noted that the Intel Core i5 processor, reviews about which are especially common among enthusiasts of "overclocking", are not the only one where this architecture is implemented. Sandy Bridge - this is the basis for the functioning of i3 and i7-lines. At the same time, as experts note, the peculiarities of this architecture hinder the qualitative overclocking of the processor. In this connection?

Specificity of Sandy Bridge

The fact is that certain key multipliers, without which the overclocking of the Intel Core i5 processor is difficult, many models of chips that are equipped with Sandy Bridge are simply blocked. The maximum that "overclocker" can expect with such an i5 on "armament" is the increase in the frequency of about 900 MHz. For a professional overclocking enthusiast, this is not the most outstanding indicator (although for an amateur it is quite acceptable).

At the same time, there are processors in the i5 line, in which it is possible to display values for the required multipliers freely. Such chips include, for example, Intel Core i5-2500K. Theoretically, such models can be overclocked, according to some IT specialists, up to 5 GHz or higher. Many experts of "overclocking" are also impressed by the fact that the cost of processors with unlocked multipliers is quite democratic. This allows, for example, paying about 200-250 dollars for a processor capable of good "overclocking", to reach the level of performance of almost "premium" chips, as many experts believe.

The ideal processor for overclocking

According to some experts, overclocking of the Intel Core i5 processor is best done in the same version of the i5-2500K. It is relatively inexpensive - about as much as mentioned above, and the results are very decent in the overclocked state. In some aspects of the "acceleration" this processor, as some experts believe, is quite comparable with the more prestigious i7. And if you compare their cost, then the ratio of price and performance growth potential, as experts believe, makes i5 almost more preferable solution than the model that is newer, but significantly more expensive.

Of course, if you compare the i7 and the Intel Core i5 processor, there are differences in the level of technology. For example, different in these chips the size of the cache in the third level. The older model is equipped with 8 MB, the younger one is 6. However, as many experts note, this difference in most cases has no practical significance.

Intel Core 2500K: Features

Continuing the description of the processor Intel Core i5 2500K, which is the candidate for the status of the most optimal for overclocking, it should be noted: many experts consider it perfectly adapted for gaming needs. Moreover, 4 cores, which are equipped with a chip, is the limit for many modern "gaming" solutions. Processors that support more concurrently processed threads are not always capable of providing real gaming performance gains.

The "iron" factor

Of course, when planning to overclock the Intel Core i5 processor, "overclocker" must acquire in advance the adequate "iron" experiments. The hardware capabilities of other components of the PC must match the performance of the processor. If we use the Core i5 2500K, then we need a computer whose characteristics should not be inferior to the following:

- cooler with a speed of not less than 1800 units per minute;

- video card level Radeon HD 5870;

- RAM type DDR3-1600, a minimum of 4 GB;

It is desirable that a high-quality cooling system should also be installed on the system unit.

The factor of software

Overclocking the processor is, as some enthusiasts of "overclocking" believe, a kind of little research. Therefore, it is not superfluous for the user to acquire an adequate "software" component. If we talk about the optimal operating system, it is quite possible to overclock the processor in Windows 7. It is also necessary to make sure that all the hardware components have fresh drivers installed.

The results require measurements

In terms of software, it's important to get a program to effectively measure the results, which will show the overclocking of the processor. On what kind of software does it make sense to pay attention? One of the most universal programs used by "overclockers" is 3D Mark. It, according to many IT specialists, gives sufficiently objective results on the processor core performance, adequately compares the achieved performance with those that are shown by other chips.

Another useful utility is PC Mark. It can be used as a complex type of software for testing the performance of the processor.

Among the most versatile types of software for researching the speed of a PC (and not only the processor, but also other hardware components) is the SiSoft Sandra program. One of the most objective (if we talk about measuring the performance of chips) measurements that are present in SiSoft Sandra, is the arithmetic test. Also useful may be the results of cryptographic measurements made by one of the modules of this program.

Some experts believe that the architecture of the Intel Core i5 processor is well adapted to work in "chess" programs. Thus, to measure the performance of the chip after the overclocking can be based on the number of operations performed by it in the process of "thinking about moves." The program, which, ideally, according to experts, is suitable for this purpose, is Fritz Chess Benchmark.

Software that is on hand

The above programs are a specialized software for "overclocking". Despite the fact that their use, as a rule, gives quite reliable and quite detailed figures, which allow to understand how successful the overclocking turned out, experts recommend using also "usual" utilities in addition. For example, an archiver: using an accelerated processor, you can try to pack (or reverse-process) files, measuring, firstly, the overall speed of operations, and secondly, watching the stability of the computer in general.

It can come in handy and Photoshop - especially in the part of image operations, where the application of filters is applied. This kind of action is very decently load the processor. If the computer will work when using such features Photoshop is stable - then, the chip was overclocked sufficiently competently.

What other utilities can come in handy? It may well be, for example, an application such as Linpack. It will also be useful to install a utility with which you can monitor the temperature of the processor. As such, you can use the Real Temp program. The CPU-z application can also be used to collect system data.

Game factor

Above we noted that the chip we are considering is a gaming processor. Intel Core i5, if you look at its basic characteristics (such as, for example, the base clock frequency is more than 3 GHz), it really seems quite productive for "gaming tasks". Therefore, when overclocking, it makes sense to study how the processor behaves in specialized programs that simulate the gaming environment, or, in fact, the games themselves. In the second case, its performance can be fixed using the FRAPS utility.

Before you start testing - in a software environment or game - the Intel Core i5 processor should be "measured" at the "factory" settings. Fixing the numbers in the corresponding types of software, you can increase the frequency of multipliers. How to do it?

BIOS Features

The most accessible way to "overclock" the processor is to set the corresponding settings in multipliers in the BIOS. To do this, we restart the PC and at the very beginning of the computer start press DEL - by this action we exit the BIOS. It is possible, of course, that the input key to the input / output system will be different. But, as a rule, the necessary help is always displayed on the screen. It can look something like this: Press DEL to Enter BIOS. Instead of DEL, thus, another button is indicated, if it is different from the marked one.

Entering the BIOS, we find an option of the form Frequency Control. Several basic multipliers will be available in it. We will be interested in two - the overall bus frequency of the processor (it is expressed in MHz) and, in fact, its coefficient. The first parameter is not recommended to touch. The technological type of the Intel Core i5 processor, based on the Sandy Bridge architecture, is not too compatible with the adjustment of the system bus parameters. Especially, as experts say, experiments with this setting, as a rule, do not provide practically a significant increase in productivity.

For growth to be progressive

With the second of the components, experiments are completely permissible. The characteristics of the processor Intel Core i5-2500K allow the increase in the ratio, which is referred to, up to 57. However, it is very undesirable to expose this value immediately. It is necessary to raise the figure gradually, measuring the result of "acceleration" in the programs that we have discussed above. The optimal starting value of the multiplier is 40. If the system starts to work unstably, you can lower it.

Some experts advise "overclockers" to experiment not only with the multiplier, but also with the voltage of the processor. But there is no unambiguous point of view on this score among specialists. There are opponents of this approach. At the same time, if the user still wants to work with this component, then it's worth starting with the index of 1.15 V. By the way, some experts note that specifically for the Intel Core i5-2500K processor this voltage is enough to achieve optimal results Overclocking.

Practical results

What results can be obtained from overclocking the chip? Can the installation of the Intel Core i5 processor on the gaming computer significantly affect the growth of real performance? According to experts, the results can be excellent. Installation - justified. Many of the IT specialists who conducted the corresponding experiment came to the conclusion that the overclocking capabilities of the processor are especially noteworthy in terms of overheating risks. That is, it is quite realistic to increase the practical performance of the chip, at which the processor's temperature will be unconditionally within the technological norm. This means that, if necessary, the multiplier can be increased further. However, then the question of the stability of the system becomes urgent. It should be tested, preferably through several programs at once.

Overclocking is a chance to really speed up the computer without additional attachments. It is quite possible, therefore, to purchase a budget quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and increase its performance by an order of magnitude, bringing it to a level comparable to that of the leading "premium" models.

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