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Intel Core i7 2600K and Core i5 2500K review

As detailed on previous pages, we built two new systems for 2500k and 2600k testing today. Both of these systems are powered by Antec High Current Pro 850W power supplies, kindly donated by Antec themselves. We have reviewed this power supply before and you can read more about it over here.

Intel Core i5-2500k System:
Processor: Core i5-2500k
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600mhz
Power Supply: Antec High Current Pro 850W
Motherboard: ASRock P67 Extreme4
Cooler: Noctua NH D14
Thermal Paste: Noctua NT H1
Chassis: Thermaltake Level 10
Graphics: Gigabyte GTX460 OC
Drive: Intel X25-M SSD (160GB)
Operating System: Windows 7 64 bit

Intel Core i7-2600k System:
Processor: Core i7-2600k
Memory: GSkill Ripjaws 4GB 2133mhz
Power Supply: Antec High Current Pro 850W
Motherboard: ASRock P67 Fatal1ty Pro
Cooler: Noctua NH D14
Thermal Paste: Noctua NT H1
Chassis: Thermaltake Level 10
Graphics: Inno3D GTX570
Drive: Intel X25-M SSD (160GB)
Operating System: Windows 7 64 bit

Comparison systems

Intel Core i5-655k System:
Processor: Intel Core i5 655k
Memory: Kingston 4GB DDR3 1600mhz
Motherboard: AsRock P55 Deluxe 3
Graphics Card: Sapphire HD6850
Power Supply: Thermaltake ToughPower Grand 750W
Chassis: Antec Dark Fleet DF-85
Cooler: Noctua NH D14
Drive: Kingston 128GB SSD

Intel Core i5-760 System:
Processor: Intel Core i5 760
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB 1600mhz
Motherboard: AsRock P55 Extreme4
Graphics Card: AMD HD6870
Power Supply: Thermaltake ToughPower Grand 750W
Chassis: Antec Dark Fleet DF-85
Cooler: Noctua NH D14
Drive: Kingston 128GB SSD

Intel Core i7 950 System
Processor: Intel Core i7 950
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer 6GB 1600mhz
Motherboard: AsRock X58 Extreme6
Graphics Card: AMD HD6850
Power Supply: Thermaltake ToughPower Grand 750W
Chassis: Antec Dark Fleet DF-85
Cooler: Noctua NH D14
Drive: Kingston 128GB SSD

Intel Core i7 875K System
Processor: Intel Core i7 875k
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB 1600mhz
Motherboard: Intel DP55KG
Graphics Card: AMD HD6850
Power Supply: Thermaltake ToughPower Grand 750W
Chassis: Antec Dark Fleet DF-85
Cooler: Noctua NH D14
Drive: Kingston 128GB SSD

Software:
Aida 64
Super Pi 1.5 Mod
SiSoft Sandra
Cinebench R11.5 64 bit
Cyberlink Media Espresso
Adobe Photoshop Elements V8
Adobe Premier Pro CS5
3DMark Vantage
PCMark Vantage

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14 comments

  1. Wow, those are mega processors. have to get me one

  2. Great article and they really are good improvements. poor amd 🙁

  3. These are certainly impressive, especially considering the price points they have achieved, which I certainlyw asnt expecting.

  4. Compared to the last generation they have certainly delivered much faster processors. I wasnt expecting such huge gains

  5. That ASRock fatal1ty board looks stunning doesnt it ? Very impressive overall platform from everyone involved.

  6. Thumbs up from me. waiting in line like everyone else for my chip now 🙂

  7. Those intel boards are really nice designs, they seem to getting better and better as the years and releases continue.

  8. Well I had almost bought a 1100T from AMd, and now I really don’t know what to do 🙁 these are so damn good and the price points are excellent. the 1100T costs around the same as the 2600K and it wont really go past 4.3ghz.

  9. There is a clear reason Intel are market leaders, and this is a good showcase of why.

  10. Excellent, count me in when I get the funds up.

  11. AMD need to answer this with something good in 2011, but I am not sure they can anymore. I remember the good old days of FX processors when they led the way. whatever happened 🙁

  12. not that much faster than the 2010 core cpu’s people who say they are are complete idiots on avg perormance increase is about 10%

  13. Francis, you’re completely wrong, it’s not that much faster at all, it’s anywhere between -5( meaning slower) to +10 as john already stated