Can anyone explain CPU stepping

[gt112]

I was recently looking at various i&'s for sale and people were asking what stepping they were.

Surely an Intel i7-920 is an i7-920...no?
Where does stepping come into the equation and what does it mean?

Many thansk

 

[neoboy]

Usually it's to do with overclocking capabilities.

 

[momo56]

i7 c0 is the older revision. i7 d0 is better at overclocking and need less voltage compared to a c0.

 

[d_brennen]

Refinements in manufacturing process. Later steppings are tweaked designs, usually to improve yields. A byproduct of this refinement usually makes the later stepping better at overclocking, though not always

 

[233]

Basically a revision to the CPU design normally yields lower voltages and increased overclocking potential

 

[hubby1989]

..

 

[gt112]

Thanks folks.
Why can they not just refer to the improvements as "revisions" or "versions"!

How do you tell which steeping your i7 is?

 

[Ace Modder]

How do you tell which steeping your i7 is?

One way is to run CPU-Z, it tells you.

 

[Rroff]

CPU-z can tell you.

EDIT: Beaten

 

[gt112]

I installed CPU-z, It tell me that my i7-920 is Stepping 5, Revision D0. Is this ok?

 

[1Day]

Oh yes indeed. The D0 stepping of the 920 class have deservedly the reputation of good clockers with low voltages.

Now there is a but here. BUT not all CPU's are equal. Just because you have a D0 stepping is not a guarantee that your CPU will over clock to 4.4 GHz on stock volts.