Core i3 530 processor review

[mathwat]

Earlier this month on the 3rd we took an in-depth peek at the Core i5 600 series processors. Intel that day also released the the Core i3 series processors, exactly the same thing, yet clocked slight slower and with Intel's Turbo mode' stripped away. The end result however is a processor that is priced much more attractive-- yet for a dual-core processor offers much more bang for buck at a mainstream or HTPC. And that processor was not seeded towards Dutch press, hence a review on Core i3 530 today.
And you know what .. the processor certainly does not disappoint.

Full review here :- http://www.guru3d.com/article/core-i3-530-processor-review/



Really good reading enjoy..

 

[Admiral Huddy]

I'm still a little confused as to where intel are going with these chips. Firstly with the onboard GPU requiring new a chipset and secondly they hardly compete with AMDs budget class?

 

[Baboonanza]

IMO, although more expensive the i3 530 with H55 is a better HTPC package than a dual-core AMD chip partly because of it's lower power consumption. I expect people will come along to disagree though The major downside for me is that it requires DDR3 memory, which people are less likely to have spares of kicking about. But I still want one.

I don't really think it's supposed to be competing directly with low-priced AMD chips. Intel can price their chips higher than AMD and still sell much larger volume.

 

[quicksilver]

i3 is only dual core with no turbo, right? so is there any real advantage (aside from price) of getting an i3 instead of an i5 or i7 (assuming the motherboard supports all 3 cpu's) ?

 

[JeffyB]

It a hyperthreaded dual core with onboard graphics and can send hd audio over hdmi. Power consumption on a h55 mobo is fantastic also. Perfect for a htpc or get a dedicated graphics card for a very efficient gaming rig.

 

[Baboonanza]

Slighty different features too. The i3/lower i5s have an integrated graphics chip (stuck to the CPU basically) but need to be paired with H55/H57 mobo to use it. It does have some nice features that you don't normally get from integrated graphics, but these are only really going to be useful in an HTPC. Otherwise mainly price and I think a slightly lower power draw.

I can see the point of the i3, what I don't understand is the i5 660. It's dual core but more expensive that the (superior?) quad-core i5 750. Why?

It's also a bit annoying that the H55 mobos aren't any cheaper then 1156 considering they don't need an additional graphics chipset. I reckon that now only Intel can make the mobo chipsets they're upping the prices the sobs.

 

[weird_dave]

The i5 660 can be had for only a few £ more than the i5 750 (£5 more when I checked yesterday). A possible advantage is that being 32nm, it might clock higher. If you take a 'standard' overclocked BClk of 200, the 750 is only (lol) 4GHz whereas the 660 is at 5GHz. For apps that don't multithread very well, the 660 is a good choice, though not so future proof.
I'm holding off until 32nm quads arrive (that's what I keep telling myself anyway!)