where is i3-2100?

[jonneymendoza]

When will it come out? im looking to grab this instead of the 2500k and 2600k. there too expensive for a htpc gaming build i am doing

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Supposedly it is being released on the 20th of February:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_future_Intel_microprocessors#.22Sandy_Bridge.22_.2832_nm.29_2

BTW,the processor cannot be overclocked as it has a locked multiplier and no Turbo Boost.

 

[jonneymendoza]

Does it really need OCing for watching and recording HD 1080p movies and playing racing and football games?

my 260gtx will be the gpu i will be using for my htpc gaming build.

my main rig has a 480gtx and a i7 920. that will be used for fps games etc

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Does it really need OCing for watching and recording HD 1080p movies and playing racing and football games?

my 260gtx will be the gpu i will be using for my htpc gaming build.

my main rig has a 480gtx and a i7 920. that will be used for fps games etc

Why does it need to be a Core i3 2100 then??

A Core i3 530 is cheaper,the socket 1156 motherboards are cheaper and you can use 1.65V DDR3 RAM too.

On top of this the power consumption at idle is higher for the socket 1155 Core i3 processors.

 

[jonneymendoza]

i did not know the 2100 idles higher. i thought sb's run lower?

yea i may get a 530. seems more practical for my use innit. whats special about 1.65v ddr3 ram? more OC headroom?

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

i did not know the 2100 idles higher. i thought sb's run lower?

yea i may get a 530. seems more practical for my use innit. whats special about 1.65v ddr3 ram? more OC headroom?

In the Anandtech review the Core i3 2100 has similar peak power consumption but a few more watts at idle. I suspect it is the chipset which is the main reason TBH. OTH,the Core i3 2100 is a better performer than a Core i3 540. However,AFAIK the Core i3 530 and 540 are supposed to be decent for overclocking although YMMV.

Also,the prices of the older Core i3 processors may start to drop too.

1.65V RAM is easier to get as the Sandy Bridge processors have to be used with 1.5V RAM. Some 1.65V RAM kits can be run at 1.5V but not all AFAIK as the JEDEC DDR3 RAM specification lists a maximum voltage of 1.575V for DDR3 RAM.

 

[jonneymendoza]

best to wait for SB i3's then and weigh up the cost of both

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

best to wait for SB i3's then and weigh up the cost of both

The Core i3 2100 is on pre-order for around £100 and a Core i3 530 can be had for around £80. The cheapest H55 motherboards are around £50 whereas the cheapest H67 motherboards are around £70.

 

[jonneymendoza]

But the previous gen i3 setup may reduce in price in time when i3 sb comes out?

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

But the previous gen i3 setup may reduce in price in time when i3 sb comes out?

Hopefully!

 

[jonneymendoza]

yea hopefully mate. here is a small question. can i simply slot in a i5 or even a i7 1156 cpu on any 1156 mobo?

i looked at a certain retailler and they have boards that are only for i3 and i5 and others thare for i5 and i7? none that caters for all?

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

A socket 1156 Core i5 or Core i7 should work fine on an H55 motherboard but I would make sure the BIOS is up to date. IIRC, overclocking a Core i5 or Core i7 quad core will be better on a P55 motherboard though.