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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NextIntel Core i5-661: A 32nm CPU with Integrated Graphics
January 4, 2010 by Lawrence Lee
| Product |
Intel Core i5-661
LGA1156 Processor |
| Manufacturer |
Intel |
| MSRP |
US$196 |
To kick off 2010, Intel has released a new batch of Core i7, i5 and i3 processors,
codename Arrandale for laptops, and Clarkdale for desktops. These new CPUs are
rather interesting in that there are two chips on the same package: a small
dual core processor manufactured using their new 32mm fabrication process connected
internally with QPI to a larger 45nm chip that houses the memory controller and
an updated IGP that supports OpenGL 2.1, simply dubbed Intel GMA HD.
|
Clarkdale die image.
|
While quad core processors will continue to dominate the high-end desktop market,
there is still a strong case to be made for dual core chips. They are more affordable
(at equivalent clock speeds), use less energy and are thus easier to cool. And
though they have half the cores, higher clock speeds are more of a benefit for some
games and applications, not all of them. For the average Joe that doesn't spend hours encoding
video or manipulating high resolution images with advanced filters, a 3+ GHz
dual core CPU is often a better choice.
|
Comparison Table: Dual Core Core i5/i3 Desktop Processors
|
|
Model
|
Clock Speed
|
Turbo Speed
|
L3 Cache
|
TDP
|
Pricing*
|
|
Core i5-670
|
3.46 GHz
|
3.73 GHz
|
4MB
|
73W
|
$284
|
|
Core i5-661
|
3.33 GHz
|
3.60 GHz
|
4MB
|
87W
|
$196
|
|
Core i5-660
|
3.33 GHz
|
3.60 GHz
|
4MB
|
73W
|
$196
|
|
Core i5-650
|
3.20 GHz
|
3.46 GHz
|
4MB
|
73W
|
$176
|
|
Core i3-540
|
3.06 GHz
|
N/A
|
4MB
|
73W
|
$133
|
|
Core i3-530
|
2.93 GHz
|
N/A
|
4MB
|
73W
|
$113
|
|
* boxed price (1000 units)
|
The first six dual core LGA1156 processors have frequencies ranging from 2.93
GHz to 3.46 GHz with all models supporting hyper-threading so the operating
system will see 4 threads instead of 2. For the budget-conscious, the Core i3's
start at only $113 and the only major thing missing is the TurboBoost overclocking
feature. The Core i5-661 runs at 3.33GHz but with TurboBoost
enabled, overclocks to 3.60GHz when a demanding application is running that
can only use one core. The speed is bumped up to 3.46GHz when both cores are
active.
|
i5-6xx vs. i5-6x1.
|
The Core i5-661 is an unusual processor, in name and features.
Both AMD and Intel desktop chips typically have a '0' or '5' at the end of their
model numbers. The "1" indicates that the part in question has a higher
speed graphics core and accompanying TDP, and lacks a few of Intel's lesser
known technologies, the most notable being VT-d, which gives virtual machines
the ability to directly access peripherals on their host. Features like this
are usually only cut on lower-end parts, and the i5-661 is the only one of its
kind for now, so it's a very odd duck indeed, resembling a Core i3 with an overclocked
IGP.
|
CPU-Z screenshot: Core i5-661 at load with TurboBoost disabled.
|
|
Our Core i5-661 sample.
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