We’ve been in this business here at HotHardware for a long time now. For most of that time, we’ve heard from countless so-called "industry experts" that the PC is dead, or at the very least dying. Quite frankly, we’re sick of hearing it. The PC is far from dead. One has to look no further than Intel's most recent finanical results, or even the contents of this website. In fact, we’d argue that the PC is more pervasive than ever. The PC isn’t dead, it just so happens to be one of the most flexible and versatile pieces of technology in existence, and it has simply gone through a number of transformations in its illustrious lifetime. What was once a non-descript, beige box good for little more than word processing and spreadsheets is now the sleek, aesthetically pleasing, hub of our digital world, that can take many different shapes. And despite its impending doom, today the PC is about to become more powerful than ever.
November 14th, 2011 marks the release of Intel’s Sandy Bridge-E microarchitecture and its companion X79 Express chipset. Sandy Bridge-E is the ‘tock’ in Intel’s tick-tock release schedule cadence, that bridges the gap between current Sandy Bridge processors and next year’s Ivy Bridge microarchitecture. The first processor to arrive in the SBE line-up is the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, a six-core chip poised to knock Intel’s aging Gulftown-based processors from their position atop the PC food chain, one that they've held for almost two years.
We’ve got a Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition in house, along with a handful of X79 Express-based motherboards, and have pitted them against an assortment of high-end processors in an array of benchmark scenarios. Our results are laid out for you on the pages ahead, but before we get to the juicy performance details, let’s get some of the particulars out of the way first; specifications coming right up...
 |
|
| Six Core Processing: Runs 6 independent processor cores in one physical package Base Processor Frequency: 3.30 GHz Massive PCI Express Bandwidth: 40 lanes of PCIe supported through the processor Intel Turbo Boost Technology: Dynamically increases the processor frequency up to 3.90GHz when applications demand more performance. Speed when you need it, energy efficiency when you don’t. Intel Hyper-Threading Technology: 12 threads provide unprecedented processing capability for better multi-tasking and threaded applications. Do more with less wait time. Intel Smart Cache: Up to 15MB of shared cached allows faster access to your data by enabling dynamic and efficient allocation of the cache to match the needs of each core significantly reducing latency to frequently used data and improving performance. Overclocking Enabled: Core (Turbo) and DDR3 ratios are unlocked for ease of overclocking Integrated Memory Controller: Supports 4 channels of DDR3-1600 memory with 1 DIMM per channel. Support for XMP memory. See this site for certified XMP memory. |
Intel LGA 2011Sandy Bridge-E Processor, Top and Bottom
Before we get to the technical details regarding Sandy Bridge-E and the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor, Intel asked us to get the word out regarding a joint promotion they’re working on with NewEgg to usher in their newest products, dubbed 32-in-32.
Our evaluation kit arrived in elaborate packaging that opened up to reveal multiple levels inside. On the first level we found an Intel RTS2011LC thermal solution, a Sony Bloggie video camera, and an Intel 510 Series SSD. On another level was the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition packaging, and on yet another was the X79 Express-based DX79SI motherboard. Each level was also adorned with a different QR code that pointed to various promotional materials. The goal of the elaborate packaging was to inform us that this is no ordinary product launch and that our readers could win some of this gear. Below is the low-down on the 32-in-32 promotion straight for the horse’s mouth...
Win an Incredible Intel Unlocked PC & More: 32 in 32 Challenge
Win weekly unlocked prize packages from Intel and Newegg starting November 14. Take home the grand prize and you'll fly to Newegg HQ for a chance to build your own Intel Enthusiast PC valued at over $5,000. Weekly prize bundles include Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme Edition processors, Intel® Desktop Boards, Intel® Solid-State Drives, and other system components.
Each week is a chance to win a different unlocked prize package. To win the grand prize, create and submit a video explaining in about 32 seconds why you deserve to a chance to build your ultimate unlocked PC.
Sandy Bridge-E, and by extension the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, has a lot in common with the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, which arrived earlier this year with the Core i7-2600K and other members of the second generation Intel Core processor family—it’s just bigger and badder. As such, we won’t be rehashing many of the details again here, but we would suggest checking out a few previous articles if you’d like more details regarding Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, Smart Cache, and Smart Response Technology.
- Intel Core i7-2600K and i5-2500K Processors Debut
- Intel Core i7-2820QM Mobile Sandy Bridge Processor
- Intel Z68 Express with Smart Response Technology
In our Core i7-2600K and Core i5-2500K launch article, we go in-depth on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture and cover many details that are pertinent to today’s launch as well. In our Core i7-2820QM coverage, we outline more architectural details and in on our Intel Z68 Express with Smart Response Technology article, we detail Intel’s SSD caching technology, a.k.a SRT.
Intel Sandy Bridge-E Die Map
As we’ve mentioned, Sandy Bridge-E shares many of the same features of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, but as the “E” denotes, SBE is more extreme. What you see pictured above is a die map of a Sandy Bridge-E based Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor. The chip is manufactured using Intel’s advanced 32nm process node and features roughly 2.27 billion transistors. The die size is approximately 434.7mm2 (20.8 mm x 20.9 mm).
The initial batch of processors based on the Sandy Bridge-E microarchitecture will feature 6 active execution cores that can each process two threads simultaneously courtesy of Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology, for support of a total of 12 threads. Although, you’ll notice in the die map that there are actually two cores dormant in the chip. The die actually has eight cores, but due to power and yield constraints with the current revision, only six are active at this time. We asked when / if an 8-core SBE would ship and were of course told that Intel doesn’t comment on unreleased products, but you can bet the farm they’ll be coming at some point. The actual cores are essentially identical to the original Sandy Bridge microarchitecture and support the same Intel AVX and AES instructions, along with SSE4.1, SSE4.2, etc.
Sandy Bridge-E based processors like the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition are designed for a new socket, LGA 2011, and require a compatible motherboard built around the new X79 Express chipset (more on that later). The processors will support up to 15MB of shared L3 Intel Smart Cache, although there is actually 20MB on die (the remaining L3 is disabled along with those other two cores), and feature integrated quad-channel memory controllers with official support for DDR3 memory at speeds up to 1600MHz, although higher speeds are possible through overclocking.
Sandy Bridge-E based processors also feature 40 integrated lanes of PCI Express connectivity, that support speeds equivalent to the 8GT/s PCI Express 3.0 specification. Intel won’t be designating the lanes as PCIe 3.0 compliant at this time, however, because the company has been unable to qualify them with the necessary PCIe 3.0 compliant add in boards, which don’t exist just yet.
Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Processor CPU-Z Details
The Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor we’ll be featuring here today has a base clock frequency of 3.3GHz with a maximum Turbo frequency of 3.9GHz. It achieves those clocks using a BCLK of 100MHz (mistakenly labeled bus speed in the image above) and multipliers ranging from 33 to 39, although lower and higher multipliers are available with this unlocked processor. The chip sports 192K of L1 data cache (32K per core), 192K of L1 instruction cache (32K per core), and 1.5MB of L2 cache (256K per core). The Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is also outfitted with 15MB of shared L3 cache, although lower-end variants of the chip will have 12MB (or potentially less).
The chip has a 130W TDP similar to Intel’s current high-end Gulftown-based processors and has a .95 to 1v base input voltage, although that voltage will automatically scale upwards when higher multipliers are used, when Turbo Boost frequencies kick in, for example.
Arriving alongside the new Sandy Bridge-E based Core i7 desktop processors is Intel’s X79 Express chipset. Below is a high-level block diagram of the X79 Express chipset, which is targeted at the high-performance and enthusiast market segments.
Intel X79 Express Chipset Block Diagram
Like most recent chipsets for Intel’s current processors, the X79 Express is essentially an I/O hub, as all of the traditional Northbridge functionality is integrated into the processor itself. As you can see, LGA2011 Sandy Bridge-E processors offer a whopping 40 lanes of PCI Express connectivity and feature an integrated quad-channel DDR3 memory controller. The PCIe links can be arranged in any number of configurations, and although they’re listed as PCI Express 2.0 here, these integrated PCI Express lanes actually support PCI Express 3.0 speeds. We’re told the lack of PCI Express 3.0 GPUs and peripherals at this time have prevented Intel from definitively qualifying the Sandy Bridge-E’s integrated PCI Express lanes as PCI Express 3.0 capable, so they’re not being labeled as such. However, the functionality does exist, once testing and qualification is complete.
The processors are linked to the chipset via a 20Gb/s interface (DMI) and the X79 Express is outfitted with 8 more PCIe 2.0 lanes, along with various other I/O options, like USB 2.0 (14 ports), six SATA ports (2 x SATA III), an integrated Gigabit MAC, HD audio, etc. We should point out that the X79 Express has native support for SATA 6Gbs on two of its ports, but not USB 3.0. USB 3.0 is only available through the use of third-party controllers like those from VIA, Reneasas / NEC, or ASMedia.
Intel DX79SI "Siler" X79 Express-Based Motherboard
 |  |
 |
To showcase the X79 Express chipset, Intel has designed and built a high-end motherboard dubbed the DX79SI (codename: Siler). The DX79SI exploits all of the features inherent to the X79 Express chipset and adds a few more, like USB 3.0 and Firewire, through the use of third-party controllers. The board features “BIOS Vault” technology, which essentially acts as a backup BIOS / UEFI in the event of a bad flash or malware attack. It also features Intel’s “Fast Boot” technology, which speeds the boot process by eliminating the need to complete a full POST when the hardware and configuration of the system is unchanged from the previous boot. The DX79SI also supports Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) for easy high-speed memory configuration and even includes an extensive set of overclocking tools. And those tools are not only available via the BIOS / UEFI, but also through a Windows-based application called the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, or Intel XTU. XTU gives users the ability to tweak numerous performance-related options and monitors system temperatures and fan speeds. “One Touch” overclocking options are also available for those that want a quick and easy speed boost, without doing much tweaking.
The DX79SI uses the same black and blue color scheme of many previous enthusiast-class Intel-built motherboards and it features heavy-duty heatsinks for the chipset and voltage regulation modules. In addition, the DX79SI offers four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, two IEEE 1394a ports (1 external, 1 via internal header), and 14 USB 2.0 ports (6 external ports in the IO backplane, 8 via internal headers). The board also sports a couple of integrated power and reset switches, solid capacitors, and a POST code error reporter, along with a number of LED status indicators. Finally, the board is outfitted with three PCI Express x16 slots, with full support for both NVIDIA’s SLI and AMD’s CrossFire multi-GPU technologies.
We also spent some time overclocking our Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition sample using Intel’s own DX79SI motherboard and the Asus P9X79 Deluxe, with similar results.
Like the first batch of Sandy Bridge-based second generation Intel Core processors, new Sandy Bridge-E based processors offer limited flexibility when overclocking via BCLK manipulation. If you want to tweak CPU and memory frequencies via the BCLK, it can only be increased by a few MHz (think 3-5MHz) maximum.
However, with Sandy Bridge-E, two new BCLK multiples or straps are also available, that were not offered on earlier Sandy Bridge processors. With Sandy Bridge, only a 100MHz BCLK is available, but with Sandy Bridge-E 100MHz, 125MHz, and 166MHz BCLK frequencies are also possible. In addition, like K series SKUs, the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is fully unlocked; so CPU, Turbo, and Memory frequencies can be easily altered through multiplier manipulation as well.
With a chip as large and complex as the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, power and cooling considerations are very important when overclocking. At its stock configuration the Core i7-3960X is a rated for 130W, but power consumption and heat output can shoot up considerably when the chip is pushed well beyond spec. As such, Intel has incorporated options to increase voltages and specify peak current thresholds too. The new options and power / heat considerations add some wrinkles and complexity to the overclocking process, but we still found overclocking SBE to be quite easy and very fruitful.
Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility Offers UEFI Customization Via Windows
Our friends at Asus, who have tested a large number of chips, tell us that most Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processors can easily hit 4.5GHz with good air or liquid cooling. 80-90% of the CPUs can hit up to 4.6GHz, 60-70% can do 4.7GHz, and approximately 50% of the CPUs can hit the 4.8GHz mark with the right combination of voltage (1.4v to 1.5v) and a powerful liquid cooler. Although the options are there to disable SpeedStep and various C states, overclocking SBE is really as easy as finding the right combo of voltage, BCLK, and peak Turbo frequencies. By altering those options and leaving SpeedStep, etc. enabled, the processor can still clock-down when not under load, minimizing power consumption and heat output.
Using Intel’s RTS2011LC thermal solution, we were able to take our particular Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor all the way up to 4.75GHz using a 125MHz BCLK and a peak all-core Turbo multiplier of 38. At that speed, however, we were pushing the limits of the RTS2011LC thermal solution as the processor would approach the 90ºC mark after long periods of sustained load. At 91ºC, the chip will begin to throttle. At 4.75GHz, the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor put up a Cinebench 11.5 MT score of 13.89.
 |
|
Before bringing this article to a close, we'd also like to take a but about power consumption. Throughout all of our benchmarking and testing, we monitored how much power our Intel Core i7-3960X-based test system was consuming with a power meter, versus other test systems we used for benchmark comparisons on the previous pages. Our goal was to give you an idea as to how much power each configuration used while idling at the Windows desktop and while under a heavy CPU workload. Keep in mind, this is total system power consumption being measured at the outlet and not the the individual power of the CPUs alone.
The Core i7-3960X ended up consuming somewhat less power than the six-core Core i7-990X under both idle and load conditions, but considerably more than the quad-core Core i7-2700K. The Core i7-3960X's idle and load power was also somewhat higher than the AMD FX-8150, but considering the massive performance increases offered by the Core i7-3960X, using a bit more power is easily justified.
As we mentioned earlier, overclocking the Core i7-3960X can result in large increases in power consumption. To demonstrate this, we also monitored power consumption with the chip running at its stock configuration and while overclocked to 4.2GHz and 4.7GHz. As you can see, power consumption jumped up almost 200 watts with the chip overclocked to 4.7GHz.
Performance Summary: The Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is the fastest desktop processor we have tested to date, bar none. In all of our multi-threaded benchmarks, the higher Turbo Boost frequencies and additional compute resources of the six-core Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition allowed it to easily overtake every other processor we tested, including the six-core Core i7-990X and pseudo eight-core AMD FX-8150. In our single and dual-threaded tests, the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition also offered excellent performance and outpaced every other processor, save for the Core i7-2700K which features a similar microarchitecture and peak Turbo Boost frequencies. The Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition also proved to be an excellent overclocker.
Intel Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme Processor Packaging
Intel will initially be releasing two Sandy Bridge-E based desktop processors, the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition we featured here and the slightly lower-clocked Core i7-3930K. Both of the processors are unlocked for more flexible overclocking, and they both feature six cores (12 threads), 130W TDPs, and quad-channel memory controllers. The Core i7-3930K, however, is outfitted with “only” 12MB of L3 cache, whereas the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 15MB, and the Core i7-3930K’s base and peak Turbo Boost frequencies are 100MHz lower. As such, the Core i7-3930K will be somewhat more affordable at $555, while the flagship Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition will command $990. As has always been the case with top-of-the-line desktop processors, you’ll have to pay to play with the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. A higher clocked quad-core variant with 10MB of L3 cache is also coming at some point in Q1 of next year.
Intel Desktop Processor Line-Up
Put simply, the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is the most powerful desktop processor available on the market. Period. When paired to its companion X79 Express chipset, the two make for the most potent foundation of a desktop system yet, whether it be for gaming, content creation or productivity. Even so, there are still a couple of execution cores lying dormant in the processor which will likely be unleashed at some point in the future, when / if Intel re-spins the chip to tame its power requirements. Considering how powerful the platform is now, we shudder to think what the next version of SBE will do, if Intel takes that route, of course. And why wouldn't they?
No comments:
Post a Comment