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| Sandy Bridge E |
Late in 2011, Intel released a line of processors called The Sandy Bridge E. These processors are not modeled on a new architecture, but instead are an extension of the current Sandy Bridge line. Instead of four cores, 8MB cache, two memory channels, PCIe 2.0 and an integrated CPU, the Sandy Bridge E allows consumers to purchase a processor with up to six cores, 15MB cache, 12 threads, no integrated CPU, four memory channels and PCle 3.0.
While you could have bought a processor with up to six cores before the Sandy Bridge E was released, you would have to have purchased a processor which included Nehalem architecture which made no sense for the vast majority of people. This was because the original Sandy Bridge processors were just as fast and several hundred of dollars less expensive.
Considering this is a processor offering unrivaled performance, you might have thought that the E in Sandy Bridge stood for Efficiency; it actually stands for Enthusiast. This is because Intel's target market with these processors is not the average computer user who simply browses the internet and plays a few games every now and again. Instead, the processor is targeted towards users who want and require as many cores as possible and who use powerful applications that can run smoothly on multiple threads.
Intel initially launched two processors, the Corei7 - 3960X and the Corei7 - 3930K. The differences between these two were the cache and clock speed. The 3930K has a cache of 12MB as well as a clock speed of 3.2GHz, whereas the 3960X has a cache of 15MB and a clock speed of 3.3GHz. The cores can support 12 threads as they both have hyper-threading (the ability to execute two threads, or sets of instructions, at the same time).
With the new chips comes a new socket; Socket 2011, as well as a new chipset; X79. The X79 seems familiar and that is because it is. The specification is exactly the same as Sandy Bridge's P67 chipset.
Pros
The Sandy Bridge E processors are certainly faster than all other processors on the market - PC Perspective found that they outperformed the Core i7 2600K by 30.
Tech Report and Anand also discovered that these processors are slightly faster for single-threaded applications due to the huge cache, and around 50% faster for multithreaded applications than the original Sandy Bridge thanks to having 50% more threads.
Cons
The 3930K retails at $555 and the 3960X at $990 which will undoubtedly put some users off despite being the most powerful processors money can buy.
For some reason, these new processors come without a cooler or heatsink, which means that they are the only processors sold by Intel without a cooling system. You will therefore have to buy one yourself; Intel offers a typical low end one for $20 or a high end sealed water cooling system with a water block for $80, or you could go with another company.
Conclusion
With the Sandy Bridge E processors, Intel now have a flagship product that can beat out all their competitors. While there is no denying the speed and efficiency of these processors, due to the high price, they will only be bought by professionals who need an increase in performance to become more efficient and thus increase their earnings.
Here is a video that you can watch.
I hope that this blog will help you find out which Sandy Bridge E Processor is best for you. Thank you and have a great day!
