Easy to install since it is the retail version with HSF and thermal compound already installed and in the package. With the GPU built in I am pulling little power (50 watts) in my HTPC system with 3 hard drives, a PCIe lan card and an Asus P8H67-M motherboard.
Processor has plenty of power to handle my HTPC needs plus allows the server to handle other tasks at the same time without a hiccup. Intel Core i5 Processor i5-2500 3.3GHz 6MB LGA1155 CPU BOX80623I52500
This new "Sandy Bridge" processor is providing excellent performance for a $200.00 CPU (especially cost effective since the GPU is onboard--no graphics card is required). It is installed in a computer with 8GB of RAM used for typical business applications running simultaneously and occasional audio/visual processing. So far, no complaints. Windows 7 (64 bit) boots quickly and CPU utilization overall remains low most of the time even under moderate multitasking load. Some reviews mention the inadequacy of the heatsink/fan included, but mine hums along just fine at about 30 degrees (Celcius). Be aware that there is a known defect in Intel's supporting chipsets (P67, H67) that will require certain motherboards to be replaced mid-2011 when the updated chipsets become available, so do your research before purchasing. The defect is not in the CPU itself.
A comment for those of you ordering from other suppliers using their free shipping options who are used to receiving the product(s) in the next day or so anyway...I ordered this CPU on 1/17/2011 using Amazon's free shipping option and it was delivered on 1/25/11. (This is not a complaint--I understood the level of service--just a "heads up" to those of you who might presume faster delivery based on experiences with other vendors.)
It's that epoch already...
Yes...
Bethesda is launching an "Elder Scrolls" game late this year... oh boy. About the only tech release that is able to make me rush into upgrading my pc.
My previous mobo/proc was an athlon 5400 with msi nvidia 550 mobo and 2 gigs of ddr2 800. Up to this point, and coupled with my trusty GTX 260, that combination just worked. Fallout 3 and new vegas ran on that setup very well.
But still, Skyrim is coming, and nothing irks me more than running an elder scrolls game with an underpowered pc, like i did back when oblivion was released. Not this time, not a chance!
I got this for the upgrade:
* This exact processor (I5 2500, not the 2500k variant which has unlocked multipliers and is more overclocker-friendly)
* P67 mobo from ECS (With Rev B3, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET THIS VERSION OR FURTHER OF THE CHIPSET as it no longer has the SATA bug)
* a Patriot 4gb 1600 cas9 memory module
**** IN A NUTSHELL ****
This I5 just flies, zips around like a Porsche. First time in almost 12 years that i get an Intel instead of an AMD, and I tell you, this one is worth every penny.
**** PERFORMANCE ****
I've tried a bunch of programs and games on it, some old some new, either in Win7 or Linux (ubuntu 11.04 "natty narwhal"), and I'm yet to find any program that comes close to challenging it. Games, compression apps, you name it, this processor rocks...
From my previous setup to this one, as an example, "Fallout: New Vegas" runs so much more smoothly, at 1920x1080, full antialiasing and details. I guess the proc/memory combo was a bottleneck in my previous setup.
**** THERMAL ****
At first, when I unpacked it, I noticed it comes with the run-off-the-mill heat sink and fan used with the LGA775s, the round aluminum one with the copper core. I was kinda nervous, as this being a quad core processor, I was afraid it couldn't possibly be enough for cooling it. I even thought of scraping the factory thermal wax that comes with it and applying a bit of silver-based thermal grease. As I didn't have any with me, and the prospect of keeping it on the box while i ordered some thermal grease online bugging me, I just plugged it with what came in the box.
Wow, were my fears unfounded!
It doesn't just run cool, it's downright gelid. If the gnome sensor applet i installed is to be believed, under a stress program I wrote no core went over 45 degs C... Are you kidding me? This thing is just amazing, the 32nm process does wonders to the thermal performance.
All in all, if you're considering this CPU as an upgrade, don't ponder it any further, go and buy it, you won't be disappointed! - I5 - Sandy Bridge - Cpu - P67'
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