![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Tuesday , August 25, 2009
- Author:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Intel Core i5-750 Overclocking Preview
Our first preview of our Intel Core i5 processor that we purchased online last week. We put the 2.66GHz Core i5 model 750 through some overclocking paces to show you what can be achieved easily with an enthusiast air cooler.
i5 One Button OCing Results
All of our results here were proven successful with Thermalright TRUE air cooling only along with MSI's P55-GD-80 motherboard.
Stock Clocks
The Intel Core i5-750 processor runs at a stock speed of 2.66GHz, which is a 20 multiplier with a 133MHz BCLK. The dual channel DDR3 memory is stock at 1066MHz.
The Core i5 is based on the new Lynnfield processor, which utilizes a 45nm process technology common with the previous Bloomfield cores. Both Lynnfield and Bloomfield use Intel’s Nehalem microarchitecture. Where Lynnfield differs is that it has a much more robust memory controller which is showing some huge overclocks in the 2300MHz range. Lynnfield also has moved the PCIe controller on-die as well as has the ability to integrate VGA on-die as well. We are seeing reduced TDP as well, falling into sub-100 watt numbers for the first time since before Pentium 4 (at least on the high end processor line up).
You will notice in our screenshot above, the stock clock is showing to be 2.8GHz. This screenshot was taken with Intel’s Turbo Boost feature. In single threaded applications it will change the multiplier to 21 from 20 to give the user a faster processor when all cores are not engaged.
Here are our temperatures we are showing via Core Temp at idle with Intel power saving features at work downclocking the CPU to 1.2GHz.
One Button Overclocking
An interesting feature we are seeing prevalent now on socket LGA 1156 enthusiast motherboards are the one button overclocking functions. On this MSI GD-80 motherboard, the feature is called "OCGenie." With OCGenie, you simply power down the motherboard (a BIOS reset to default is also suggested by HardOCP), turn on OCGenie by pushing the OCGenie button, then power up the system. For the overclock below, the system typically took about 11 seconds to auto-configure the overclock settings and voltages.
This overclock proved to be very solid in our testing. While the screenshot below is not over a long period of time, we found 3.55GHz on the Core i5 to be very "easy" on the processor. In fact, I have a feeling that we could have manually achieved this overclock at a much lower voltage, but time will tell.
