Intel Processor Review

Intel Core i3-2120 In The Box

2011-07-18T04:48:00.000-07:00

One of the processors that we were asked about was the Intel Core i3-2120, which retails for $149.68 and is one of the most popular budget-minded processors in the Intel arsenal today. We will show you the basic features of this processor and what comes with the retail boxed version.

The Intel Core i3-2120 is based on the 32nm 'Sandy Bridge' architecture and is a 3.3GHz dual-core processor with Hyper-Threading. The CPU does have a GPU on it and that would be the Intel HD Graphics 2000, which runs between 850MHz and 1100MHz thanks to a dynamic clock cycle. The multiplier is locked on the Core i3-2120 processor as it is not part of the 'K-series' of processors that are aimed at enthusiasts with unlocked multipliers.

Intel Core i3-2120 CPU Specifications:

Model #: BX80623I32120
S-spec: SR05Y
Launch Date: Q1'11
Processor Number: i3-2120
Supported Socket: LGA1155
# of Cores: 2
# of Threads: 4
Clock Speed: 3.3 GHz
Intel Smart Cache: 3 MB
Bus/Core Ratio: 33
Instruction Set: 64-bit
Instruction Set Extensions: SSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Turbo Core: No
Hyper-Threading Technology: Yes
Lithography: 32 nm
Processor Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 2000
Graphics Base Frequency: 850MHz
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency: 1100MHz
Max TDP: 65 W
Recommended Channel Price: $138.00

Since our review sample it the retail box Core i3-2120 (part number BX80623I32120) the processor comes with a CPU cooler along with a three year limited warranty. If you buy a tray processor you do not get the Heatsink Fan combo or the longer warranty.

As you can see this Intel Core i3-2120 is not an Engineering Sample processor and batch number of L047B255. You can also see the S-Spec number SR05Y on the integrated heat spreader (IHS) and that it was made in the country of Malaysia.

Sandia Cooler Spinning Heatsink Coller Without Noise

2011-07-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

Do you think Intel OEM in box CPU Coller is suck? Yes, i think so. It is easily broken and difficult to plug and remove. Read this one!

Sandia Cooler Spinning Heatsink Coller Without Noise

Sandia name reminds me of Intel Sandy Bridge name LOL

Cooling fans are noisy, inefficient and quickly get choked up with filth. So how about a heatsink that doesn’t need a fan because the heatsink itself IS the fan.

Jeff Koplow, a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories, has come up with a new idea where the heat from a CPU of GPU (or whatever you want cooled) is transferred to a heatsink consisting of bands of metal blades. Nicknamed the “Sandia Cooler,” this heatsink sits on top of the component that needs cooling, floating on a tiny cushion of air. Heat stirs the air in this gap which in turn causes the fan to spin.

Koplow believes that if this design was widely adopted that US electricity usage would drop by a whopping 7%.

If you want to know more about this novel design, check out the research paper here.

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Intel Core i7-2630QM inside CyberpowerPC Compal PBL21

2011-07-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

The march of progress has been a long time coming for Compal. Ever since the start of my tenure way back at NotebookReview, people have been consistently curious about their 15" notebooks. These machines always featured high-resolution screens and powerful dedicated graphics in an appealing form factor. The shell stagnated for a long time, but with the PBL21 that era comes to a close. Updates to Sandy Bridge and NVIDIA's GeForce 500M series accompany a healthy change in style.

Compal PBL21 Specifications
Processor	Intel Core i7-2630QM (4x2GHz + HTT, 32nm, 6MB L3, Turbo to 2.9GHz, 45W)
Chipset	Intel HM65
Memory	2x4GB Kingston DDR3-1333 (Max 2x4GB)
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M 2GB DDR3 (96 CUDA Cores, 672MHz/1344MHz/1.8GHz core/shader/memory clocks, 128-bit memory bus)
Display	15.6" LED Glossy 16:9 1920x1080 (AU Optronics AUO10ED Panel)
Hard Drive(s)	Kingston SSDNow V Series 128GB SSD
Optical Drive	DVD+/-RW Drive
Networking	Realtek RTL8168 PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Realtek RTL8191SE PCIe 802.11b/g/n
Audio	Realtek ALC269 HD Audio Stereo speakers Headphone and microphone jacks
Battery	6-Cell, 11.1V, 5200mAh, 58Wh battery
Front Side	Wireless switch Card reader
Left Side	Kensington lock Exhaust vent VGA Ethernet jack USB 3.0 HDMI
Right Side	Headphone and mic jacks 2x USB 2.0 Optical drive AC adapter
Back Side	-
Operating System	Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Dimensions	14.82" x 9.8" x 1.37" (WxDxH)
Weight	5.51 lbs
Extras	2MP webcam Flash reader (MMC, SD/Mini SD, MS/Duo/Pro/Pro Duo) USB charging
Warranty	1-year limited warranty and lifetime technical support
Pricing	Starting at $949 Priced as configured: $1,190

I find the more notebooks I test the more fond I become of Intel's Core i7-2630QM. Last generation didn't really have a proper entry-level quad-core unless you count the Core i7-720QM, and that chip was a rare find south of a grand. But Intel seems to be pricing the i7-2630QM to sell, because I'm seeing it pop up all over the place; on NewEgg you can find it in an Acer notebook for just $699. It's a good thing, too, because while the i7-720QM occasionally found itself having a hard time competing with its dual-core brethren, the Sandy Bridge-based i7-2630QM is plenty fast. It starts at a 2GHz clock speed and can turbo all the way up to 2.9GHz on one core or 2.6GHz on all four cores, and each of those cores is Hyper-Threading enabled.

Strapped to the i7-2630QM's memory controller is 8GB of DDR3-1333 in two DIMMs, and supporting it on graphics duty is NVIDIA's GeForce GT 540M with 2GB of DDR3 (honestly far more than this GPU can really take advantage of). I'm curious to see how well the GT 540M competes with the last model's AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5650. In the Compal PBL21, the GT 540M features 96 of NVIDIA's CUDA cores, with a base clock speed of 672MHz and the shaders operating at 1344MHz. That 2GB of DDR3 is thankfully strapped to a 128-bit memory bus and running at an effective 1.8GHz. It's not blazingly fast, but mercifully the benefit of a 1080p 15.6" screen is that running at a lower than native resolution doesn't look that bad.

For storage duties, CyberpowerPC equipped this review unit with a 128GB Kingston SSDNow V Series SSD. It's not the fastest SSD on the market, but it still beats mechanical storage for speed and it keeps costs down. Connectivity has gotten a small but much appreciated boost with the new chassis, though: the Compal PBL21 is now USB 3.0 enabled (but still no eSATA).

GAME BENCHMARK

For testing the Compal PBL21's NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M, we'll run through our "medium" and "high" testing suites. It's fast enough that it'll handle any of our "low" presets with aplomb; at the same time, the 128-bit memory bus and DDR3 attached to the GPU will, as you'll see, basically ensure that the PBL21 can't really game at its native resolution. While we don't show minimum framerate results, suffice it to say even if the game is able to exceed an average of the magical 30fps at 1080p, it's a muddy experience.

Generally speaking, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M is a practical improvement over the last generation's AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5650. But, still it can not compete with the older NVIDIA GTX 460M.

Source : http://www.anandtech.com/show/4462/cyberpowerpcs-compal-pbl21-the-sharks-new-teeth