Conclusion

With Haswell, Intel introduces new CPU's as well as a new socket. Therefore, if you want to buy a one of the new Core i7 or Core i5 processors you'll also have to buy a new 8-series based motherboard, that features Intels socket LGA1150. Luckily there were no changes to the socket holes, which means that your old aftermarket cooler is still compatible. Never the less the new Z87 platform brings some resonable new features like a total of six SATA 6Gbps ports, which are wired to the PCH natively as well as six USB 3.0 ports, which have also been writed to the PCH natively.

A closer look at the performance of the actual CPU part of this processor shows that the increase in this case isn't dramatic. On average the new Core i7-4770K is about ten percent faster than its predecessor, the Core i7-3770K. That's definitely not nothing, but you can clearly see, that this part of the processor is not what the most important changes are all about. What's much more interesting with the processor is the integrated graphics unit as well as the integrated voltage regulation.

Intel invested quite a substantial amount of resources into the improvement of the integrated HD graphics and meanwhile efforts are starting to pay off, since they're coming closer and closer to AMD APUs. Never the less there is still quite a gap, but if Intel is able to keep this pace, AMD will have to push harder to keep the number one position in this regard. Talking about performance of the new HD 4600 integrated graphics unit, we see improvements over the old HD 4000 which range between 20 to 60 percent. In a following article we will take a closer look at the performance of this HD 4600 unit since it deserves being treated with some recent graphics tests.

Another thing we mentioned is the integrated voltage regulation (IVR). This part is actually not new, but the old design has been improved significantly. The new IVR is able to provide different voltages within the CPU quicker, more reliable as well as more accurate to the different areas of the logic. In the end the IVR also helps to further lower powerconsumption of the processor. There is even a new power state (C7) which help reducing power consumption.

Interesting that's also what the overworked memory controller is. Let's go a few years back, when Sandy Bridge was introduced. Back in the days it was really hard to get a CPU which was able to run memory above 2'400 MHz. With Ivy Bridge the same kind of wall was in the region of 2'800 MHz. Nowadays, with Haswell 3'000 MHz appear to be piece of cake. Our Christian Ney was already able to hit 1'991 MHz in combination with a Gigabyte Z87X-OC motherboard, which is an effective clock speed of 3'882 MHz. Obviously he was using liquid nitrogen to cool the memory. Never the less, what's really impressive is the fact, that all Core i7-4770K CPU's we tested were able to run memory at 3'500 MHz. Especially the marketing departments at memory manufacturers will embrace this fact.

The price: Intel's latest and greatest Core i7-4770K costs 339 US-Dollar and the Core i5-4670K costs 299 US-Dollar, therefore prices are at a reasonable level. Basically it looks like Intel copied the pricing of their Ivy Bridge Processors from last year and pasted it into their Haswell line-up.

Page 1 - Introduction	Page 9 - SuperPi / WPrime
Page 2 - Specifications	Page 10 - WinRar
Page 3 - Ivy Bridge CPU / Chipset / Overclocking	Page 11 - Crysis
Page 4 - Test Setup	Page 12 - Resident Evil 5
Page 5 - Futuremark	Page 13 - Street Fighter 4
Page 6 - Cinebench	Page 14 - Power consumption
Page 7 - SiSoft Sandra 1	Page 15 - Conclusion
Page 8 - SiSoft Sandra 2

Author : Marc Büchel, m.buechel@ocaholic.ch


Discuss this article in the forum