Final Words: Not for Enthusiasts

This is another of those situations where we’ve had to make an eleventh-hour conference call with Intel to work out what and who these processors are aimed at. Our initial perception of this launch turned out to be wrong - because we thought we'd see some kind of additional overclocking overhead from the K-series SKUs that would make them stand out from the crowd.   

Our perceptions changed when Intel told us that they will not be binning these processors in a special way or marketing them at die-hard overclockers, but instead at system builders who can utilize the unlocked core features to provide cheap pre-overclocked systems with minimal fuss. In the same vein, the K-series will allow users to purchase cheap motherboards that don’t need overly complex BIOS options as we only need control of core multiplier ratios and VCore to get a quick and easy overclock. Bearing these aspects in mind, it’s hard for us to be negative about this launch; however, we’d like to see Intel unlock more processors in the future.

Out of the two processors Intel have launched today, it's the i7-875K that hits the mark on price. Sure, it's not going to set the world on fire with overclocking records but it does present users who are in the market for an all-round cruncher with a viable alternative to the AMD 1090T and the Intel i7-860 without breaking the bank.

Don't Forget the Lynnfield i7-875K!
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  • wavetrex - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    In the table it sais $284 for the 980X, that MUST be a mistake!
  • mianmian - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    In a previous Anandtech aritical, it was $999, maybe it is $824 now
  • Texpat - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    I think the price for the 980x might be wrong. $1,000 would be closer tot he truth.
  • ltcommanderdata - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    I'm really pleasantly surprised that the 2.93GHz Core i7 875K at $342 is cheaper yet has more features than the 2.93GHz Core i7 870 at $562. Although I'm guessing that's only temporary as the upcoming 3.06GHz Core i7 880 will probably take over the $562 price point, with the Core i7 870 dropping down to $284 and the Core i7 860 being phased out. There's also a Core i5 760 to replace the Core i5 750.
  • DrMrLordX - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    You guys really busted out the big guns with the dual-stage cascade! Please do this more often when overclocking. I would love to see a C3 Propus at -100C (or a Thuban).
  • jleach1 - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    On the second page, i believe in the 'test rig' table the proc is listed as a i5-870 instead of the i7-870
  • Rajinder Gill - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    Thanks - fixed!
  • GeorgeH - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    "it’s full of talk about voltages and harps on about overclocking"

    No need to be shy about that - Anandtech is bookmarked because of awesome articles and analyses like this one.
  • FlanK3r - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    not bad, my x6 1090T is full stable 4300MHz 2800MHz NB with aircooling ,-)...for games and benchmarks 4400-4450 MHz :)
  • AstroGuardian - Friday, May 28, 2010 - link

    Guys, i think you should not hurry to release articles instead of taking them slow and sure. Many typos especially in the graphs.

    i3-530 vs i5-540

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