The Intel Broadwell Desktop Review: Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C Tested (Part 1)
by Ian Cutress on June 2, 2015 7:45 AM ESTTest Setup
As we mentioned in our introduction, Intel's 9-series chipset were designed from the start to allow future compatibility with Broadwell. As a result with a BIOS update we're able to drop these processors into our existing MSI and ASUS Z97 boards, though not without some pre-release BIOS teething issues.
Test Setup | |
Processor | Intel i7-5775C, 4C/8T Intel i5-5675C, 4C/4T |
Motherboard | MSI Z97A Gaming 6 ASUS Z97 Pro |
DRAM | G.Skill RipjawsZ 4x4GB DDR3-1866 C9 at DDR3-1600 |
Low End GPU | Integrated ASUS R7 240 2GB DDR3 Dual Graphics with R7 240 |
Mid Range GPU | MSI R9 285 Gaming 2GB MSI GTX 770 Lightning 2GB |
High End GPU | MSI R9 290X Gaming LE 4GB ASUS GTX 980 Strix 4GB |
Power Supply | OCZ 1250W Gold |
Storage Drive | Crucial MX200 1TB |
Operating System | Windows 7.1 64-bit, Build 7601 |
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Nepton 140XL CLC |
Many thanks to...
We must thank the following companies for kindly providing hardware for our test bed:
Thank you to AMD for providing us with the R9 290X 4GB GPUs.
Thank you to ASUS for providing us with GTX 980 Strix GPUs and the R7 240 DDR3 GPU.
Thank you to ASRock and ASUS for providing us with some IO testing kit.
Thank you to Cooler Master for providing us with Nepton 140XL CLCs.
Thank you to Corsair for providing us with an AX1200i PSU.
Thank you to Crucial for providing us with MX200 SSDs.
Thank you to G.Skill and Corsair for providing us with memory.
Thank you to MSI for providing us with the GTX 770 Lightning GPUs.
Thank you to OCZ for providing us with PSUs.
Thank you to Rosewill for providing us with PSUs and RK-9100 keyboards.
Load Delta Power Consumption
We'll start things off with a look at power consumption. Power consumption was tested on the system while in a single NVIDIA GTX 770 configuration with a wall meter connected to the OCZ 1250W power supply. This power supply is Gold rated, and as I am in the UK on a 230-240 V supply, leads to ~75% efficiency > 50W, and 90%+ efficiency at 250W, suitable for both idle and multi-GPU loading. This method of power reading allows us to compare the power management of the UEFI and the board to supply components with power under load, and includes typical PSU losses due to efficiency.
We are reporting the power consumption difference when idle and during an initial OCCT load. This is slightly skewed by the adjustment up the efficiency chain of our power supply, showing lower power CPUs consuming a little more, but despite this the qualitative comparison is a still a good place to start.
Despite our test being almost qualitative, it is exciting to see that in our power consumption limit test both CPUs score around their TDP values.
196 Comments
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mgilbert - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
Less heat and less noise is nice. More FPS is better. When someone can build a silent system that can keep up with an i7 processor and GTX 970 video card, let me know. In the meantime, I won't compromise. Some fan noise is a small price to pay for a more immersive and detailed gaming experience. Just put on your headphones.Gigaplex - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
Why i7? The i5 is just as good when it comes to games, since hyperthreading doesn't do much for games.hero4hire - Thursday, June 4, 2015 - link
We call those laptops. Passively cooled? That's normal htpc and abnormal niche PC user/gamerRefuge - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
100 watts is less than $80 usually a year if it is only when you are gaming. Just say no to ordering lunch like 3 days a year and you are good. :)FlushedBubblyJock - Friday, June 12, 2015 - link
When AMD inefficiency costs an $80 bill, skip lunch it's all good...When an Intel or nVidia product is $8 more let alone $80, that settles the whole matter completely in AMD's favor, and proves once again AMD is the best bang for the buck....
That's how AMD fanboys play it.
I guess despite all the sickening propaganda of the amd fans, no one is listening nor buying it.
AMD is dying and nearly dead, market share and share prices...
What the AMD fanboys forgot is no one else likes being lied to, nor told what to do.
Hulk - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
I don't care about small differences in power consumption for home use either. But I do like the info to compare nodes.Iketh - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
as a gamer in florida, I care very much... gaming in the summer the heat produced is enormous and the central A/C is running overtime trying to keep temps downDPUser - Thursday, June 4, 2015 - link
Go Solar!Iketh - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
+1Novacius - Tuesday, June 2, 2015 - link
They could put 8 cores in there instead of that GPU.