Intel 32 nm Core i5 661 CPU

The recently launched Intel Core i5 661, codenamed

Clarkdale, is a Westmere architecture based dual core CPU based on the latest

32nm fabrication technology. This desktop processor is meant to be highly power

efficient and produce lesser heat. Though it is supposed to work at 3.33GHz but

with overclocking, it can attain a max of 3.60 Ghz with a single active core.

When both cores are active, overclocking ups the clock speed of the processor to

3.46 GHz. The interesting point to note here is that the processor goes into

overclocking mode automatically as per the requirement of the applications

running on it. Intel Core i5 661 has level 3 cache of 4 MB. Also, the processor

caries on-chip GPU. This facilitates better graphics output thereby enabling the

user to play a certain degree of high end games without plugging in an

additional graphics card. The processor connects through a LGA1156 socket which

was used to connect the previous Lynnfield processors (Core i7 and Core i5). We

tested and compared the new processor with  Intel Core i5 750 (quad core),

codenamed Lynnfield, which we tested about a month back.

Performance



In 3DMark 06, the Intel Core i5 661 managed a healthy 3876 score whereas the

Intel Core i5 750 notched up 4589 (reviewed in Dec 09 issue). Although the

processor scored lower, it is still good, considering that Core i5 661 is a dual

core processor while the Core i5 750 is a quad-core processor.

When put to the POV-Ray test, the result for 661 was a

render average of 43,240 PPS in 2.52 sec over 1,96,608 pixels whereas Core i5

750 achieved 78,643 PPS in 2.50 sec over the same number of pixels. As expected,

we observed an improvement in the benchmark results when the same setup was

tested using Windows 7 Ultimate.

In the power test, the entire test bed including the

monitor consumed 65 watts in idle mode, hardly any power in stand-by and 145

watts running at full blast (overclocked). Compare this with the Intel Core i5

750 architecture where the entire test bed consumed 99 watts when idle, 85 watts

on stand-by and 170 watts running at full load. This is a major plus for the

Intel Core i5 661 as it regulates the system power consumption much better than

the Core i5 750. This translates to a good amount of saving in terms of

electricity and backup.

Since the Intel Core i5 661 is another dual core processor,

we tried to compare its power consumption with the previous generation of dual

core processors from Intel as well, by keeping a similar test bed. Our tests did

justify Intel's claims to a certain extent. Yes, the Intel Core i5 661 is power

efficient as compared to the previous dual core processors also, as can be seen

in the table-Power consumption comparison with the previous generation Intel

dual core processors.

Although these results are great for the processor but it

should be noted that the Intel Core i5 661 processor delivers this level of

power efficiency with the Intel DH55TC motherboard only. We tested the power

efficiency of the processor as a standalone entity by keeping the same test bed

and changing the motherboard, and exciting results were observed. We found that

the processor was not as power efficient on the other motherboards namely the

Gigabyte P55A-UD6 and Asus Maximus III Gene. Please refer to the table-Power

consumption of the processor across motherboards.

Bottomline: The

processor provides equal if not better performance as compared to quad core

processors, the Core i5 750, but slightly overpriced considering it's a

mainstream dual core processor.