Intel Core i7-3770K Pro Reviews

The advantage of Hyper-Threading makes the Intel Core i7-3770K the most powerful processor of the Ivy Bridge series. With its larger cache and Hyper-Threading, it was able to win this comparison against its smaller brother. It also ran cooler than our i7-3570K, which seems to be due to a known issue with the TIM that Intel used for this series. All in all, the i7-3770K is the king of Ivy Bridge processors. Its only negative point was the low-end iGPU used, which is probable to change with the new "Haswell" series.

It might not be a giant leap forward from its Sandy Bridge predecessors, but the Core i7 3770K is Intel's fastest and most power-efficient desktop processor yet

Intel made summarizing the Core i7-3770K’s performance nice and easy—it is the fastest quad-core processor the company has released to date. The small IPC improvements, in addition to the Core i7-3770K’s higher peak Turbo frequencies give it a slight edge in performance over the Core i7-2700K and i7-3820 in terms of CPU performance. The Core i7-3770K’s integrated Intel HD 4000 series graphics engine, however, is a huge step up from the HD 3000 series engine available in the fastest Sandy Bridge-based processors, like the Core i7-2700K. In some tests, the Intel HD 4000 engine was more than 50% faster than HD 3000. As fast as QuickSync already was in Sandy Bridge, the updated Quick Sync engine in Ivy Bridge also offered significant performance gains over the previous generation.

Intel has done its best to make this tick more interesting than most. Ivy Bridge is being used as the introduction vehicle to Intel's 22nm process. In turn you get a cooler running CPU than Sandy Bridge (on the order of 20—30W under load), but you do give up a couple hundred MHz on the overclocking side. While I had no issues getting my 3770K up to 4.6GHz on the stock cooler, Sandy Bridge will likely be the better overclocker for most. With Ivy Bridge and its 7-series chipset we finally get USB 3.0 support. In another month or so we'll also get Thunderbolt support (although you'll have to hold off on buying a 7-series motherboard until then if you want it). This platform is turning out to be everything Sandy Bridge should have been. Ivy's GPU performance is, once again, a step in the right direction. While Sandy Bridge could play modern games at the absolute lowest quality settings, at low resolutions, Ivy lets us play at medium quality settings in most games. You're still going to be limited to 1366 x 768 in many situations, but things will look significantly better.

With its improved new CPU architecture, the general performance of the Intel i7-3770K CPU prompts us to label it as a one that is skewed for multi-threaded applications. It will appeal to power users and enthusiasts who demand workstation-like performance and power optimization balance. It is a fine line to walk and we do strongly feel that the Intel Core i7-3770K does so with finesse. It understandably outperformed the Sandy Bridge-based CPUs with consistent margins (though usually less than 10%) and on certain tests, it even managed to rival or beat the server-grade Intel i7-3960X processor in terms of raw computing power. Of course, given our consumer-oriented benchmarks, we're not surprised that the Sandy Bridge-E processors didn't really shine against the new mainstream chip in town. Its improved integrated GPU of the Intel i7-3770K, featuring the more powerful new HD 4000 GPU will appeal to users who will leverage on the LucidLogix Virtu MVP software with its familiar Virtu GPU-tasking capabilities that is touted to dynamically assign tasks to either the integrate GPU or the discrete GPU. This version has added two 3D features: Virtual Vsync to reduce screen tearing and HyperFormance to increase frame rates. The choice of using either graphical processing option will make the Ivy Bridge processor appealing to a broader market, but so has the old Sandy Bridge ever since it acquired the Z68 chipset platform (as such it's probably not much of an advantage for Ivy Bridge). Another enhancement is its native support for up to three simultaneous displays.

Ivy Bridge hasn't blown our minds, and the fact that we're just a little underwhelmed by Intel's third-generation Core processor family is testament to the company's history of constant innovation. Ivy Bridge has always been earmarked as a modest step up from Sandy Bridge in the performance stakes, and though the 22nm Tri-Gate fabrication process is a technical marvel, we're left wanting more. This is Intel, the multi-billion-dollar self-proclaimed 'Sponsors of Tomorrow,' and we want to see it deliver a dozen cores, integrated graphics that do battle with the best discrete solutions, and the kind of power efficiency that will keep laptops running for weeks and not hours. We're consumers, we want all that, and we want it now. Instead, what we have is an Ivy Bridge processor that humbly improves on the foundations laid by its predecessor in just about every meaningful way. CPU performance is up by only 10 per cent and IGP performance is up by only 40 per cent... all this, and the processor is only 20 per cent more power efficient. You just can't get the staff these days.

The only user group who may be somewhat disappointed with the new Ivy Bridge is overclockers. The frequency potential of the new processors manufactured with the latest 22 nm process has suddenly turned out a little lower than that of the predecessors. That is why the third-generation Core CPU may not be a good fit for overclocked systems just yet. However, we expect things to get better. The improvement of the production process and release of the new processor steppings should push back the maximum frequencies for Ivy Bridge and make it enthusiast-friendly.

Thanks to the outstanding CPU performance of Ivy Bridge, the Core i7-3770K will be great to build a high-performance productivity machine that handles all desktop and media playback tasks easily using integrated graphics. Casual gaming at low resolution, low details might be ok too, but everybody who calls himself "gamer" should really look at a discrete graphics card. Combining the awesome CPU power of the 3770K with a gamer-class AMD or NVIDIA card will give you a much better gaming experience than relying on the low performance of the Intel HD Graphics 4000. Gamers on a tight budget should not blow all their money on a fast processor alone. It might be better to consider a more affordable processor like the i5-2310 and pair it with a Radeon HD 6870 (both are currently price/performance kings) so they end up with a balanced system that can handle most games at decent settings.

Having tested multiple 3770k Ivy Bridge CPUs now, the one thing we find ourselves worried about is the overclocking side of things. While the 3770k we've got here today didn't run into the same 90c+ heat issues that were present on our other 3770k chips, the bottom line was that overclocking performance was just lower. Considering when our chips were at 90c+ the overclock then wasn't that strong, to see the performance be slightly worse again is really quite disappointing. It seems like a consistent result among people we have spoken to who have tested the new Ivy Bridge CPUs, though. What's interesting is that we've seen some amazing results out of the 3770k over the last few weeks when it came to LN2 overclocking. The general coconscious seems to be that under LN2 the new 3770k chip is better than the Sandy Bridge based ones - it doesn't face the same type of "cold bug" at extremely low LN2-level temperatures. Under air and all-in-one water cooling solutions, though, we're seeing overclocking results that aren't as strong and that's a big shame.

The improved graphics are just a sideshow - Ivy Bridge's move to a 22nm process has brought impressive 2D performance improvements over the previous generation

Although Core i7-3770K, as one model in Intel’s line-up, is fairly easy for enthusiasts with modern machines to dismiss, don’t take our judgment as a cloud over the Ivy Bridge architecture. An emphasis on integrated graphics performance and lower thermal design power points makes it clear that Intel is out to conquer smaller form factors like all-in-one desktops and thin/light notebooks. Soon, the first wave of Ultrabooks based on Ivy Bridge, code named Chief River, will wash over the mobility-obsessed masses, more accurately representing the purpose of Intel’s newest family of processors. But before that happens, we have more Ivy Bridge-based coverage planned, including our first round-up of Z77 Express-based motherboards driven by a Core i7-3770K, a look at how four different Ivy Bridge-based Core i5s compare at as many thermal ceilings, more depth on overclocking performance, and a review of mobile Ivy Bridge in a brand new notebook.

In summary, the best on the market just got a little bit better, but there is an asterisk as well. There is no debating that Ivy Bridge provides the best performance and the lowest power consumption of any quad-core processor. However, whether Ivy Bridge is right for you depends on your current computing situation, and whether you’re a regular user or an enthusiast. If you are still using an LGA1366 system, and it’s not overclocked to at least 4.0GHz, Ivy Bridge is worth a look if you want some new toys. Not only are you getting a very hefty stock performance improvement, but native support for USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, PCI-E 3.0, better overclocking, and much lower power consumption as well. If you are building a system from scratch, especially an HTPC, Ivy Bridge is easy to recommend for most people. If you bought a cheap dual-core Core i3 as a temporary solution until Ivy Bridge was released, then by all means a quad-core IVB processor is going to be a terrific upgrade. However, if you own an i5-2500K or i7-2600K/2700K switching to their Ivy Bridge counterparts is not going to give you a lot of extra bang for your buck. The asterisk is obviously that overclocking hobbyists with air coolers won’t find Ivy Bridge particularly compelling, it simply runs too hot when you reach a certain level. A level which most Sandy Bridge chips have no problems achieving. But then again, we are talking about above 4.5GHz, which in the grand scheme of things is a realm that few users venture into anyways.

Ivy Bridge is most certainly a improvement over its predecessor. And with prices expected to be around the same as those of their Sandy Bridge counterparts, these new chips are definitely worth seeking out. Graphics performance sees the more impressive boost, even if the results are still behind what can be achieved with existing integrated graphics solutions from AMD – albeit with significantly lower application performance. Sandy Bridge owners need not worry too much, since the performance gains are not huge – but if you do want to upgrade, you may be able to do so without replacing your existing motherboard. Overclockers may benefit most from this type of upgrade, thanks to the lower power requirements of the Ivy Bridge architecture. The greatest benefits of all are sure to be felt in the mobile-optimised processors in laptops, which should benefit from improved battery life and graphics.

For consumers the arrival of Ivy Bridge chips can only be seen as good news. For those already invested in the LGA1155 platform it's great, as it's possible to take advantage of these new 22nm processors on existing motherboards. For newcomers, the Ivy Bridge architecture brings about an updated platform that provides more performance, better efficiency, and a few new features at a similar price point to that of Sandy Bridge.

Ivy Bridge was perhaps one of Intel's worst-kept secrets, what with their bragging about their 22nm, "3D" transistors for the last few months. Unknown production delays led to Z77 Express based motherboards being available for weeks before the CPUs they were designed for, and that didn't help things either. Ivy Bridge represents a better value than Sandy Bridge, since it's both cheaper and faster. We can complain that the magnitude of these improvements may be rather small, but the truth is that Sandy Bridge CPUs represented such a huge advance over the previous generation Intel and current AMD processors that there's no way Ivy Bridge could have been that much better. Also, keep in mind that new mainstream CPUs simply aren't designed with desktop systems as a priority any more. Ivy Bridge's biggest new feature is its improved performance per watt. Intel says the Core i7-3770K processor will sell for $312...but that's Intel's price for a tray of 1,000 CPUs. Still, Intel's "1000 piece" price typically predicts retail prices pretty well, although you can expect some early price-gouging for the individual CPUs from the usual suspects, as we saw with AMD's Bulldozer CPUs and Intel's own Sandy Bridge Extreme when they were introduced. The real impact of the Ivy Bridge architecture will be felt in the mobile device and server market, but once the price settles down, this top-end Ivy Bridge processor will be a very good value, since it's both faster and cheaper than its Sandy Bridge forebear. The only weakness in this CPU compared to Sandy Bridge is its overclocking performance, which will hopefully improve...but right now you can probably get a little more performance from an overclocked Sandy Bridge CPU, and that's just enough to keep the Core i7-3770K from taking the gold.

A quick chip, but Ivy Bridge is proof that Intel is no longer terribly interested in the desktop PC.

The new Core i7-3770K is a no-brainer if you were considering buying the Core i7-2600K; it costs the same and is faster. It is, however, very important to understand that this processor is targeted to users who will really benefit from additional processing power. We are talking about professionals using the computer for audio and video editing, and 3D rendering. If you want to build a high-end gaming machine, you can save a considerable amount of money by buying a Core i5 processor. As you can see from our results, if you have a high-end CPU, you won’t see any difference in performance by picking a faster and more expensive model. That happens because the video card is the component that dictates gaming performance in this kind of system, considering that you have a mid-range or high-end video card, of course. Therefore, it is a better deal if you pick a more affordable CPU and spend your money on buying a more powerful video card. In addition, if you are an average user who is looking for extra processing power, we believe that the Core i5 will provide you with a better price/performance ratio.

Intel is in the enviable position of having the enthusiast CPU market all to itself right now. AMD’s competition is increasingly focused on the fusion of GPU and CPU, but this has come at the cost of raw CPU performance. For those who use a dedicated graphics card there’s only been one choice for months, and Ivy Bridge only underlines this. Minor performance improvements across the board in comparison to the previous generation of Sandy Bridge processors, a drop in power consumption and a like-for-like price make Ivy Bridge, without doubt, a worthwhile replacement, albeit not an earth-shattering one. If you opted for a Sandy Bridge CPU and its P67 or Z68 platform in the last year, there’s little reason to regret your purchase (unless you play lots of Shogun 2) and as such, no real reason to upgrade, especially if you’ve overclocked your CPU. However, for new-builds and for those who skipped the Sandy Bridge last year it’s a simple choice: the i7-3770K is far, far quicker than an Intel Core i7-920 or any other preceding quad-core chip. It's also an absolute doddle to overclock to 4.4GHz and beyond. A decent Z77 motherboard requires you to literally only adjust the Vcore and multiplier to achieve stable overclocks. So long as you’ve got a cooler to keep up, clock speeds of 4.8GHz on air are perfectly achievable.

Ultimately, if you already have a Sandy Bridge processor, there is no reason to upgrade to Ivy Bridge unless you only plan to use the integrated GPU and need the extra performance offered by the QuickSync. For those who are still using an older socket processor (Socket LGA775, LGA1156, or LGA1366), the Ivy Bridge upgrade is definitely a big step forward in both the power consumption and performance.

Is Ivy Bridge all it's cracked up to be and well worth the wait? It seems so. With measurable performance improvement in just about every benchmark, it's hard to make a case for sticking with a Second Generation Core series processor for a new build. With performance improvements anywhere between 3 and 10+%, it's just simple math when you look at the price point between the $313 Third Generation Core i7 3770K and $339 Second Generation Core i7 2600K. As an upgrade from someone currently running a Sandy Bridge 2600K system it really depends on what you are looking for. Native PCIe 3.0, Intel Smart Response, and Rapid Start technologies are all reasons to move forward as well as utilizing Intel's latest Wireless communication devices for video streaming using Intel WiDi. For the mainstream user there is a lot to be gained in terms of responsiveness and performance from the latest Core series processor and Panther Point chipset-based motherboards like Intel’s own DZ77GA-70K used to run the 3770K through its paces. Intel has put together a full featured platform to showcase the performance of its latest 22nm offerings. Intel has given the BIOS on the DZ77GA-70K a complete overhaul with Intel’s own UEFI Visual BIOS. This implementation was easy to navigate and was complete and polished throughout. Each section was well laid out and easy to use with both an easy and Advanced menu to manage everyone’s abilities.

While Ivy Bridge isn't blowing away the performance of Sandy Bridge, Intel continues to hit on all cylinders delivering a fantastic processor with a 10-15% performance advantage over the previous generation and a clear power consumption edge as well. The new Core i7-3770K will quickly find its way into the PC Perspective Hardware Leaderboard and will probably be my pick for any enthusiast looking to build a new gaming rig in the next 6 months. Though there are some potential temperature concerns with the new 22nm process at voltages over 1.3v, only those of you looking to really overclock the CPU need worry about that. The rest of you will find Ivy Bridge to be the best desktop processor on the market.

After spending some time with Ivy Bridge we quickly discovered that Intel has raised the bar across the board for performance. Not bad considering that Ivy Bridge does not feature a brand-new microarchitecture and is basically a die shrink of Sandy Bridge The performance gains are modest to say the least, but any increase is a welcomed one! The one area that the 22nm Ivy Bridge processors really shine in is the graphics department. Usually we don't have too many positive things to say about Intel HD Graphics, but the new Intel HD 4000 series graphics engine shows major improvement. Intel said that mainstream gamers should be able to use Intel HD Graphics 4000 as they have up to twice the 3-D graphics performance compared to the previous-generation processor. Our testing showed that performance improved by up to 60% in game titles, which is a significant increase and nothing to laugh at. AMD and NVIDIA better be keeping a close eye on what Intel is doing with their graphics as mainstream users don't need a discrete video card to do the vast majority of tasks an average user does. Gamers and enthusiasts will still need a graphics card, but the casual gamer might be able to get away without using one. Intel has also been making improvements to Quick Sync Video and those are starting to pay off as well.

The new flagship CPU of Intel's mainstream line, the Core i7-3770K blends speed and power usage in one impressive package.

The Core i7-3770K’s mild CPU-performance increase, lower power draw, and lower temperatures when overclocked are welcome improvements over the previous generation, but they’re not groundbreaking, at least on the desktop-PC front. The power efficiency in the coming mobile versions of the Ivy Bridge chips have the potential to result in longer laptop battery life, making them, perhaps, more exciting than the desktop chips; more on that as we see the first laptops with Ivy Bridge chips. That's not to say the Ivy Bridge chips are underwhelming—by no means. It's just a question of scale. The previous-generation Sandy Bridge chips offered a performance jump over their predecessors that was so dramatic that it's easy to take the CPU-speed improvements here lightly. Because of that big leap, we're not surprised that the CPU-focused improvements in this round are incremental. The processor’s HD Graphics 4000, on the other hand, is a significant update if you’re putting together a system that relies on integrated graphics. The chip is capable of running many recent high-end 3D games that were complete non-starters on earlier Intel integrated-graphics setups. You’ll still have to dial down the detail settings and turn off visual improvements like anti-aliasing to get reasonable frame rates on newer titles. But it’s a major boon for gamers that newer titles are playable at all at low-to-medium detail settings. That's completely new in the Intel integrated-graphics universe.