Processor Intel Core I5-2400: specifications and reviews. How can I overclock the Intel Core I5-2400 processor?

The perfect combination of performance and price is the Core i5 2400. It's about the parameters and capabilities of this semiconductor solution that will go further.

What can be done with it and on which market segment is this chip oriented?

Of course, the phrase "redundant performance" can not be applied to the Intel Core i5 2400. The i7 CPUs can boast of this level of processing power. But still a fairly high level of this processor solution allows its owner to run any applications, even the most demanding ones. The sufficiently high clock speed, the impressive size of the three-level cache and 4 computational units clearly and unambiguously indicate that this is a high-performance solution oriented to solving a wide range of tasks.

Contents of delivery

Standard, as for Intel's processor solutions, the bundle of this semiconductor chip, which consists of:

• Actually itself Core i5 2400, being in a special plastic packing, which completely excludes the possibility of its damage.

• Established cooling system.

• The pasted logo of the processor model for the front panel of the computer case.

• Guide to the use of a semiconductor solution.

• Warranty card.

• Thermo-paste in a special package.

Connector for CPU

Like all other solutions of the Sandy Bridge, this CPU is oriented to the 1155 connector. Of the great variety of different chipsets for this platform, it is most optimal to use solutions based on Z67 and Z77 for this processor. This will allow the CPU to overclock and get an additional performance boost. Also, the level of functionality of these solutions is an order of magnitude better.

Chip manufacturing technology

Core i5 2400 was manufactured using the most advanced technology in 2011 - 32 nm. Of course, now the most advanced silicon crystals are made in accordance with the standards of the technological process of 14 nm. This allows you to significantly reduce the size of the crystal and reduce heat generation. But, on the other hand, Intel, starting with Ivy Bridge, began using a less-quality thermal paste under the metal cover of the processor. As a result, heat dissipation has worsened, and the best solutions in terms of heat dissipation from this manufacturer continue to be the generation of the Sandy Bridge processors, to which the hero of this review belongs.

Cache and its number

Like all the most productive processor solutions, this chip is equipped with a three-level cache. The first level is divided into 4 equal parts of 64 KB. Each individual part of the cache interacts strictly with one compute module. And these 64 KB are divided into two equal parts of 32 KB. In the first one, the data is stored, and in the second - the instructions of the CPU. The second level is similarly divided into 4 parts, but already 256 KB. As in the previous case, each individual part of the cache is bound to a certain processor core of the processor. Instructions and data in this case are stored in the shared address space. The third level of the cache is shared and can interact with any compute module. Its size is 6 MB.

What RAM can I use with this CPU?

DDR3 - this type of RAM is focused on the processor Intel Core i5 2400. Reviews in this regard, allocate modules with frequencies of 1066 MHz and 1333 MHz. It is in this case that you can count on obtaining the maximum level of productivity. You can, of course, use RAM and with a higher frequency, but the motherboard will reduce this value to the maximum possible 1333 MHz. That is, pay for the bar of memory will have more than usual, but there will be no gain from this.

Thermal conditions

95 W - the presence of such a thermal package can boast Intel Core i5 2400. Reviews highlight the low degree of its heating, even with a solid level of load. The maximum permissible operating temperature for this semiconductor solution is 72.6 ^° C. With the standard operating mode, the complete cooling system is sufficient for stable operation. The temperature of the CPU practically does not rise above 50 degrees. When overclocking, you need to use an improved cooler. In this case, the complete cooling system does not cope, and 70 degrees in this case is no longer the limit.

frequency range

3.1 GHz is the base clock speed for the Core i5 2400. Indicate that in this mode, 4 compute modules are running at once. If you turn off one of them, the frequency will increase to 3.2 GHz. If there are only 2 cores left, we will get 3.3 GHz. Well, in a single-threaded mode this semiconductor crystal can give out already 3.4 GHz. As a result of overclocking this chip, you can achieve 3.8 GHz and 20 percent performance increase.

Filling of a semiconductor crystal

The Core i5 2400 processor is equipped with four high-performance computing modules. Each module can process 4 instructions in one stroke of its work. This allows you to get a fairly good level of performance, even by today's standards. But there is one important point: this CPU does not support Hyper-Trading technology. That is, it has 4 physical cores and 4 computational flows at the program level. Because of this, the i7 line (where also 4 cores, but 8 computational threads) wins i5 10-15 percent in applications that are optimized for 5 or more threads. But so far not so much such software and this difference is not so much and different. In most gaming applications (they are basically optimized for 1 computational flow), this difference is not felt at all.

Graphical subsystem of the central processor

The second generation of the "Kor" architecture became remarkable even in the sense that the manufacturer integrated the graphic adapters in them. Of course, they have modest opportunities, but this will be enough to solve the most simple problems. Intel Core i5 2400, in turn, could boast of the availability of the video accelerator "HD Graphics 2000". With a minimum load, it worked at a frequency of 850 MHz, well, and in maximum load mode it could accelerate to 1100 MHz. To play video, work in office applications and even unpretentious games this was quite enough. Well, for more serious tasks, you need to install a discrete graphics card in your PC with a very serious performance level.

Overclocking

Now let's figure out how to overclock the Intel Core i5 2400 processor. It's impossible to do this by simply increasing the multiplier. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the frequencies of all components of the computer system, except the system bus. It is in nominal mode equal to 100 MHz. In the future, we increase its frequency to 105 MHz, and the voltage on the CPU should be 1.2 V. This will allow us to obtain a frequency of about 3.8 GHz. As practice shows, it is impossible to achieve more on this chip. Additional conditions for overclocking are:

• High-quality motherboard (it is recommended to use solutions based on Z67 and Z77).

• Power supply unit with a power of at least 900 watts.

• A specialized software must be installed on the PC, which will monitor the parameters of the system and the stability of its operation.

Cost

Intel Core i5 2400 was estimated by the manufacturer at $ 179. This price put it on a par with the 8-core CPU from AMD. But at the same time, a high degree of optimization of the semiconductor crystal made it possible in most applications to obtain a significant increase in performance. Therefore, the majority of users paid attention to Intel's solutions, including the "Kor i5 2400".

Reviews

The drawback is only one in the Core i5 2400. Reviews A locked multiplier is allocated. But this is a solution that is aimed at a slightly different segment of the market. Computer enthusiasts who want to overclock the CPU are encouraged to pay attention to solutions with the "K" index. Well, this processor is designed for those who need a good computer here and now. In this case, he has no special desire to put experiments on him. Otherwise, this chip can boast such advantages:

• Low heat.

• Excellent frequency formula.

• High level of stability of work under heavy loads.

Results

Of course, it is not a solution of the premium class Core i5 2400. But still, the presence of this chip is quite enough for solving any problem. Of course, some toys on it will go no longer at the maximum settings. But this is the same CPU of the middle class, which is focused on solving a wide range of tasks.