Intel Core i7-2600K and i5-2500K Processors Debut

Intel will be offering two coolers with new Sandy Bridge based processors, a basic circular cooler that’s identical to the model included with Lynnfield-based processors will accompany non-K SKUs and a more capable tower-type model will come with unlocked K SKUs, like the ones we’ve tested here.

 
Intel XTS100H Cooler

There’s nothing new to report with regard to the basic cooler, but the tower-type Intel XTS100H is a different story. The XTS100H has three, thick copper heatipes that run though a solid copper base, into an array of densely packed aluminum heatsink fins. A 92mm fan sits at the front, with a speed controller switch at the very top. The switch has two positions—Q for quiet and P for performance. In quiet mode, the cooler is just that, quiet. In performance mode, the fan can spin up considerably when the CPU is under load, but it’s not terribly loud.

The XTS100H includes a mounting plate that must be affixed to the underside of the CPU socket and four thumb screws hold the cooler firmly in place. We should note that although Sandy Bridge uses a new 1155 pin socket, the coolers use the same mounting holes socket 1156.

 
Corsair Vengeance 8GB Memory Kit, Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9

 
Patriot Memory Division 2 Viper Extreme 4GB Memory Kit, Model PXD34G1866ELK

As was the case when Nehalem and Lynnfield arrived, memory manufacturers are at the ready with low-voltage, dual-channel memory kits qualified for Sandy Bridge 6-seires chipset platforms. The two kits you see here come by way of Corsair and Patriot. The Corsair Vengeance kit includes 8GB (4GB x 2) of memory rated for operation at up to 1600MHz (C9) at 1.5v. The Patriot 4GB (2GB x 2) kit is rated for operation at up to 1866MHz (also C9) at 1.65v, although we found it would run with lower latencies at lower frequencies as well.