Intel Core i7-3820 Quad-Core Sandy Bridge-E CPU Review

Name: Intel Core i7-3820
Brand: Intel

by Marco Chiappetta — Monday, January 16, 2012, 10:43 AM EDT

We also spent some time overclocking the Intel Core i7-3820. Because this processor is only partially unlocked, users are only able to increase peak Turbo mode multipliers by up to 4 speed bins, which would push core clocks up to 4.3GHz (3.9GHz stock [39 x 100] + 4 = 4.3GHz [43 x 100]). Unlike LGA1155-based Sandy Bridge processors which offer minimal base clock flexibility, however, Sandy Bridge-E chips like the Core i7-3820 have additional straps available--125MHz (1.25x), 166MHz (1.66x), and 250MHz (2.5x) to be exaxt.

Overclocking the Intel Core i7-3820

Putting the Pedal to the Metal

By bumping the BCLK to 125MHz, the Core i7-3820 will Turbo up to 4.87GHz, which unfortunately wasn't stable with our particular chip when using a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 air-cooler. Droppnig the peak multiplier to 38 and increasing the core voltage by .2v, which resulted in a peak Turbo frequency of 4.75GHz was stable. With the processor available to run at that high a frequency, the Core i7-3820 offers some strong performance, although the higher frequency isn't enough to overtake the six core Intel processors in multi-threaded workloads.

Tags: core i7, CPU, processor, Sandy Bridge, LGA2011, SBE, 3820

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com