28.9.2012

First things first, this chip is fast. I upgraded from an AMD dual core 6000+ and the speed difference is unbelievable. This chip contains four cores, all of which are running at 3.30 ghz. I currently have mine overclocked to 4 ghz, and it runs fantastically.Overclocking was a breeze, it has the potential to go to around 5ghz if really pushed but I've chosen to leave it at 4ghz for stability. A good choice for PC enthusiasts who like messing around with all the settings.With Intels turbo boost technology when the computer isn't doing anything strenuous it automatically cuts the speed right back to save on energy, good for both the enviroment and more importantly your electricity bill.

2.8.2011

Deffo best CPU on the planet... I MUST SAY, RUNS ON LITTLE POWER & also runs very Cool indeed.Did not go for the (K) variety because I personally chose not to 'OC' Im very happy with stock 3.3Ghz - 3.7Ghz Turbo Boost Once you need that extra power its always available.In most benchmarks its already beating most AMD HEX-CORE CPU's so what does that say, just look on and you will get the evidence,including YouTube reviews.If you want a high powered CPU without going over budget well the Intel Sandybridge i5-2500 Core i5 Quad-Core Processor (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache, Socket 1155is the ticket... "One Way!" - Only Purchase the (K)edition, if you intend to over-clock, and buy a 'high spec'

20.11.2012

At the time i bought this, i saved about £10 over the 2500K, and that was great since i didn't want to, and don't want to, overclock. However, now that the difference is much smaller (or is at the time of writing) i would just suggest getting the 2500K. Who knows; maybe you will want to overclock a slight bit in the future.I don't have a graphics card yet, so i am just running off the integrated graphics on this processor - and i am pleased to say that i was pleasantly surprised with how well my computer ran, and still does (bought this 2 months ago).I can run games such as Minecraft and Crossfire perfectly fine, but these games aren't very graphically heavy anyway. The games that shocked me were Total War: Shogun 2,

15.4.2011

Must Buy Product!If your building your own system the CPU choice is now a no-brainer - use Sandybridge!Intel have managed to introduce the Sandybridge range at mid range price and this processor absolutely flies. It eats other processors in its price range alive for everything and gives the whole AMD range a black eye.When it comes to heavy duty multi-tasking it handles it with no stress and you can process video files faster than anything I've seen so far.Buying this processor means that your 1155 motherboard will be bang up to date, so you will have SATA II, USB 3.0 onboard HD sound and support for the more than adequate Intel HD Graphics (note: to use Intel HD 2000 graphics you need a H67 motherboard).

22.1.2012

This CPU goes along with my new system build, and HTPC for the lounge. See my other reviews for the rest of the hardware.I have not built a new system in about a year. I build them for other people, and had not built myself one for quite a few.This CPU is awsome, now that multi core CPUs are around and not too expensive -Xmas 2011 when I bought this one.If you are building a new system; from P4 2.6GHz to this, you will notice a big difference. Especially from DDR1 or 2 RAM and IDE hard drive then it is a big step up if you move to new everything.My motherboard I have used (ASUS P8H67-M PRO R3) takes DDR3 RAM and my new ASUS nVidia GTX550 ti graphics card.

21.3.2011

This is the non K version, so it has a locked multiplayer and it also has the lower HD 2000 integrated graphics on-chip. I have no intention to overclock and the slightly better low end graphics offered with the K version doesn't interest me because I have a dedicated graphics card installed, so I saved my money and bought this i5 version.I'm using the stock cooling and it's surprisingly quiet, but probably inadequate for those who overclock. I used a number of applications so far and it's much quicker than my old Q6600, which is by no means a bad cpu despite its age. Vegas Renders videos much quicker now and it has improved the performance in some of my games.The i5 2500 offers great performance for the price and it mostly outperforms AMDs Phenom 2 6 core product line.

14.2.2012

No need to bore you repeating all the praise that this processor has received, its all true.With any decent mobo the chip overclocks to 4400 with ordinary cooling and maintains low temps, no need to pay extra almost £100 for the 2600 to get the most capable processor available today. Just think, you are getting a 4400 mhz processor with quad core, the best integrated graphics (if you want to use them) unbelievable video processing and much more for less than £170.00.You wont need anything else I suspect for at least five years.Brilliant.

16.3.2011

Great speed and runs very cool. Quite good graphics power too for onboard. Had a slow laptop for years so this is a big leap for me, but will be a leap for anyone not coming from a top previous generation i7.This comes with the intel stock cooler and CPU fan which is perfectly adequate (this comes with its own thermal pad so no need for extra thermal paste).Make sure you have a socket 1155 motherboard and also the B3 revision of it like the Gigabyte SKT-1155 H67M-UD2H-B3 Motherboard since the earlier ones had the sata ii issue.

16.3.2011

Great speed and runs very cool. Quite good graphics power too for onboard. Had a slow laptop for years so this is a big leap for me, but will be a leap for anyone not coming from a top previous generation i7.This comes with the intel stock cooler and CPU fan which is perfectly adequate (this comes with its own thermal pad so no need for extra thermal paste).Make sure you have a socket 1155 motherboard and also the B3 revision of it like the

17.5.2011

I used the i5 sandy bridge standard version as I was not into overclocking it was cheaper than the 'k' version and is very quick anyway why do intel try to confuse people with the incompatable versions this is socket i5 1155 but will not fit into a i5 1156 motherboard it pays to research before buying motherboard and processor, should be no problem with ddr3 memory as long as you check the motherboard manufatures website for compatible memory,

8.2.2012

Well I think the performance has been covered in the other reviews and I agree it's fast. I only wanted to add that you get the standard fan and heatsink with the processor and there is a thermal pad fitted so no messy thermal paste! I was unsure when I was buying and nearly orded a fan and paste as well. Very happy with this processor! :-)

4.11.2016

Replaced a i3-2100 3.1 GHz with this chip and the jump in performance is great on a mid tier gaming rig. For the price this chip is great and the performance is still very competitive if you are looking for a cheap upgrade. If you are into overclocking then definitely go for the "K" model of the same version.

25.2.2012

amazing Processor This was used in my first home build id tell anyone to buy this it does everything i could ever need too with ease i dont need to Overclock which is why i bought this one id rather get as long as possible out of mine Not had a problem

17.10.2012

Maybe I was being dumb but I researched this product a lot and I'm sure that not once did it mention the heat sink and fan is included hence I bought one to go with it. Not until I opened the box and there it was did I realise it was included!

29.9.2014

Big improvement from the AMD processor that was included at the time of purchase (three years ago?). Between this and the added RAM the machine is running noticeably faster.

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