Thread: Ivy Bridge is HOT!!!

Here is an interesting read from The Tech Report.

Why is Ivy Bridge so hot and bothered? - The Tech Report

"Overclockers.com points out there's another factor to consider: the interface between the CPU die and heat spreader. The site claims Ivy Bridge employs thermal paste between the die and heat spreader, which differs from the fluxless solder that lurks under the lid of Sandy Bridge CPUs. It's possible that a less efficient heat transfer interface could be leading to higher temperatures for Ivy...

...Intel has confirmed to TR that Ivy uses a "different package thermal technology" than Sandy Bridge. The firm stopped short of answering our questions about why the change was made and how the thermal transfer properties of the two materials compare. However, Intel claims the combination of the new interface material and Ivy's higher thermal density is responsible for the higher temperatures users are observing with overclocked CPUs."

So it is possibly a design flaw, or change, rather, that is causing these Ivy Bridge chips to run so hot! The article goes on with a heat comparison at similar clocks between Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge:

"Intrigued, we decided to perform some basic testing, comparing overclocked Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770K and Sandy Bridge Core i7-2600K chips on the same motherboard with the same cooler.

To keep things even, we aimed for similar levels of power consumption for the two CPUs, which should translate directly into similar levels of heat to be dissipated. Fortunately, we were able to reach rough power parity at equal clock speeds. At 4.9GHz, the Ivy-based system draws 236W at the wall socket, and the Sandy rig pulls 231W. The CPUs require similar voltages, as well. Ivy needs 1.368V to hit 4.9GHz, while Sandy takes 1.381V, according to CPU-Z...

...Turns out the difference in temperatures between the two was quite a bit wider than the 5°C difference between the thermal throttling thresholds. Our Ivy CPU flirts with 100°C at those settings, while the Sandy Bridge chip is currently running at about 80°C in the same test system."

So based on their results, if you are trying to do some extreme overclocking, Ivy Bridge is much hotter and will be more difficult to keep cool. To get similar temps with Ivy Bridge, you will need to clock the CPU lower, which pretty much cancels out any performance gains from the Ivy Bridge architecture. For normal gamers and enthusiasts, it is still a great CPU, but for serious overclockers, it is simply not the best choice... they should stick with Sandy Bridge.

Disappointing.

Intel aren't fools, could they be sabotaging their own chips by making an inferior cooling solution? Perhaps a properly packaged Ivy Bridge was too good an overclocker?

Yeah the latest news is making feel happier about getting a 2500-K... I was disappointed that Ivy came out so soon after I got my CPU ... but now I am happy at 4.6Ghz and 65C CPU temps.

Maximum PC | The Proof is in

Maybe I was right after all.

They will sell them like we see now for a while, and then sell a fluxless-soldered "unlocked" variety for considerably more after that market gets saturated, I bet.