Intel Core i7-2700K Sandy Bridge 3.5 GHz CPU Review

Final Thoughts and Conclusions

At the end of the day we found the Intel Core i7-2700K Sandy Bridge CPU is nothing more than a multiplier bump. As you can see from the CPU-Z capture above, the Intel 2700K is a revision D2 processor, which is the same revision as the Intel 2600K. While Intel isn’t making a big deal with the launch of this processor we found it interesting since that 100MHz clock frequency increase was enough for the Intel Core i7-2700K to beat or tie the AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer processor. When we first reviewed the AMD FX-8150 we found it able beat the Intel Core i7-2600K in benchmarks like HandBrake, Pov-Ray and Cyberlink MediaEspresso. The Intel Core i7-2700K was able to tie or beat the AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer processor in all of those benchmarks. That said the Intel Core i7-2600K can easily be overclocked to this clock speed, but not everyone wants to partake in overclocking. The Intel Core i7-2700K is ideal for those people or those that are looking for highly screened processors with hopes of getting a great overclocking processor.

When it comes to pricing the Intel Core i7-2700K carries a recommended channel price of $332. Intel has the Core i7-2600K processor priced $15 less at $317, although you can pick one up online for $314.95 shipped. Not a bad price considering the performance you get and remember that these are fully unlocked processors and they love to be overclocked. If you plan on overclocking your system then you might as well save a few bucks and get the Intel Core i7-2600K as it is fully unlocked and can easily run one multiplier higher without any voltage adjustments.

It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Intel Sandy Bridge-E processors do compared to the Core i7-2700K when they come out next month. Intel is rumored to be coming out with three high-end desktop processors when the LGA2011 platform comes out.

	Socket	Cores	Clock	Turbo	Cache	TDP	Price
Intel Core i7-3960X	LGA2011	6	3.3GHz	3.9GHz	15MB	130W	$999
Intel Core i7-3930K	LGA2011	6	3.2GHz	3.8GHz	12MB	130W	$583
Intel Core i7-3820	LGA2011	4	3.6Ghz	3.9GHz	10MB	130W	$294
Intel Core i7-2700K	LGA1155	4	3.5Ghz	3.9GHz	8MB	95W	$332

It will be really interesting to see how the Intel Core i7-2700K compares to the Intel Core i7-3820 as they both have four cores and the same turbo clock speeds.

Legit Bottom Line: The Intel Core i7-2700K processor is a nice little speed bump for the Sandy Bridge processor line and keeps the Intel desktop offerings fresh!