Intel Core i7-5775C LGA1150 Broadwell Processor Review

The (5th Gen) Broadwell Core i7-5775C has a 14nm core while the (4th Gen) Devil’s Canyon Core i7-4790K (reviewed here) has a 22nm process. The goal of this reduction in size is to reduce power consumption, manage thermal output and improve performance. In this respect, Broadwell is ideal for mobile devices that face the never ending battery-to-performance battle. It can also prove useful in desktop applications where total system power consumption is an issue. That’s why the Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell processor is designed to be a desktop CPU.

The Intel Core i7-5775C offers many familiar design features as well as a couple new ones like a more powerful Iris Pro Graphics 6200 GPU. Unlike the 4GHz 4790K, the 5775C has a base 3.3GHz frequency turbo jumping to 3.7 GHz. But what does this mean in terms of performance? Lets find out!

Features and Specifications

There is a long list of features built into the Intel Core i7-5775C…

• Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
• Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
• Intel® Built-In Visuals – Intel® iris™ pro graphics, Intel® Iris™ Graphics, Intel® HD Graphics, Intel® Quick Sync Video, Intel® Clear Video HD, intel® Wireless Display.
• Integrated Memory Controller
• Intel® Smart Cache
• Intel® Virtualization Technology
• Intel® Advanced Encryption Standard New
• Instructions (Intel® AES–NI) – Secure AES engine encryption
• Intel® Power Optimizer and Processor C-States
• Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator (FIVR)
• Configurable TDP Power
• On-Package Cache Memory
• Intel® Iris™ Pro Graphics 6200
• CPU/Memory/Graphics Overclocking
• Intel® Secure Key – (Digital Random Number Generator [DRNG])
• BMI1/BMI2 Instructions
• Intel® Transactional Synchronization Extensions
• New Instructions (Intel® TSX-NI)
• Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (Intel® AVX) 2.0
• Collaborative Processor Performance Control (CPPC)
• Intel® BIOS Guard
• Intel® Boot Guard – Hardware-based boot, Measured Boot, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or Intel® Platform Trust Technology (PTT), and Verified Boot.
• Intel® OS Guard
• Intel® Platform Trust Technology
• VMCS Shadowing
• Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT)
• Intel® Small Business Advantage (Intel® SBA)
• Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST)
• Intel® Smart Response Technology
• Intel® Identity Protection Technology

When looking over the list, the two major features that jump again are the new HD 6200 integrated graphics processor and full 4K display support. Whether you have a desktop or laptop, you should have that benefit depending on the model processor. We’ll be focusing on mainly the desktop elements of course.

The table shows the specs that differ from desktop processor to desktop processor. Note the TDP-Down Frequency and TDP-down options. That’s one of the engineering features that helps extend battery life within mobile systems, but is also what makes the Intel Core i7-5775C sip power at 65W TDP. Not all chores require full frequency ramp up and therefore can run on less power.

Motherboard and Platform Support

The Intel 5th Generation Broadwell processors are supported by the Z97 chipset and therefore any motherboards that support it. Since we’ve tested many of them, you can expect a solid response from your existing or new board. Just make sure the BIOS is updated first before sliding in the new upgrade. As for the upcoming 6th generation Intel motherboards launching in the new few days, those are designed to support the upcoming Skylake processor, which uses a different socket. More on that when we take the wraps off our upcoming coverage.

The Cost of Broadwell

The Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell processor is going to ship with a $377 US price tag. Obviously, that means you’ll need to spend a bit more than its blazing fast cousin the Core i7-4790K. Granted, it’s prepared to support 6.4 GT/s (Gigatexels/second) suggesting it has something more to offer than just power savings. This leaves us wondering whether or not the CPU performs better in some aspects to warrant the extra cost.

Setup and Benchmark Notes

You’ll most assuredly need to upgrade your Z97 based board’s BIOS to run Broadwell. This can be quite frustrating for consumers who buy a board from old stock, along with a shiny new Broadwell CPU. However, if you are upgrading from an existing board, keep your old chip plugged in, and hit up your motherboard maker for a new BIOS on their support page. At least GIGABYTE, ASROCK and ASUS have pledged support for this chip with BIOS ready to go.

Here’s our test system setup for this review.

• Processor 1: Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell
• Processor 2: Intel Core i7-4790K Devil’s Canyon
• Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97X Gaming GT
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB @ 1600MHz CL9
• Graphics 1: Intel HD6200 (Broadwell)
• Graphics 2: Intel HD5200 (Devil’s Canyon)
• Graphics 3: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 960 AMP! Edition
• Storage: Kingston HyperX Savage 240GB SSD
• Power: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 850 Watt 80Plus PSU
• Cooling: Corsair H100i Liquid Cooling
• OS: Windows 8.1 Pro (Patched)

We had to run the benchmarks twice after discovering the GIGABYTE F6 BIOS wouldn’t allow selecting XMP profiles or memory frequencies. Fortunately, GIGABYTE had an F7a beta BIOS in testing and was later released to the public after discovering this issue.

After updating, the settings were available for XMP profiles. As of this edit, nothing has been added to the product support page. But we have no doubt a better BIOS should be up soon for Broadwell.

Benchmark Notes

We focused testing on the major performance features of the Broadwell against its predecessor Devil’s Canyon. Rather than use a ton of games to test graphic performance, we’re using Unigine Heaven 4.0 and 3DMark Firestrike. Both come in free demo versions so you are able to compare at home if this is the right upgrade for you.

For processing performance, we’re using CineBench R15, SANDRA, PCMark 8 and Handbrake 1080-720p transcoding.

Unigine Heaven 4.0

The HD6200 seems to be a bit heartier than the HD4600. Granted, it’s going to crush any records but it should do quite well on more RPG type games like Starcraft II or similar. It was interesting that there was very little performance difference between high details, normal tessellation, 8x AA and medium, normal tessellation, 8x AA. It would seem AA should be left to discreet graphics.

3DMark – Firestrike

This is a pretty stout benchmark for integrated graphics. The HD6200 does a better job over the HD4600. Again, the iGPU is better suited for less graphic intensive games and HD video.

CineBench R15

The Core i7-5775C doesn’t quite keep up with the Core i7-4790K. The frequency of the 4790K just wins out for raw computing power in this rendering. It’s nice to see memory frequencies make noticeable difference in rendering which is something the 4770K didn’t do as well.

PCMark 8

As is always the case, the processors do influence overall system performance. Using very capable motherboards also really helps. The Core i7-4790K does better with discreet graphics. However, when using just the integrated graphics, the HD6200 tips performance in favor of the Core i7-5775C.

SANDRA Multimedia and Mathematical

It’s a variable world of scoring when testing on SANDRA. The Core i7-5775C performs slightly better than the Core i7-4770K but only just. Frequencies help the Core i7-4790K more so in others. Lets look at something much clearer next.

Handbrake 10.2

A 375MB snow boarding video was used for this transcoding test. It was converted from 1080p to 720p using quality settings of 10 and 20 RF. Lets see how they work.

This is the most telling real world benchmark. The raw frequency of the Core i7-4790K is still most beneficial in transcoding tasks. The new Core i7-5775C manages somewhere in between which is expected given it’s a refresh of sorts.

Power Consumption and Temps

Power consumption was measured at the wall and temps monitored with Easy Tune. The system ran a full burn in benchmark for 30 minutes which is plenty of time given the warm ambient temps around here as of late.

The Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell (64 Watts) ran notably cooler than the Core i7-4770K Haswell (84 Watts). The result is that the 5775C reached a max temp of 51C and 4770K reached 58C. That’s pretty darn cool. Maybe not literally but close.

Overclocking

Our Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell sample hit 4.9 GHz with relative ease without experiencing 85+ C temps like with the Core i7 4770K. That’s because Broadwell requires less power and makes more efficient use of the voltage it is given. Plus, our 2666 and 2800 MHz DDR3 memory kits actually achieved something our 4770K couldn’t do even with quasi safe voltage. This is just further proof Intel engineers were up to the task when it comes to Broadwell.

Final Thoughts

The big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not the Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell is worth the upgrade. If you’re on a previous gen Core i7-4770K Haswell or Core i7-4790K Devil’s Canyon, the answer is honestly, no.

The Broadwell processor does have two main things going for it though that make it a worthy upgrade from something predating Haswell and Z97. First, Broadwell offers lower power consumption and thermal output. It’s a much cooler processor and does overclock easily toward 5GHz without a thermal melt down. Second, Broadwell is slightly faster thanks to its core refinements. It makes better use of high performance memory reaching higher frequencies where Haswell couldn’t go. With those updates, it would make a fantastic LAN party system or small form factor PC processor.

My problem with Broadwell is essentially the price and timing. It’s suppose to cost $377 US at launch which is more than the previous generation. That isn’t really a good thing given that it doesn’t significantly outperform Haswell or Devil’s Canyon. Plus, we’re on the cusp of the Intel Skylake launch which is set to come in at Devil’s Canyon price points, and will require a new board and socket. If rumors are correct, true performance enthusiasts are going to want to wait.

Ultimately, the Intel Core i7-5775C Broadwell processor is ideal for desktop users looking for an easy upgrade to a thermal and power friendly solution that offers respectable performance. You won’t get this with the Core i7-4770K Haswell or Devil’s Canyon.