ttran7701 :
So an old Core 2 could conceivably run as hot as an i9 9900K?!?
Guys,
I'd like to weigh in on this, as I think the question is very interesting.
As the author of the
Intel Temperature Guide http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1800828/intel-temperature-guide.html - I've devoted nearly 12 years and 6,500 hours focused on researching, testing, analyzing and comparing thermal performance among Intel processors; the results of which I've shared in my guide for the benefit of the community. Except for the 6 Core i7 8700K, here's a relevant list of Quad Core processors I've personally owned, thermally tested and used to build and overclock various rigs:
Q6600 G0
Q6700 G0
Q9650 E0
i7 920 D0
i5 2500K
i7 2700K
i5 3570K
i7 3770K
i7 4770K
i5 4690K
i7 4790K
i7 6700K
i7 7700K
i7 8700K
Although
Eaximo has offered some excellent insights, there's a few additional factors and variables to be considered which will provide a different overall perspective.
Regarding the original question, keep in mind that back in the day of the Core 2 processors, today's cooling solutions weren't available. However, we can closely compare similar Quad Core processors by minimizing as many variables as possible, and by utilizing the same test conditions.
Group 1 - Core 2 Quad vs i5 (4 Cores / 4 Threads):
95 Watts TDP
Soldered IHS
65, 45 & 32 Nanometers
2018 Mid-Range Air Cooling
Maximum recommended Vcore
Typical Best Overclock
Prime95 v26.6 Small FFT's
22°C Ambient temperature
Case covers removed
All Fans @ 100% RPM
Q6600 GO @ 3.6 GHz / 1.500 Vcore
Q9650 O/C @ 4.2 GHz / 1.400 Vcore
i5 2500K O/C @ 4.6 GHz / 1.375 Vcore
Note: The Q9650 overclocked @ 4.2 GHz earns a Passmark CPU score on par with the i5 2500K at stock.
(1) Overclocks and Core voltages are typical and appropriate per microarchitectures.
(2) Overclocked measured Package Power is ~110 to 115 Watts.
(3) Resulting Core temperatures are 75 to 80°C.
Here's the maximum recommended Core voltages per Microarchitecture from 14 to 65 nanometers since 2006:
Group 2 - Quad Core i7's (4 Cores / 8 Threads):
77, 84, 88 & 91 Watts TDP
Delidded IHS (Liquid Metal)
22 & 14 Nanometers
2018 Mid-High End Air Cooling
Maximum recommended Vcore
Typical Best Overclock
Prime95 v26.6 Small FFT's
22°C Ambient temperature
Case covers removed
All Fans @ 100% RPM
i7 3770K O/C @ 4.5 GHz / 1.300 Vcore
i7 4770K O/C @ 4.6 GHz / 1.280 Vcore
i7 4790K O/C @ 4.7 GHz / 1.280 Vcore
i7 6700K O/C @ 4.8 GHz / 1.400 Vcore
i7 7700K O/C @ 5.0 GHz / 1.375 Vcore
(1) Overclocks and Core voltages are typical and appropriate per microarchitectures.
(2) Overclocked measured Package Power is ~115 to 125 Watts.
(3) Resulting Core temperatures are 75 to 80°C.
The principal differences between the two Groups of Quad Core processors which actually affect raw test results are; number of Threads, soldered vs delidded and a better class of air cooler due to hyperthreading.
Using the same test conditions, the i7 8700K (6 Cores / 12 Threads) delidded and overclocked @ 5.0 GHz / 1.35 Vcore on big air or a mid-range 240 / 280 mm AIO runs ~150 Watts.
The soldered 9x00 8 Core processors overclocked @ 5.0 GHz / 1.35 Vcore can exceed 200 Watts, so cooling requirements increase yet again; a high-end AIO or a custom loop is required. As informative as the reviews may be, it's too soon to draw concrete conclusions, as there's little users feedback just yet.
It's been my experience that when variables are minimized, thermal performance between Core 2 Quads and delidded i5's are relatively comparable. I think the last thermally consistent, predictable and well behaved processor family was 2nd Generation Sandy Bridge.
CT