Just found out some details & benchmarks about Sandy Bridge. Here's what should be of interest:
1) Clock for clock, Sandy Bridge seems to offer a 10% increase in performance compared to similarly priced Nehalem processors (forget the Thubans)
2) The 32 nm tech makes them post even lower overall power consumption than the current Lynnfields (& obviously much lower than AMDs)
3) The integrated graphics are good. It's fast enough to put all previous attempts at integrated graphics to shame and compete with entry level discrete GPUs. If you were planning on spending $50 on a GPU - you may not need to with Sandy Bridge. Of course, there's no comparison to higher-end GPUs (not yet)
4) The main hitch: overclocking
Whatever rumours you have been hearing are partly true. Without going into the details, this is what should bother us: Intel gives us less headroom at the budget-mainstream end of processors. Meaning you won't be able to overclock a budget Sandy Bridge as well as say a budget clarkdale, say i3 530/540. The enthusiasts should have no problem, whatever numbers they achieve in their current Nehalems, Gulftowns, same should be achievable by equivalent sandy bridges, coursey unlocked multipliers.
Will keep posting should something more come up.
1) Clock for clock, Sandy Bridge seems to offer a 10% increase in performance compared to similarly priced Nehalem processors (forget the Thubans)
2) The 32 nm tech makes them post even lower overall power consumption than the current Lynnfields (& obviously much lower than AMDs)
3) The integrated graphics are good. It's fast enough to put all previous attempts at integrated graphics to shame and compete with entry level discrete GPUs. If you were planning on spending $50 on a GPU - you may not need to with Sandy Bridge. Of course, there's no comparison to higher-end GPUs (not yet)
4) The main hitch: overclocking
Whatever rumours you have been hearing are partly true. Without going into the details, this is what should bother us: Intel gives us less headroom at the budget-mainstream end of processors. Meaning you won't be able to overclock a budget Sandy Bridge as well as say a budget clarkdale, say i3 530/540. The enthusiasts should have no problem, whatever numbers they achieve in their current Nehalems, Gulftowns, same should be achievable by equivalent sandy bridges, coursey unlocked multipliers.
Will keep posting should something more come up.