Sandy Bridge Explained

Sandy Bridge
Produced-End:	September 27, 2013^[1]
Model:	Celeron Pentium Core i3/i5/i7/i7 Extreme Xeon E3/E5
Cores:	1–4 (4-6 Extreme, 2-8 Xeon)
Cores1:	4–6 (8–12) (Extreme)
Cores2:	2–8 (4–16) (Xeon) -->
Code:	80619 (extreme desktop) 80620 (server LGA1356) 80621 (server LGA2011) 80623 (desktop) 80627 (mobile)
Transistors:	504M to 2.27B 32nm
Transistors1:	624 M 32nm (J1)
Transistors2:	1,160 M 32nm (D2)
Transistors3:	1,270 M 32nm (M0, M1)
Transistors4:	2,270 M 32nm (C1, C2) -->
Slowest:	1.60
Fastest:	3.60
L1cache:	64 KB per core
L2cache:	256 KB per core
L3cache:	1 MB to 8 MB shared 10 MB to 15 MB (Extreme) 3 MB to 20 MB (Xeon)
Dmi-Slowest:	4
Gpu:	HD Graphics 650 MHz to 1100 MHz HD Graphics 2000 650 MHz to 1250 MHz HD Graphics 3000 650 MHz to 1350 MHz HD Graphics P3000 850 MHz to 1350 MHz
Arch:	x86-64
Microarch:	Sandy Bridge
Instructions:	x86-16, IA-32, x86-64
Extensions:	MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
Extensions1:	VT-x, VT-d
Extensions2:	AES-NI, CLMUL, TXT
Sock1:	LGA 1155 (desktops and workstations)
Sock2:	LGA 2011 (high-end servers)
Sock3:	LGA 1356 (low-end, dual-processor servers)
Sock4:	Socket G2
Sock5:	BGA-1023
Sock6:	BGA-1224
Pcode1:	Gesher
Predecessor:	Nehalem (tock) Westmere (tick)
Successor:	Ivy Bridge (tick) Haswell (tock)
Sock7:	BGA-1284
Support Status:	Unsupported
Qpi-Slowest:	6.4
Qpi-Slow-Unit:	GT/s
Qpi-Fastest:	8.0
Qpi-Fast-Unit:	GT/s
Dmi-Slow-Unit:	GT/s
Soldby:	Intel
Designfirm:	Intel
Manuf1:	Intel

Sandy Bridge is the codename for Intel's 32 nm microarchitecture used in the second generation of the Intel Core processors (Core i7, i5, i3). The Sandy Bridge microarchitecture is the successor to Nehalem and Westmere microarchitecture. Intel demonstrated an A1 stepping Sandy Bridge processor in 2009 during Intel Developer Forum (IDF), and released first products based on the architecture in January 2011 under the Core brand.^{[2] [3]}

Sandy Bridge is manufactured in the 32 nm process and has a soldered contact with the die and IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader), while Intel's subsequent generation Ivy Bridge uses a 22 nm die shrink and a TIM (Thermal Interface Material) between the die and the IHS.

Technology

Intel demonstrated a Sandy Bridge processor with A1 stepping at 2 GHz during the Intel Developer Forum in September 2009.^[4]

Upgraded features from Nehalem include:

CPU

• Intel Turbo Boost 2.0^{[5] [6] [7]}
• 32 KB data + 32 KB instruction L1 cache and 256 KB L2 cache per core^[8]
• Shared L3 cache which includes the processor graphics (LGA 1155)
• 64-byte cache line size
• New μOP cache, up to 1536-entry
• Improved 3 integer ALU, 2 vector ALU and 2 AGU per core^{[9] [10]}
• Two load/store operations per CPU cycle for each memory channel
• Decoded micro-operation cache,^[11] and enlarged, optimized branch predictor
• Sandy Bridge retains the four branch predictors found in Nehalem: the branch target buffer (BTB), indirect branch target array, loop detector and renamed return stack buffer (RSB). Sandy Bridge has a single BTB that holds twice as many branch targets as the L1 and L2 BTBs in Nehalem.^[12]
• Improved performance for transcendental mathematics, AES encryption (AES instruction set), and SHA-1 hashing
• 256-bit/cycle ring bus interconnect between cores, graphics, cache and System Agent Domain
• Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) 256-bit instruction set with wider vectors, new extensible syntax and rich functionality^[13]
• Up to 8 physical cores, or 16 logical cores through hyper-threading (From 6 core/12 thread)
• Integration of the GMCH (integrated graphics and memory controller) and processor into a single die inside the processor package. In contrast, Sandy Bridge's predecessor, Clarkdale, has two separate dies (one for GMCH, one for processor) within the processor package. This tighter integration reduces memory latency even more.
• A 14- to 19-stage instruction pipeline, depending on the micro-operation cache hit or miss^[14]
• Increased ROB to 168 entries (From 128)^[15]
• Larger Scheduler buffer (54-entry, up from 26-entry)

^{[16] [17]}

Cache		Page Size
Name	Level	4 KB	2 MB	1 GB
DTLB	1st	64	32	4
ITLB	1st	128	8 / logical core	none
STLB	2nd	512	none	none

All translation lookaside buffers (TLBs) are 4-way associative.

GPU

• Intel Quick Sync Video, hardware support for video encoding and decoding
• Integrated graphics is now integrated on the same die

I/O

• Integrated PCIe Controller

Models and steppings

All Sandy Bridge processors with one, two, or four cores report the same CPUID model 0206A7h^[18] and are closely related. The stepping number cannot be seen from the CPUID but only from the PCI configuration space. The later Sandy Bridge-E processors with up to eight cores and no graphics are using CPUIDs 0206D6h and 0206D7h.^[19] Ivy Bridge CPUs all have CPUID 0306A9h to date, and are built in four different configurations differing in the number of cores, L3 cache and GPU execution units:

Die codename	CPUID	Stepping	Cores	GPU EUs	L3 cache	Socket(s)
Sandy Bridge-HE-4	0206A7h	D2	4	12	8 MB	LGA 1155, Socket G2, BGA-1023, BGA-1224
Sandy Bridge-H-2		J1	2		4 MB	LGA 1155, Socket G2, BGA-1023
Sandy Bridge-M-2		Q0		6	3 MB
Sandy Bridge-EP-8	0206D6h	C1	8	none	20 MB	LGA 2011
	0206D7h	C2
Sandy Bridge-EP-4	0206D6h	M0	4		10 MB
	0206D7h	M1

Performance

• The average performance increase, according to IXBT Labs and Semi Accurate as well as many other benchmarking sites, at clock to clock is 11.3% compared to the Nehalem generation, which includes Bloomfield, Clarkdale, and Lynnfield processors.^[20]
• Around twice the integrated graphics performance compared to Clarkdale's (12 EUs comparison).

List of Sandy Bridge processors

¹Processors featuring Intel's HD 3000 graphics are set in bold. Other processors feature HD 2000 graphics, HD graphics (Pentium and Celeron models) or no graphics core (Graphics Clock rate indicated by N/A).

• This list may not contain all the Sandy Bridge processors released by Intel. A more complete listing can be found on Intel's website.

Desktop platform

^{[21] [22] [23]}

Sandy Bridge-DT and Sandy Bridge-E

Processor branding and model	Cores (threads)	CPU clock rate		Graphics clock rate		L3 Cache	TDP	Release date (Y-M-D)	Price (USD)	Motherboard
Normal		Turbo	Normal	Turbo	Socket					Interface	Memory
Core i7 Extreme	3970X	6 (12)	3.5 GHz	4.0 GHz	15 MB	150 W	2012-11-12	$999	LGA 2011	DMI 2.0 40× PCIe 8 GT/s ^[24]	Up to quad channel DDR3-1600^[25]
	3960X		3.3 GHz	3.9 GHz	130 W	2011-11-14
Core i7	3930K		3.2 GHz	3.8 GHz			12 MB	$583
	3820	4 (8)	3.6 GHz			10 MB	2012-02-13^[26]	$294
	2700K		3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz	850 MHz	1350 MHz	8 MB	95 W	2011-10-24	$332	LGA 1155	DMI 2.0 16× PCIe 2.0	Up to dual channel DDR3-1333
	2600K		3.4 GHz	3.8 GHz					2011-01-09	$317
	2600									$294
	2600S		2.8 GHz					65 W		$306
Core i5	2550K	4 (4)	3.4 GHz		6 MB	95 W	2012-01-30	$225
	2500K		3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz			850 MHz	1100 MHz	2011-01-09	$216
	2500									$205
	2500S		2.7 GHz			65 W				$216
	2500T		2.3 GHz	3.3 GHz		650 MHz	1250 MHz	45 W
	2450P		3.2 GHz	3.5 GHz		95 W	2012-01-30	$195
	2400		3.1 GHz	3.4 GHz			850 MHz	1100 MHz	2011-01-09	$184
	2405S		2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz		65 W			2011-05-22	$205
	2400S								2011-01-09	$195
	2380P		3.1 GHz	3.4 GHz		95 W	2012-01-30	$177
	2320		3.0 GHz	3.3 GHz			850 MHz		1100 MHz	2011-09-04
	2310		2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz						2011-05-22
	2300		2.8 GHz	3.1 GHz						2011-01-09
	2390T	2 (4)	2.7 GHz	3.5 GHz	650 MHz	3 MB	35 W	2011-02-20		$195
Core i3	2120T		2.6 GHz	2011-09-04				$127
	2100T		2.5 GHz	2011-02-20
	2115C		2.0 GHz	25 W	2012-05		$241	BGA 1284
	2130		3.4 GHz	850 MHz	1100 MHz		65 W	2011-09-04	$138	LGA 1155
	2125		3.3 GHz						$134
	2120							2011-02-20	$138
	2105		3.1 GHz					2011-05-22	$134
	2102							Q2 2011	$127
	2100							2011-02-20	$117
Pentium	G870	2 (2)						2012-06-03	$86
	G860		3.0 GHz					2011-09-04
	G860T		2.6 GHz	650 MHz			35 W	2012-06-03	$75
	G850		2.9 GHz	850 MHz			65 W	2011-05-24	$86
	G840		2.8 GHz						$75
	G645		2.9 GHz					2012-09-03	$64		Up to dual channel DDR3-1066
	G640		2.8 GHz					2012-06-03
	G632		2.7 GHz					Q3 2011
	G630							2011-09-04	$75
	G622		2.6 GHz					Q2 2011
	G620							2011-05-24	$64
	G645T		2.5 GHz	650 MHz			35 W	2012-09-03
	G640T		2.4 GHz					2012-06-03
	G630T		2.3 GHz					2011-09-04	$70
	G620T		2.2 GHz					2011-05-24
Celeron	G555		2.7 GHz	850 MHz	1000 MHz	2 MB	65 W	2012-09-02	$52
	G550		2.6 GHz					2012-06-03
	G540		2.5 GHz					2011-09-04
	G530		2.4 GHz						$42
	G550T		2.2 GHz	650 MHz			35 W	2012-09-02
	G540T		2.1 GHz					2012-06-03
	G530T		2.0 GHz					2011-09-04	$47
	G470	1 (2)				1.5 MB		2013-06-09	$37		Up to dual channel DDR3-1333
	G465		1.9 GHz					2012-09-02			Up to dual channel DDR3-1066
	G460		1.8 GHz					2011-12-11
	G440	1 (1)	1.6 GHz			1 MB		2011-09-04

Suffixes to denote:

• K – Unlocked (adjustable CPU ratio up to 57 bins)
• P – Versions clocked slightly higher than similar models, but with onboard-graphics deactivated
• S – Performance-optimized lifestyle (low power with 65W TDP)
• T – Power-optimized lifestyle (ultra low power with 35-45W TDP)
• X – Extreme performance and unlocked (adjustable CPU ratio with no ratio limit)
• C – Embedded/Communications - BGA packaging

NOTE: 3970X, 3960X, 3930K, and 3820 are actually of Sandy Bridge-E edition.

Server platform

See main article: Intel Sandy Bridge-based Xeon microprocessors. All 1600/2600/4600-series models:

• support 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes
• support DMI 2.0
• support LGA 2011 as a socket with varying scalabilities

Model! rowspan="2"

Cores (threads)	L3 Cache	CPU clock rate		Interfaces		Supported memory	TDP	Release date	Price (USD)
Base		Turbo	Scalability	QPI
XeonE5 4S	4650	8 (16)	20 MB	2.7 GHz	3.3 GHz	4 sockets(4S)	2× 8.0 GT/s	4×DDR3-1600	130 W	May 14, 2012	$3616
	4650L			2.6 GHz	3.1 GHz				115 W
	4640			2.4 GHz	2.8 GHz				95 W		$2725
	4620		16 MB	2.2 GHz	2.6 GHz		2× 7.2 GT/s	4× DDR3-1333			$1611
	4617	6 (6)	15 MB	2.9 GHz	3.4 GHz			4× DDR3-1600	130 W
	4610	6 (12)		2.4 GHz	2.9 GHz			4× DDR3-1333	95 W		$1219
	4607		12 MB	2.2 GHz	N/A		2× 6.0 GT/s	4× DDR3-1066			$885
	4603	4 (8)	10 MB	2.0 GHz							$551
XeonE5 2S	2687W	8 (16)	20 MB	3.1 GHz	3.8 GHz	2 sockets(2S)	2× 8.0 GT/s	4× DDR3-1600	150 W	March 6, 2012	$1885
	2690			2.9 GHz	3.8 GHz				135 W		$2057
	2680			2.7 GHz	3.5 GHz				130 W		$1723
	2689			2.6 GHz	3.6 GHz				115 W		OEM
	2670				3.3 GHz						$1552
	2665			2.4 GHz	3.1 GHz						$1440
	2660			2.2 GHz	3.0 GHz				95 W		$1329
	2658			2.1 GHz	2.4 GHz						$1186
	2650			2.0 GHz	2.8 GHz						$1107
	2650L			1.8 GHz	2.3 GHz				70 W
	2648L				2.1 GHz						$1186
	2667	6 (12)	15MB	2.9 GHz	3.5 GHz				130 W		$1552
	2640			2.5 GHz	3.0 GHz		2× 7.2 GT/s	4× DDR3-1333	95 W		$884
	2630			2.3 GHz	2.8 GHz						$612
	2620			2.0 GHz	2.5 GHz						$406
	2630L								60 W		$662
	2628L			1.8 GHz	N/A					July 22, 2013	OEM
	2643	4 (8)	10MB	3.3 GHz	3.5 GHz		2× 8.0 GT/s	4× DDR3-1600	130 W	March 6, 2012	$884
	2637	2 (4)	5MB	3.0 GHz					80 W
	2618L	4 (8)	10MB	1.8 GHz	N/A		2× 6.4 GT/s	4× DDR3-1333	50 W	July 22, 2013	OEM
	2609	4 (4)		2.4 GHz				4× DDR3-1066	80 W	March 6, 2012	$246
	2603			1.8 GHz							$202
XeonE5 1S	1660	6 (12)	15MB	3.3 GHz	3.9 GHz	1 socket(1S)	N/A	4× DDR3-1600	130 W	March 6, 2012	$1080
	1650		12MB	3.2 GHz	3.8 GHz						$583
	1620	4 (8)	10MB	3.6 GHz							$294
	1607	4 (4)		3.0 GHz	N/A			4× DDR3-1066			$244
	1603			2.8 GHz							$198

Suffixes to denote:

• L – Low power
• W – Optimized for workstations

Socket! colspan="2" rowspan="2"

Model	Cores (threads)	L3 Cache	CPU clock rate		Interface	Supported memory	TDP	Release date	Price (USD)
Base			Turbo
LGA 1356Dual Socket	Xeon E5	2470	8 (16)	20MB	2.3 GHz	3.1 GHz	1× QPIDMI 2.0 24× PCI-E 3.0	3× DDR3-1600	95 W	May 14, 2012	$1440
		2450			2.1 GHz	2.9 GHz					$1106
		2450L			1.8 GHz	2.3 GHz			70 W
		2448L				2.1 GHz					$1151
		2449L			1.4 GHz	1.8 GHz			50 W		OEM
		2440	6 (12)	15MB	2.4 GHz	2.9 GHz		3× DDR3-1333	95 W		$834
		2430			2.2 GHz	2.7 GHz					$551
		2420			1.9 GHz	2.4 GHz					$388
		2430L			2.0 GHz	2.5 GHz			60 W		$662
		2428L			1.8 GHz	2.0 GHz					$628
		2418L	4 (8)	10MB	2.0 GHz	2.1 GHz			50 W		$387
		2407	4 (4)		2.2 GHz	N/A		3× DDR3-1066	80 W		$250
		2403			1.8 GHz						$192
LGA 1356		1428L	6 (12)	15MB	1.8 GHz			3× DDR3-1333	60 W		$395
		1410	4 (8)	10MB	2.8 GHz	3.2 GHz			80 W		N/A
	Pentium	1407	2 (2)	5MB	2.8 GHz	N/A		3× DDR3-1066
		1403			2.6 GHz
		1405			1.2 GHz	1.8 GHz			40 W	2012-08	$143

Socket! colspan="2" rowspan="2"

Model	Cores(threads)	CPU clock rate		L3cache	Integratedgraphics	Interface	Supportedmemory	TDP	Releasedate	Price(USD)
Base		Turbo
LGA 1155	XeonE3	1290	4 (8)	3.6 GHz	4.0 GHz	8MB	N/A	DMI 2.020× PCIe 2.0 ^[27]	2× DDR3-1333	95 W	May 29, 2011	$885
		1280		3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz						April 3, 2011	$612
		1270		3.4 GHz	3.8 GHz					80 W		$328
		1240		3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz							$250
		1230		3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz							$215
		1220	4 (4)	3.1 GHz	3.4 GHz							$189
		1220L	2 (4)	2.2 GHz	3.4 GHz	3MB				20 W		$189
		1275	4 (8)	3.4 GHz	3.8 GHz	8MB	HD Graphics P3000			95 W		$339
		1245		3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz							$262
		1235		3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz							$240
		1225	4 (4)	3.1 GHz	3.4 GHz	6MB						$194
		1265L	4 (8)	2.4 GHz	3.3 GHz	8MB				45 W		OEM
		1260L		2.4 GHz	3.3 GHz		HD Graphics 2000					$294

Mobile platform

• Core i5-2515E and Core i7-2715QE processors have support for ECC memory and PCI express port bifurcation.
• All mobile processors, except Celeron and Pentium, use the HD 3000 (12 EUs) iGPU.

Target segment	Processor branding andmodel	Cores / threads	CPU clock rate		Graphics clock rate		L3 cache	TDP	Release date	Price (USD)	Motherboard
	Base		Turbo (1C/2C/4C)	Base	Turbo	Interface					Socket
Extreme	Core i7 Extreme	2960XM	4 (8)	2.7 GHz	3.7/3.6/3.4 GHz	650 MHz	1300 MHz	8 MB	55 W	2011-09-04	$1096	DMI 2.0 Memory: Up to dual channel DDR3-1600 MT/s *PCIe 2.0	Socket G2 / BGA-1224^[28]
		2920XM		2.5 GHz	3.5/3.4/3.2 GHz					2011-01-05
Performance	Core i7	2860QM		2.5 GHz	3.6/3.5/3.3 GHz				45 W	2011-09-04	$568
		2820QM		2.3 GHz	3.4/3.3/3.1 GHz					2011-01-05
		2760QM		2.4 GHz	3.5/3.4/3.2 GHz			6 MB		2011-09-04	$378
		2720QM		2.2 GHz	3.3/3.2/3.0 GHz					2011-01-05
		2715QE		2.1 GHz	3.0/2.9/2.7 GHz		1200 MHz
		2710QE
		2675QM		2.2 GHz	3.1/3.0/2.8 GHz		1200 MHz			2011-10-02		DMI 2.0 Memory: Up to dual channel DDR3-1333 MHz *PCIe 2.0
		2670QM					1100 MHz
		2635QM		2.0 GHz	2.9/2.8/2.6 GHz		1200 MHz			2011-01-05
		2630QM					1100 MHz
Mainstream		2640M	2 (4)	2.8 GHz	3.5/3.3 GHz		1300 MHz	4 MB	35 W	2011-09-04	$346		Socket G2 / BGA-1023(in low power and embedded products)
		2620M		2.7 GHz	3.4/3.2 GHz					2011-02-20
		2649M		2.3 GHz	3.2/2.9 GHz	500 MHz	1100 MHz		25 W
		2629M		2.1 GHz	3.0/2.7 GHz						$311
		2655LE		2.2 GHz	2.9/2.7 GHz	650 MHz	1000 MHz				$346
		2677M		1.8 GHz	2.9/2.6 GHz	350 MHz	1200 MHz		17 W	2011-06-20	$317
		2637M		1.7 GHz	2.8/2.5 GHz						$289
		2657M		1.6 GHz	2.7/2.4 GHz		1000 MHz			2011-02-20	$317
		2617M		1.5 GHz	2.6/2.3 GHz		950 MHz				$289
		2610UE			2.4/2.1 GHz		850 MHz				$317
	Core i5	2557M		1.7 GHz	2.7/2.4 GHz		1200 MHz	3 MB		2011-06-20	$250
		2537M		1.4 GHz	2.3/2.0 GHz		900 MHz			2011-02-20
		2467M		1.6 GHz	2.3/2.0 GHz		1150 MHz			2011-06-19
		2540M		2.6 GHz	3.3/3.1 GHz	650 MHz	1300 MHz		35 W	2011-06-20	$266
		2520M		2.5 GHz	3.2/3.0 GHz						$225
		2515E			3.1/2.8 GHz		1100 MHz				$266
		2510E
		2450M					1300 MHz			2012-01	$225
		2435M		2.4 GHz	3.0/2.7 GHz					2011-10-02	OEM
		2430M					1200 MHz				$225
		2410M		2.3 GHz	2.9/2.6 GHz					2011-06-20
	Core i3	2370M		2.4 GHz	1150 MHz		2012-01
		2350M		2.3 GHz	2011-10-02
		2348M			2013-01		OEM
		2330E		2.2 GHz	1050 MHz		2011-06-19			$225
		2330M			1100 MHz
		2328M					2012-09
		2312M		2.1 GHz			Q2 2011			OEM
		2310E			1050 MHz		2011-02-20
		2310M			1100 MHz
		2377M		1.5 GHz	350 MHz	1000 MHz	17 W		Q3 2012	$225
		2375M							2012-03
		2367M		1.4 GHz					2011-10-02	$250
		2365M							2012-09	$225
		2357M		1.3 GHz		950 MHz			2011-06-19	OEM
		2340UE				800 MHz				$250
Budget	Pentium	B915C		1.5 GHz	15 W	2012-05	$138
		997	2 (2)	1.6 GHz	350 MHz	1000 MHz	2 MB	17 W	2012-09-30	$134
		987		1.5 GHz					Q3 2012
		977		1.4 GHz					2012-01
		967		1.3 GHz					2011-10-02
		957		1.2 GHz		800 MHz			2011-06-19
		B980		2.4 GHz	650 MHz	1150 MHz		35 W	2012-09	$125
		B970		2.3 GHz					2012-01
		B960		2.2 GHz		1100 MHz			2011-10-02	$134
		B950		2.1 GHz					2011-06-19
		B940		2.0 GHz
	Celeron	B840		1.9 GHz		1000 MHz			2011-09-04	$86
		B830		1.8 GHz		1050 MHz			2012-09-30
		B820^[29]		1.7 GHz					2012-07-29
		B815^[30]		1.6 GHz					2012-01
		B810E				1000 MHz			2011-06-19
		B810				950 MHz			2011-03-13
		B800		1.5 GHz		1000 MHz			2011-06-19	$80
		887			350 MHz			17 W	09-30-2012	$86
		877		1.4 GHz					2012-07-29
		867		1.3 GHz					January 2012	$134
		857		1.2 GHz					2011-07-03
		847		1.1 GHz		800 MHz			2011-06-19
		847E
		807	1 (2)	1.5 GHz		950 MHz	1.5 MB		2012-07-29	$70
		725C		1.3 GHz	10 W	2012-05		$74
		827E	1 (1)	1.4 GHz	350 MHz	800 MHz		17 W	2011-07-03	$107
		797				950 MHz			2012-01
		787		1.3 GHz					2011-07-03
		B730		1.8 GHz	650 MHz	1000 MHz		35 W	2012-07-29	$70
		B720^[31]		1.7 GHz					2012-01
		B710		1.6 GHz					2011-06-19
		807UE		1.0 GHz	350 MHz	800 MHz	1 MB	10 W	2011-11	$117

Suffixes to denote:

• M – Mobile processors
  • UM – Ultra low power mobile (dual-core)
  • LM – Low power mobile (dual-core)
  • M – Dual-core mobile
  • QM – Quad-core mobile
  • XM – Quad-core extreme mobile (unlocked clock multiplier)
• E – Embedded mobile processors
  • QE – Quad-core
  • LE – Low power
  • UE – Ultra low power

Cougar Point chipset flaw

On 31 January 2011, Intel issued a recall on all 67-series motherboards due to a flaw in the Cougar Point Chipset.^[32] A hardware problem exists, in which the chipset's SATA II ports may fail over time, causing failure of connection to SATA devices, though data is not at risk.^[33] Intel claims that this problem will affect only 5% of users over 3 years; however, heavier I/O workloads can exacerbate the problem. This hardware bug cannot be fixed by BIOS update.

Intel stopped production of flawed B2 stepping chipsets and began producing B3 stepping chipsets with the silicon fix. Shipping of these new chipsets started on 14 February 2011 and Intel estimated full recovery volume in April 2011.^[34] Motherboard manufacturers (such as ASUS and Gigabyte Technology) and computer manufacturers (such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard) stopped selling products that involved the flawed chipset and offered support for affected customers. Options ranged from swapping for B3 motherboards to product refunds.^{[35] [36]}

Sandy Bridge processor sales were temporarily on hold, as one cannot use the CPU without a motherboard. However, processor release dates were not affected.^[37] After two weeks, Intel continued shipping some chipsets, but manufacturers had to agree to a set of terms that will prevent customers from encountering the bug.^[38]

Limitations

Overclocking

With Sandy Bridge, Intel has tied the speed of every bus (USB, SATA, PCI, PCIe, CPU cores, Uncore, memory etc.) to a single internal clock generator issuing the basic Base Clock (BClk). With CPUs being multiplier locked, the only way to overclock is to increase the BClk, which can be raised by only 5–7% without other hardware components failing. As a work around, Intel made available K/X-series processors, which feature unlocked multipliers; with a multiplier cap of 57 for Sandy Bridge.^[39] For the Sandy Bridge-E platform, there is alternative method known as the BClk ratio overclock.^[40]

During IDF (Intel Developer Forum) 2010, Intel demonstrated an unknown Sandy Bridge CPU running stably overclocked at 4.9 GHz on air cooling.^{[41] [42]}

Chipset

Non-K edition CPUs can overclock up to four bins from its turbo multiplier. Refer here for chipset support.

vPro remote-control

See main article: Intel vPro and Intel Active Management Technology.

Sandy and Ivy Bridge processors with vPro capability have security features that can remotely disable a PC or erase information from hard drives. This can be useful in the case of a lost or stolen PC. The commands can be received through 3G signals, Ethernet, or Internet connections. AES encryption acceleration will be available, which can be useful for video conferencing and VoIP applications.^{[43] [44]}

Intel Insider

Sandy and Ivy Bridge processors contain a DRM technology that some video streaming web sites rely on to restrict use of their content. Such web sites offer 1080p streaming to users with such CPUs and downgrade the quality for other users.^[45]

Software development kit

With the introduction of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, Intel also introduced the Intel Data Plane Development Kit (Intel DPDK) to help developers of communications applications take advantage of the platform in packet processing applications, and network processors.^[46]

Roadmap

Intel demonstrated the Haswell architecture in September 2011, released in 2013 as the successor to Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge.^[47]

Fixes

In 2015, Microsoft released a microcode update for selected Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs for Windows 7 and up that addresses stability issues. However, the update negatively impacts Pentium G3258 and Core i3-4010U CPU models.^{[48] [49] [50]}

See also

• List of Intel CPU microarchitectures
• List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU type

Further reading

• Web site: Intel Core i7-2600K and i5-2500K Processors Debut . Marco Chiappetta . HotHardware.com . January 2, 2011 . January 2, 2011.
• Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture . David Kanter . realworldtech.com . September 25, 2010 . December 16, 2010.
• Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Graphics Architecture . David Kanter . realworldtech.com . August 8, 2011 . November 4, 2011.
• Web site: Inside the Intel Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture . Gabriel Torres . hardwaresecrets.com . December 30, 2010 . January 16, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928085139/http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Inside-the-Intel-Sandy-Bridge-Microarchitecture/1161/1 . September 28, 2011 .
• Web site: Intel Sandy Bridge: Core i5-2500K and DH67BL Motherboard . Andrew Van Til . www.missingremote.com . January 3, 2011 . January 3, 2011.
• Web site: 2nd Generation Intel Core Processor Family: Intel Core i7, i5 and i3 . Oded Lempel . www.hotchips.org . July 28, 2013 . January 21, 2014 .

External links

• Official Intel homepages for:
  • Sandy Bridge
  • Sandy Bridge-E
  • Sandy Bridge-EN
  • Sandy Bridge-EP
• Intel's AVX page (Fetched Oct 9, 2012)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Shvets . Gennadiy . September 26, 2012 . Intel discontinues second-generation Core i5 and i7 CPUs . 2020-07-29 . CPU World.
2. News: The Man Behind 'Sandy Bridge' . December 28, 2010 . November 11, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111202005510/http://freepress.intel.com/community/news/blog/2010/12/28/the-man-behind-sandy-bridge . December 2, 2011 .
3. News: Brooke Crothers . CES: First Intel next-gen laptops will be quad core . The Circuits Blog . . December 15, 2010 . November 11, 2011 . February 20, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140220211723/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20025830-64.html . dead .
4. News: Anand Lal Shimpi . Anand Lal Shimpi . IDF 2009 – Intel Shows off 22nm & 32nm, Sandy Bridge Demoed . . September 22, 2009 . November 11, 2011 .
5. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-11-30 . 2019-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190101143859/http://www.hotchips.org/wp-content/uploads/hc_archives/hc23/HC23.19.9-Desktop-CPUs/HC23.19.921.SandyBridge_Power_10-Rotem-Intel.pdf . dead .
6. Web site: The System Agent And Turbo Boost 2.0. Chris Angelini. Tom's Hardware. 3 January 2011.
7. Web site: Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. Intel.
8. Web site: Lal Shimpi. Anand. The Bulldozer Review: AMD FX-8150 Tested. Anandtech. October 12, 2011.
9. Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture . RealWorldTech.com .
10. Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture . RealWorldTech.com .
11. Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture. RealWorldTech.com .
12. Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture. RealWorldTech.com .
13. Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge Microarchitecture. RealWorldTech.com .
14. Web site: Intel's Haswell Architecture Analyzed . 2012-10-05 . 2013-10-20 . Lal Shimpi . Anand . AnandTech.
15. Web site: Sandy Bridge (client) - Microarchitectures - Intel - WikiChip. 2021-02-09. en.wikichip.org. en.
16. Web site: Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Optimization Reference Manual . Intel . Intel.com . 2014-01-21.
17. Web site: Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Optimization Reference Manual . Intel . Intel.com . 2014-01-21.
18. Web site: Support for the Intel Core i5 Desktop Processor . Intel . Intel.com . 2012-02-22 . 2014-01-21.
19. Web site: Archived copy . 2011-12-21 . 2012-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120304141641/http://www.intel.com/content/dam/doc/specification-update/core-i7-lga-2011-specification-update.pdf . dead .
20. Web site: The Sandy Bridge Review: Intel Core i7-2600K, i5-2500K and Core i3-2100 Tested. Anand Lal Shimpi. anandtech.com. 27 May 2015.
21. Web site: Intel's Sandy Bridge E-Series in Q4 2011 . 2011-02-11 . 2011-02-13. Tom's Hardware.
22. Web site: Additional Details on Sandy Bridge-E Processors, X79, and LGA2011 . 2011-04-26 . 2011-04-30. Anandtech.
23. Web site: Products (Formerly Sandy Bridge) . Intel . Official product web site . November 11, 2011 .
24. Web site: Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Family for the LGA-2011 Socket Datasheet, Volume 1 . Intel. p. 8: "The processor features up to 40 lanes of PCI Express links capable of up to 8.0 GT/s, and 4 lanes of DMI2/PCI Express 2.0 interface with a peak transfer rate of 5.0 GT/s. "
    p. 10: "Support for PCI Express 2.0 (5.0 GT/s), PCI Express (2.5 GT/s), and capable of up to PCI Express 8.0 GT/s. Up to 40 lanes of PCI Express interconnect for general purpose PCI Express devices capable of up to 8.0 GT/s speeds that are configurable for up to 10 independent ports."
25. News: Intel Core i7-3960X (Sandy Bridge-E) And X79 Platform Preview . Tom's Hardware . September 12, 2011 . Chris . Angelini. November 14, 2011 .
26. News: Intel Core i7-3820 comes on February 13 . Fuad Abazovic . January 6, 2012 . Fudzilla . January 6, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120108051058/http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/25441-intel-core-i7-3820-comes-on-february-13 . January 8, 2012 .
27. Web site: Angelini . Chris . Intel Xeon E3-1275 Review: Sandy Bridge Goes Professional . . 3 . May 3, 2011.
28. Web site: 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 Processors . Ark.intel.com . 2014-01-21.
29. Web site: Intel Mobile Celeron B820 - FF8062700848602 . Cpu-world.com . 2014-01-21.
30. Web site: Intel Mobile Celeron B815 - FF8062701159901 . Cpu-world.com . 2014-01-21.
31. Web site: Intel Mobile Celeron B720 - FF8062701084101 . Cpu-world.com . 2014-01-21.
32. Web site: Sandy Bridge، راه حل‌ها، بازار ایران. محمد رضا پناهی. 8 February 2011. سخت افزار: مشاوره و بررسی گجت های دیجیتال. 27 May 2015.
33. Web site: Tom's Hardware. Intel Identifies Cougar Point Chipset Error, Halts Shipments. 31 January 2011 .
34. Intel Identifies Chipset Design Error, Implementing Solution . January 31, 2011 . Intel Corporation.
35. News: Intel chip bug affects HP, Dell, Samsung and Lenovo . BBC News . 2011-02-03.
36. News: HP to offer refund for PCs with flawed Intel chip . Reuters . 2011-02-02.
37. Web site: Intel to Ship Dual-core Sandy Bridge Chips on Feb. 20. 7 February 2011. PCWorld. 27 May 2015.
38. Web site: Intel to continue shipping flawed Sandy Bridge chipsets. Expert Reviews. 27 May 2015.
39. News: Anand Lal Shimpi . Intel's Sandy Bridge Architecture Exposed . 8 . . September 14, 2010. November 11, 2011 .
40. Web site: Intel Core i7-3820 Extreme Edition CPU | Intel, Core i7-3820, CPU, Extreme Edition, Desktop, Processor, BX80619i73820, Benchmarks, Performance, Tests, Hank Tolman, Intel Core i7-3820 CPU Extreme Edition Desktop Processor BX80619i73820 Benchmark Performance Tests by Hank Tolman . Benchmarkreviews.com . 2012-03-05 . 2014-01-21.
41. YouTube. https://web.archive.org/web/20110104154742/http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=hKGnaTrxS_k . 2011-01-04 . dead. youtube.com. 27 May 2015.
42. News: IDF Intel 2010: Intel Overclocks Sandy Bridge CPU to 4.9 GHz, outpaces 12-core AMD Opteron . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100921044844/http://www.zdnet.com/blog/computers/idf-intel-2010-intel-overclocks-sandy-bridge-cpu-to-49ghz-outpaces-12-core-amd-opteron/3863 . 2010-09-21 .
43. News: Hachman . Mark . Intel's 'Sandy Bridge' Chip to Include vPro Business Features . . 2010-09-14 .
44. Web site: Intel vPro Technology . .
45. Web site: Intel Insider. .
46. Rick Merritt, Intel targets data plane with comms Soc, EE Times, February 2012
47. News: Haswell chip completes Ultrabook 'revolution' . The Circuits Blog . Brooke . Crothers . CNET.com . September 14, 2011 . November 11, 2011 .
48. Web site: June 2015 Intel CPU microcode update for Windows. 2020-11-07.
49. Web site: Windows 7: June 2015 microcode update for Intel processors in Windows. 2020-11-07.
50. Web site: Windows update KB3064209 (G3258 & 4010U). 2020-11-07.