News - Intel cuts corners on Ivy Bridge Thermal Interface Material (TIM)

[HEXUS]

Explains internet reports of temperatures up to 20 degrees warmer than Sandy Bridge.

Read more.

[bradyjames]

This seems like a strange move from Intel considering the increased thermal density of the Ivy Bridge architecture and alleged leakage. Maybe they have done this to cut costs and therefore increase profitability because they can still maintain a performance lead over AMD even when the cooling is compromised on their CPU's.

[Scribe]

This seems like a strange move from Intel considering the increased thermal density of the Ivy Bridge architecture and alleged leakage. Maybe they have done this to cut costs and therefore increase profitability because they can still maintain a performance lead over AMD even when the cooling is compromised on their CPU's.

I can understand this on the non-k (locked) products but on the high end offerings with unlocked multipliers it feels like a cruel joke to me.

[cheesemp]

Sounds like they know they have a strong position. After all why not cut corners and make more cash if you can. I bet they think 'Who cares about a few enthusiasts'? Sad really and its why competition is so good in a marketplace...

[Phage]

Very strange - they must feel very secure when they can afford the possible PR reaction.

[jimbouk]

Very strange - they must feel very secure when they can afford the possible PR reaction.

What's the alternative for a high end CPU? Oh, the previous generation Intel chips...

[bradyjames]

I can understand this on the non-k (locked) products but on the high end offerings with unlocked multipliers it feels like a cruel joke to me.

Yes that's what I was thinking. They really should use the better TIM on the unlocked processors. I expect it makes a tiny difference to the production cost but perhaps it would impact other things like inventory and it complicates production if there are different materials and processes involved. I expect most enthusiasts going for the unlocked versions would be happy to pay an extra pound or two for a CPU with improved thermal characteristics.

[dcepalewis]

Intel are so PREDICTABLE! Now they'll bring out a "new" revision using the fluxless solder and tell everyone it's new stepping.
Easy solution, just ignore the new chip and let their distributors sit on loads of Ivy Bridge stock. Why anyone supports Intel on new product launches amazes me, they trickle feed us improvements and seem to cock up new products. Remember Sandy Bridge launch? Now Ivy Bridge. They obviously are incapable, or unwilling to launch a new product fit for purpose and need 6 months of tweaking to get it right.

[kingpotnoodle]

Very strange - they must feel very secure when they can afford the possible PR reaction.

A PR reaction read by a tiny fraction of the market, and only a fraction of that tiny fraction will give a hoot, even with reduced overclocking headroom Ivy Bridge is still far and away the fastest thing with 4 cores so it's a bit irrelevant.

Intel do not make any promises that even a K series WILL overclock to a specific point, they just unlock it so we can dick around how we like.

Ivy Bridge pricing is good considering it's basically got zero competition at the top of the market apart from it's older Sandy brother. People love a good whinge over nothing - "OMG! I'm not getting as much extra % of free unpromised performance as I used to, this is so unfair".

[kingpotnoodle]

Intel are so PREDICTABLE! Now they'll bring out a "new" revision using the fluxless solder and tell everyone it's new stepping.
Easy solution, just ignore the new chip and let their distributors sit on loads of Ivy Bridge stock. Why anyone supports Intel on new product launches amazes me, they trickle feed us improvements and seem to cock up new products. Remember Sandy Bridge launch? Now Ivy Bridge. They obviously are incapable, or unwilling to launch a new product fit for purpose and need 6 months of tweaking to get it right.

Because AMD get everything right the first time...

Why not go found a new CPU company and see if you can do better, or apply for the vacant product manager job at Intel that must be coming up if they get it as wrong as you say...

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

A PR reaction read by a tiny fraction of the market, and only a fraction of that tiny fraction will give a hoot, even with reduced overclocking headroom Ivy Bridge is still far and away the fastest thing with 4 cores so it's a bit irrelevant.

Intel do not make any promises that even a K series WILL overclock to a specific point, they just unlock it so we can dick around how we like.

Ivy Bridge pricing is good considering it's basically got zero competition at the top of the market apart from it's older Sandy brother. People love a good whinge over nothing - "OMG! I'm not getting as much extra % of free unpromised performance as I used to, this is so unfair".

Because AMD get everything right the first time...

Why not go found a new CPU company and see if you can do better, or apply for the vacant product manager job at Intel that must be coming up if they get it as wrong as you say...

An SB Core i5 2500K can be had cheaper and can overclock more using cheaper cooling is a consideration on a tech forums. Maybe you should go on more enthusiast forums like OcUK or many of the US ones,where people have complained much more than on Hexus about these things. In that sense Hexus is not that bad.

Remember the parts are Intel branded enthusiast parts,so of course the TIM issue is important and why enthusiasts may complain. They are the target market and its their own money they are spending.

How many people even build their own systems?? You could make the argument that we should all buy pre-builds like 90% of the population.

Personally,I couldn't give a damn either as I am an SFF fan and won't be overclocking the CPU in my rig, as the TDP reduction of IB is enough for my purposes. However,different people have different CPU needs. TBH, the only thing that does worry me is how good the TIM quality is,ie, in three or four years will it have issues?

[Phage]

A PR reaction read by a tiny fraction of the market, and only a fraction of that tiny fraction will give a hoot,

True. However this is a forum for that fraction, and that educated fraction tend to have more influence on buying decisions and reviews than Joe Bloggs.

even with reduced overclocking headroom Ivy Bridge is still far and away the fastest thing with 4 cores so it's a bit irrelevant.

The poor TIM in an enthusiasts chip is a relevant point for anyone to discuss surely ?

Intel do not make any promises that even a K series WILL overclock to a specific point, they just unlock it so we can dick around how we like.

And then handicap it's performance with poor construction ? That's basically the point. The chip is an enthusiaists model with an unlocked multiplier. Then using poor materials would appear to be mixed messages at best.

Ivy Bridge pricing is good considering it's basically got zero competition at the top of the market apart from it's older Sandy brother. People love a good whinge over nothing - "OMG! I'm not getting as much extra % of free unpromised performance as I used to, this is so unfair".

True. I'm in way saying it's unfair, I'm saying it's contradictory. Like building a sports car with really thin wheels that are superglued on so you can't change them.

[snootyjim]

What I don't get is that when they're spending so much money on R&D, where's the benefit in saving a bit on TIM? Surely it's immaterial compared to all their other costs?

I get that any costs cut is an improvement, but I would think that they invest a lot of money in engineers to make their chips run cooler - certainly a lot more than it would cost to buy some chemicals.

Seems that there should be another explanation there somewhere.

[Phage]

And furthermore, why, when Intel is posting record revenue growth?
http://newsroom.intel.com/community/...record-revenue

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

What I don't get is that when they're spending so much money on R&D, where's the benefit in saving a bit on TIM? Surely it's immaterial compared to all their other costs?

I get that any costs cut is an improvement, but I would think that they invest a lot of money in engineers to make their chips run cooler - certainly a lot more than it would cost to buy some chemicals.

Seems that there should be another explanation there somewhere.

It could be that using solder may end up damaging the chips themselves?? It is entirely possible the 22NM finfets are more delicate,so Intel used TIM instead.

[Philipp]

Maybe we will see the true hard-core enthusiasts removing the headspeader and applying their own TIM