Best LGA 1155 CPU – Buying Guide

Intel Core i7 2600K

Intel Core i7 2600k was a great edition in the Sandy Bridge processors, and it offers excellent performance for its price. The gaming and raw performance of this processor are not like the hardware we are getting these days, but still, it manages to give an excellent raw performance.

One of the best things to consider for a low budget is its multiplier is factory unlocked, and you can get some extra performance from it. Those who don’t want overclocking can even go with 2600 because it’s slightly cheaper than this and offers the same performance.

Some users might find it a bit expensive, but for its performance, it makes sense to pay this price. Also, this processor is discontinued these days, so you are most likely to get it in used quality, which is much cheaper than the new one. The good thing in this processor is it comes with four cores and eight threads, which makes it much better than the i5 2500k. The semiconductor conductor technology used in this processor is 22nm, where you might already know that these days AMD is releasing processors and graphics cards of 7nm.

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This processor was launched in the Q1 of 2011 while the company discontinued it and processed its last batch in the Q1 of 2013.  It comes with a base clock of 3.40 GHz while on boost, it can easily hit up to 3.80 GHz, and still, you are allowed to push its clock rates.

As most users consider these CPUs for some productivity or content writing like work, so I’m sure with Intel hyperthreading technology, you can get excellent performance in multitasking applications.

It also comes with 8 MB of cache, and you are likely to experience some performance improvements in those applications which use the cache to store temporary data.

One thing that might disappoint some users regarding this processor is its price, but for its performance, it is worth it. Also, I found that the performance difference between this processor and i5 2500K is not that much, but it’s way more expensive than that CPU.

This processor is great for games that were released before the last two years, but if you consider lowering the resolutions and other in-game settings, you can efficiently run them with this CPU. The same model from the last generation was much weaker as compared to this one, and that’s why I’m recommending this one.

Also, you will notice some better performance of this processor in the Windows 7 operating system than others. I’ve already mentioned the overclocking power of this CPU if you don’t need that, you can even consider the non-K version of it, which is slightly cheaper than this one.

Intel Core i7 2700K

The next in our list is also from the Sandy Bridge architecture, but this one is slightly more powerful than the previous CPU and offers impressive performance too. Some users reading this might find it expensive and think that it isn’t worth spending this money on a second-generation processor.

Still, this one is capable of giving a fantastic performance in games. Those who already own a processor from the first or second generation can upgrade to it as it’s a worthwhile upgrade.

The good thing in it is it comes with four cores and eight threads and has Intel Hyper-Threading technology. Its performance in games is excellent, but the main reason to consider this gaming beast is its performance in multicore applications like rendering or internet browsing.

On release, it doesn’t come with any warranty, and this disappoints some users, but as these days it’s discontinued, and we are considering it in a used condition, we don’t have to worry about it. The base and the boost clock of this processor is slightly better than the previously mentioned one, and it offers more performance.

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It comes with the clock speed of 3.5 GHz while on max turbo, it even hits the 3.9 GHz, but that doesn’t stop here. It’s a factory unlocked processor, and you can reach some new limits with it if you consider overclocking with it. However, you might need some good aftermarket coolers for it because the stock one doesn’t support overclocking at least above than average.

The overall gaming and productivity performance of this processor is good enough, and you can play modern titles at some reasonable settings and frame rates.

Still, of course, it’s not going to give you performance like the current generation processors. Back in 2012, we saw much hyper of this processor because it’s only the one that offers this kind of performance, but with improvements in technology, we now have more powerful hardware for less price.

The price of this processor is much higher for any mainstream user, and there this one stands behind the other cheap options. Also, we know that the graphics capabilities of its integrated graphics are not that much and insufficient for enthusiasts. The performance difference of this processor as compared to the Intel i7 2600K is not that much, and we can consider that too if low on budget. With all of its cons and don’t have, I would again say it was one of the most powerful processors in its time, and still, we can use it for regular or daily tasks.

If you like to play games like Counter-Strike or DoTA 2 and are low on a budget, I would recommend you to go with this gaming beast. The MSRP is high, but the used version of this processor is available for a meager price, and you are most likely to buy that one.

This processor is compatible with most of the LGA 1155 motherboards out of the box, and you don’t have to worry about the BIOS upgrade or other things. The only thing I would recommend you regarding this is its performance difference as compared to i7 2600k is not that much, and don’t forget to take a look at that one.

Intel Core i7 3770K

There we end up with the Sandy Bridge processors, and we’ve got the next generation, which is better than the previous one and offers excellent value for its price.

Yes, there we have the Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7 3700k processor, which is way better than the i7 2700k and comes at the same cost. The cores and the threads remain the same, and it also comes with four cores and eight threads and supports Intel Hyper-Threading technology, which offers excellent performance in games and other applications.

The things that changed between these processors are a generation gap with a greater number of transistors, better clock rates, and performance. Also, I7 3770k offers more overclocking potential, and you can easily push it to its new limits.

The eight threads on this processor are capable of running every single application released, and those who are looking for a cheap productivity processor will get it a better option over others because of its performance. This CPU supports up to 32 GB of memory and offers thunder-like speed while processing the data.

Like the current generation processor, it also got a 100 MHz boost in clock speed from the last generation and provided a base clock of 3.5 GHz. On the turbo, it reaches up to 3.9 GHz and also allows a little bit overclocking with the stock cooler. While in reviews, we can see that the gaming performance of this processor is good enough, but we can’t expect something like what modern machines are offering us these days.

Though if you make a little compromise on the graphics and the in-game settings, you can get decent performance from this hardware. Same as the other Intel processor, it also comes in two different variants where the one is the Intel Core i7 3770, and the other one is the K version the one we have. The specifications and performance of both of these processors are the same, but the thing that makes them different from each other is their overclocking power.

Overall, when we see them in terms of performance for the modern games and applications, there is no doubt that these are one of the best processors for LGA 1155 socket and what else we can expect from an eight years old hardware. One thing to note there that the non-K version is slightly cheaper than the other one and if you don’t consider overclocking, you are good to go with that one, but for overclocking, you must need the K variant.

Intel Core i7 3770k comes with an Intel HD 4000 series graphics card, which might be the best for enthusiasts, but it comes with DirectX 11 and supports many games. Of course, you can’t play modern titles on it, but still, it supports some older games that you can consider playing on it.

Those who already own a budget 2nd generation processor can upgrade to this one, but if you have an i7 2nd generation CPU, I would not recommend you upgrade to this one because this deal isn’t worth it.

The performance difference between these generation processors is not much, and you are not likely to see any in-game difference with them.

Core I5-3350P

We’ve finished the expensive hardware list, and there we got something that budget users might love, and of course, it’s from Ivy Bridge. Yes, there is the Intel Core i5 3350P, which offers excellent performance in older games as well as in some office base tasks, etc.

Of course, I’m not saying that this processor will max out some of the great titles, but still, we can get some average performance if we do negotiations on game settings.

This one is a mid-range processor in its time and got the same value, just like the i5 processors are offering these days. If you only like to play games like Grand Theft Auto V or Counter Strike Global Offensive, you will be good to go with this hardware. Core I5-3350P doesn’t support overclocking, or Intel hyperthreading technology and its multiplier are locked.

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The only reason I found to consider this processor is its performance for its impressive price these days. Intel Core i5 3350P comes with four cores and four threads and doesn’t offer any physical as I’ve mentioned before.

The base clock of this CPU is 3.10 GHz, which is good, but on boost, it can easily reach up to 3.4 GHz with the stock cooler, and that’s amazing in this processor.

The architecture used for its build is Ivy Bridge, and yes, it’s a 3rd generation processor built on 22nm technology. Those users who own an LGA 1155 motherboard that supports the 3rd generation can efficiently run this, but for some, you might need a BIOS upgrade.

The gaming performance of this processor is not that great, as we can see in the current generation i5 processor, but yes, it’s cheap, so we have to compromise on it. Those users who can’t afford a high-end processor from this generation can even go with this one if their user needs are not too much.

From the list of old hardware, this processor offers excellent value for its price, and we can say it’s one of the best affordable CPUs for LGA 1155 socket. One thing that might disappoint some users of this processor is the lack of integrated graphics, and you just need a dedicated graphics card to run it.

The main reason to mention this processor there on the list is its low price because there are some other better options in the i5 series, but they are expensive. Also, for their price, we can get some other best options too so for those who are on a compromised budget we can go with this one.

There are a few things that we are missing in this processor, but for its price, I don’t think so that anyone cares about them. One thing that if this processor comes with an integrated graphics card, it would be much better.

Core Xeon E3-1270

There on the end of our list, we got the Xeon E3 1270, whose primary use is in high-end work more than gaming. Intel targeted these processors for some server-like work, but still, they give excellent performance in games and other applications so we can consider them for our build.

The performance of E3 1270 matches the processors from Intel 3rd generation i7 processors, but price-wise it’s much cheaper. Also, this processor is made with the Intel Sandy Bridge architecture, which was also used in the 2nd generation processors.

There are 1,160 million transistors in this processor and is the same as the Intel i7 2700k. The core count and the clock rates of this processor are the same as of the Intel Core i7 2700k we’ve reviewed previously, but it also lacks some features like overclocking, etc.

Even you might already know about the price drop of these Xeon processors, and they cost the same price as other CPUs, but these days we can get them for a meager amount as compared to their MSRP.

As just an example of this, one E3 1270 offers performance the same as of the Intel Core i7 3770K, but its price is even less from the Intel Core i7 2600k, and that makes them a compelling choice over then highly expensive Intel I series processors.

The processor we have there is the Core Xeon E3-1270, which is the same as the other CPUs from this series, and all of them offer four physical cores and eight logical cores. It supports hyperthreading, which offers impressive performance in applications.

The core clock of this CPU is 3.4 GHz, while on boost, it reaches up to 3.8 GHz, but it doesn’t support overclocking. The semiconductor build technology used in this chip is 32nm, which is the same as of the other Sandy Bridge processors, including the i7 2600k and 2700k.

This processor is compatible with most of the LGA 1155 motherboards, but for some models, you might need a BIOS upgrade, which is not a difficult task. This processor supports more threads than others, but it also has a TDP of 80W means it’s likely going to consume more power, and you will need a better cooling solution for it.

The performance this processor is offering for its price is no doubt best as compared to the other alternatives, and I will recommend you to go with this one. One thing that you might miss in this processor is the overclocking options as its multiplier is not unlocked, which means no overclocking.

Also, it is made for some servers, not primarily for gaming, so that you might notice the same low gaming performance, but that doesn’t mean its bad. One more thing that it also lacks an integrated graphics card, and you will need some dedicated GPU to get the display out of it.