The central processor in the computer is responsible for solving almost all tasks. It provides the operation of a video card, RAM and all other components of the computer. Therefore, choosing a processor is a very crucial step. Modern designs are very expensive. But there are very interesting models from the past that are still relevant. For example, Intel Pentium E2160. This "old man" is still capable of much. And it is perfect for a medium-power home computer. We will certainly analyze this interesting "stone" in more detail. But first, a few words about the manufacturing company.
A little bit about the company
Intel is one of the most renowned manufacturers of processors and integrated graphics solutions. Its products confidently hold on the first place, bypassing solutions from the sworn enemy of the "blue" - AMD. The company was established in 1968. At that time, she was engaged in the production of simple processors based on the x86 architecture. It is worth noting that it was Intel that initiated the transition to the new x64 architecture. But the first processor of such a plan was released by AMD. This struggle between the blue and red brands has not subsided so far. But the success of Intel is more impressive. It is worth mentioning that the vast majority of laptop manufacturers choose this particular product. The Intel Pentium E2160 processor is just one of those times when no one even thought about all sorts of i3.
The peak of popularity of Intel products came just in 2007. It was then that our today's hero was released, the first processors of the Core family began to be designed. The latter are now very popular. The most successful was the Broadwell series. But the new lines are steadily popular. However, after the publication of documents on vulnerabilities in Intel processors, the company's strong foundations were shaken. And to such an extent that the CEO sold his share of the shares while they were still in price. But now it’s not interesting for us. Much more interesting is the Intel Pentium E2160. Consider the main technical characteristics of this "old man" and try to understand why he is so good.
Key Specifications
It is worth recalling that the processor was released in 2007, and even then had the status of a budget. Therefore, you should not expect high performance from it. This is the essence of the Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160. Its characteristics are approximately the following. The processor has two working cores. Each has a frequency of 1800 megahertz. This is not much, especially in modern realities. The second level cache is only one megabyte. There is no third level cache (L3) at all. The only thing that keeps the processor still afloat is the support of the instruction set MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3 and others. Without this, he would have long been in the dustbin of history. Also, the "stone" supports almost all modern technologies (except Intel Virtualization). The developers decided that this was an unacceptable luxury, and most users simply do not need this option. The lack of this technology and the "cutback" frequencies made this processor the cheapest in the series. Even as of 2007. And about today's realities and say nothing.
The Intel Pentium E2160 chip also supports AMD64 technology. This means that in a computer with such a processor on board, you can easily install Windows 64 bit. And it works much faster than the standard 32-bit version. This processor is made using a 65-nanometer process technology. This means that on an area of the same size as in the previous series, they were able to place a larger number of crystals. This allowed to increase productivity, reduce energy consumption and heat dissipation. By the way, the fact that the chip is almost not heated is the merit of a high-quality radiator. There are no copper tubes in its structure, and the radiator is in contact with the chip over its entire area. This allowed us to make the processor the coldest in the line. Therefore, you do not need to use a cool cooling system even when overclocking the chip to maximum frequencies.
Supported socket
This processor was created for the socket Socket T. It is also popularly called LGA 775. An excellent socket, for which at one time a lot of chips were made. But now it is hopelessly out of date. If you’re even lucky enough to find a live Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160, then it’s far from the fact that you can pick up a motherboard with the correct socket for it (if only you had such a mess somewhere at home). Or you can search the secondary market. However, new motherboards with such a socket can no longer be found. Not those times. Nevertheless, such a "motherboard" is still relevant. It can be successfully used to build a regular home computer without any claim to performance.
Heat efficiency and cooling
No matter what experts say about the Intel Pentium E2160, user reviews are much more eloquent in this regard. This is the “coldest" processor of all Intel products. Its temperature, even at full load, barely reached half of the maximum. Perhaps this is why a rather flimsy cooler is included in the supply package of the “stone”. Be that as it may, this processor is not only the coldest, but also the most energy efficient. After all, the voltage is affected by the voltage of the core. And here both cores consume negligible energy. Therefore, a cool cooling system for this processor is not required.
Overclocking capabilities
The Intel Pentium E2160 processor is one of the few releases of 2007 (and the Pentium line as a whole, which has an unlocked multiplier. What does this mean? This means that this “stone” can be dispersed using the appropriate programs or directly from BIOS (by increasing the core voltage.) And what’s most valuable - even with significant overclocking, the processor works stably with a standard cooling system, which is why the processor was very popular among gamers in 2007. You could overclock the "stone" and not be afraid that tomorrow you will have to go after new processor. By the way, the overclocked E2160 can compete in performance even with the first generation i3, which can be used to overclock this processor painlessly up to 3500 megahertz, which is an impressive result.
Many AMD chips also have overclocking capabilities, but they cannot increase the core clock speed from 1800 to 3500 megahertz. Also, to overclock the AMD, it will be necessary to install water cooling. It is not for nothing that these "stones" are popularly called stoves. But this water cooling costs a lot. Therefore, the output will be much cheaper if you buy an Intel processor (for example, Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160) than to spend money on AMD, which will require even more expenses in the future.
The amount of supported RAM
This parameter is crucial, since there are not many “RAMs”. Especially considering the gluttony of Google Chrome and other similar browsers. Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160 1.80 GHz easily holds 32 gigabytes of DDR3 memory. However, do not forget that the maximum amount of RAM also depends on the motherboard. If it supports a maximum of 8, then there is no reason to dream of 32. Nevertheless, this processor shows impressive results. Not every "stone" from the beginning of the zero is capable of this. Especially from the Pentium line.
CPU Features
Like any other "stone", Intel Pentium Dual E2160 1.80 GHz has its own features. For example, modern programs that require a third-level cache will not be able to handle it, since it does not have this cache at all. However, he copes with simple tasks and not very cool games. Affects a decent frequency (in an overclocked instance) and the presence of two full cores. According to user reviews, we can say that this processor can even play high-definition video. And most of the 2007 chips do not even know how. Of course, he is not the only one working on the video. We need a decent video card and a normal amount of RAM. Better yet, make the computer process the video using the video card chipset. Performance will increase markedly. In general, using the Intel Pentium E2160, you can build a good computer for office tasks and some entertainment. Multimedia content is within his power. And even some games. However, you should not expect too much from him.
Work in conjunction with SSD
At the time of the release of the Intel Pentium E2160, no one had heard of solid-state drives. But in mid-2018, these devices are commonplace on a user computer. Therefore, the question arose about the optimality of this processor for working with such drives. Although the official specifications for this chip do not mention the correct support for SSDs, Pentium somehow manages to correctly identify the device and successfully work with it. Now let's take a look at this processor through the eyes of a modern user: in the overclocked state, it has a clock frequency of 3.5 megahertz, dual-core, supports a set of necessary instructions, and works correctly with SSD. What else does a modern user need? Yes, the cache is small. But with such a factor, he does not need him. This chip is a great solution for those who are not ready to spend gigantic amounts on modern processors.
What games will the processor support?
The answer to this question is ambiguous. You can find it only by looking at the reviews of the owners. And most of them claim that the Intel Pentium E2160 processor can even support games at the end of 2012. Good resource. It is difficult to say about all the toys of this year of release, but it is reliably known that GTA 4 easily goes even with the maximum graphics settings (subject to a good video card). Also, many launched well-known tanks on this "stone". And all was well. And some Warcraft goes without a hitch at all. So, to call this processor a purely office copy is still very early.
Where to find such a processor?
Unfortunately, the Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160 is no longer available. And in the official Intel store it is impossible to find it. Exactly the same situation with official retailers (unless they had a copy in their warehouse). You can try to order such a processor in China, but it’s far from the fact that “honest” merchants from the Middle Kingdom will send you exactly what you need. Therefore, it is much easier to find a chip in the secondary market. However, it is worth remembering that buying processors at the flea market is highly discouraged. It is not known how the previous owner exploited it. And no one will guarantee that this same processor will not burn out the very next day after purchase. Especially when you consider that most of these processors were overclocked. However, in the secondary market there are bona fide sellers. You might be lucky.
Comparison with AMD products
The closest competitor to Intel Pentium E2160 1.80 GHz is Athlon XP from AMD. The latter was released in the same year and is similar in characteristics. However, it cannot boast of overclocking options. It has no x9 hardware multiplier. However, there is a larger second level cache. But this does not really affect performance. The maximum clock frequency of the Athlone is 3000 megahertz. And this is at a time when on Intel it can be raised to 3500 without any damage to the processor. And the cooling system does not need to be changed. And try to disperse the "Athlone" and you can fry the eggs on the system unit. This is the main advantage of Intel. That is why many professional gamers choose it. At least they chose in 2007.
Conclusion
So, we reviewed the budget processor from the past Intel Pentium E2160. Its characteristics are such that even in our time it looks pretty good. The main advantage over processors of the same year of release (2007) is the unlocked multiplier. This means that the clock speed of this chip can be increased to 3500 megahertz without any risk of overheating. It’s also good that the processor supports all the basic instructions and technologies. This allows him to cope with quite modern games and applications. And if the computer on which the chip will be installed adds a good video card and a decent amount of RAM, then such a machine will last another five years, at least. In addition, this processor is inexpensive (if you can find it). He will not punch a hole in the family budget. Moreover, it is one of the cheapest processors in its class. And in 2007, he was exactly the same.