Great Value C2D in Disguise! (Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 / 2 GHz)

Member Name: Michael_Gobbi

Product:	Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 / 2 GHz
Date:	20/01/09 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Performance, cheap, low power, overclocks well

Disadvantages: Reduced Cache, low quality fan and thermal paste

Even though this CPU is called a 'Pentium', it is essentially the same as its bigger brothers in the Core2Duo range. This means it is power efficient (and therefore quieter) and fast.
The Pentium range has less 'Cache' - essentially on-board memory required for faster processing. This part is also one of the most expensive parts of the processor. The rest is the same as any other Core2Duo processor.
The reduced cache will result in a -10% to 15% drop in performance vs and equivalent speed E4XXX or E5XXX range of C2D and normally a much lower % cost.
You will notice the drop in performance when gaming, or video editing etc.
If you only want to surf the net, watch movies etc, do not by anything more expensive. You could even think about the E1XXX range for that.

Like all modern processors, installation of the CPU and fan is a 2-minute job, the fan has push in screws and the CPU will only fit in one way- but please note that the included fan is not silent and thermal paste it comes with is very basic. A better fan and paste will only set you back about £10, but will be of noticeable benefit.


Lastly, like all Core2Duo's this processor over-clocks very well very easily. With a new cooler/heatsink/thermal paste, mine went to 2.7 GHz with no problems or changes with voltages. This is enough to make up the performance drop I previously mentioned, and will now compete with a E4XXX or E5XXX series at 2.5ghz. At the time of purchase, I saved over £30 doing this.

Overall, for demanding games etc you should overclock it to get the most out of it. Otherwise, it is perfect for a 'regular' pc.

Summary: Want basic? Buy it! Want to Overclock? Buy it!

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