No surprises really. About 5-15% more CPU performance over a similarly priced Sandy Bridge. The GPU has bigger gains in the 30-40% range. You can finally play Skyrim at a decent frame rate now. Power usage wasn't quite as impressive as I was thinking, but it did go down a bit and that's a good direction.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5626/ivy-bridge-preview-core-i7-3770k

Any of these planned without the GPU?

It's about time to build a new system and I'll be getting a discrete GPU. So no need for one built in.

 

-----signature-----

I am pretty sure that at this point all future CPU's will have a built in GPU.

 

-----signature-----

The top 3 models have no GPUs in them. Mostly because they need to make room for the extra cache or processor cores (two of them are 6 core models).

There is a 3820 model for $285 that's a quad core, but the multiplier is locked, so not ideal for overclockers. Then the 6 core models are priced at $550 and $1000.

Finding one without a GPU shouldn't really be the main consideration though since most include them. And you might get a better value from one of the lower priced models with a GPU.

Something like this will probably be my mothers next system.

yawn

 

-----signature-----