Intel i5-750 Quad Core Processor - 2.66 GHz, 8MB Cache, 2.5 GT/sec, Socket 1156, 45 nm, 3 Year Warranty, Retail Boxed

Upgraded my CPU, Motherboard and RAM and decided to go for an i5 system over the AMD Phenom II x4 965 despite the slightly higher prices.

System:
-Intel i5-750
-Asus P7P55D
-G.Skill 1600MHz 4GB
-BFG 8800GT 512mb OC
-Antec 300 case with 4 fans

Im certainly not dissapointed!! Super fast processor: loads applications in no time at all when coupled with 4GB ram. And for games is phenomenal. Flight simulator X (arguably one of the most demanding games available) went from a low of 4-6 FPS (Intel D805 OC to 3.0GHz and 2GB RAM) at Heathrow Airport to 35!!

Decided to upgrade the cooler to Arctic cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev2 (From alternate site) so cannot comment on the effectiveness of the stock cooler. With this cooler, the overall CPU temp (speedfan) barely goes over 30*C with the individual cores sometimes reaching 45*C when Turbo Boost is working hard!!

The 1156 socket is a very capable interface that's also very good value. The Dual Channel DDR3 RAM is now not much more than its DDR2 predecessors with 4GB kits costing from £75; but considerably cheaper then the socket 1366 triple channel. The only downside with the socket is the maximum graphical bandwidth meaning one card runs at full x16, but 2 run have to run in x8 and x8 due to bandwidth limitations. This is not a problem for me as i run with just the one 8800GT 512mb, and most cards can happily run in x8 mode. It is also a shame that SLI motherboards are few, and far between, and those that do exist are considerably more expensive than the CrossfireX alternatives (But it must be noted that its the same story with the AM3 socket).

Overall, this Processor is fantastic value: Fast, affordable and efficient. The 1156 socket does everything needed by most users and DOES take a range of i7 processors for those wanting Hyperthreading without the need for expensive X58 chipsets and triple channel RAM. Oh, and if you don't believe me, do a quick search on http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/ to see how they view it!

In you want to maximise performance and minimise price, you're basically in the right place. This CPU is essentially an inferior version of the i7 860. It lacks the hyperthreading technology of the 860, it has a slightly slower (stock) clockspeed, and it lacks the turbo-mode. After that, you're not missing a great deal in comparison to its superior, except the savings in cost. How important is hyperthreading? Well, this CPU will show up on your system as four cores. Most games take advantage of two, maybe four in some special cases, but certainly not eight. What's more, even a single core on this CPU can handle all general usage (Office, blu-rays, web browsing, etc.) Hyperthreading only really comes in on applications that are optimised for many-threads, an example being video encoding. Similarly, turbo-mode boosts single-thread processes by dedicating more power to a single core to jack up its speed a bit. But again, for most people's usage, this won't be an appreciable difference.

If you're a budget gamer, or general mid-range computer user, this is one of two CPUs you should go for, and the only real consideration is relative price. If you're happy buying the 750, I'd look up Core i5-760 - 2.8 GHz - 8 MB L3 Cache - LGA 1156 Socket (boxed version) (BX80605I5760/T). It's the next model up and features a slightly higher stock speed. At the time of writing, they are only separated by a matter of a few pounds, and so I'd recommend the 760 as the way to go.

In either case, both offerings are very aggressively priced CPUs. Both are significantly cheaper than the top end Core 2 Quad (previous generation) CPUs, and deliver more processing power too. Socket 1156 motherboards start off very reasonably priced now (for as little as £80), and DDR3 memory prices are now comparible to DDR2 prices as well. If you're building a mid-range system from scratch, there's absolutely no reason why you'd opt for anything other than the 750/760 as its basis, unless you decide you need a bit more horsepower.

I only give this CPU 4 stars because of the close proximity in price of the 760, and hence the 760 for me edges it. But really, both of these CPUs hit the sweet spot of performance vs. cost. Superb value.

Very fast for making 3D models in PoVRay - it is great to have four processors for this kind of work. Installation was a doddle, and the supplied fan is very quiet. I have a cramped case (an Antec fusion 350) but the processor does not heat up much beyond 42C, even with case fans running at low.

Also, for what it is worth, I have the most basic broadband service I could find -- but Firefox is still faster on the machine I built with this processor than my old machine where I lived before with better (or at least more expensive) broadband.