Intel Core i7 5775C: Once Going, This Broadwell CPU Is Great On Linux

For the past few weeks I've been testing out the Core i7 5775C on Linux as mentioned in a few posts up to this point. While there were some initial headaches on getting this socketed Broadwell CPU playing nicely under Linux, once working around those problems, this processor is great on Linux. With its Iris Pro Graphics 6200 is able to serve as a compelling choice for those who want a powerful open-source system.

The Core i7 5775C is Intel's flagship Broadwell desktop processor and boasts four CPU cores plus Hyper Threading. The i7-5775C is clocked at 3.3GHz with a 3.7GHz turbo frequency while having a 65 Watt TDP. This LGA-1150 CPU also has 6MB of L3 cache. Perhaps most exciting about this i7-5775C is Intel's Pro 6200 Graphics with 128MB of eDRAM, which are the fastest integrated graphics from the company to date. The i7-5775C was formally announced in early June but it's still hard to find this processor available for purchase in the US, but Intel was kind enough to send over a review sample for Linux testing a few weeks ago. The retail price on the i7-5775C is set to be around $350 USD.

While we've been testing Broadwell in new ultrabooks and Broadwell NUCs for months, it's a pity that it's taken this long for the socketed Broadwell CPUs to finally roll-out. Due to delays with Broadwell, Skylake is rolling out soon but those initial socketed Skylake parts at launch aren't expected to have the Iris Pro graphics, so at least this i7-5775C should have some life to it and serve for some time as a nice choice for Linux enthusiasts and even open-source gamers.