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If you are looking for an ideal basic desktop system, then one built with an Intel Pentium processor is the right choice. Reliable and energy efficient with solid performance, the Intel Pentium processor continues to offer great capabilities at an economical price.
Pros: * The stock heatsink/fan for -T CPUs are low-profile (about 1.4cm shorter than the standard stock Sandy Bridge HSF) * Low power consumption during loads (I measured a total power draw of just 41W for my entire system during a CPU benchmark.) * Clock-for-clock, about 15-20% faster than Core 2 CPUs while consuming much less power. Perfect for home servers.
Cons: * More expensive than the non-T G620. * The low-TDP effect of a T CPU can be exactly replicated using a non-T CPU with a board that supports underclocking and TDP limiting.
Overall Review: At idle, the G620T consumes the *same* amount of power as other Sandy Bridge CPUs. SpeedStep downclocks all desktop SB processors to 1.6GHz during idle, and Intel's aggressive power-gating means that extra cores do not consume extra power during idle. Compared to my i5-2400 (quad core), my G620T (dual core) in the exact same case/board consumes only 1W less during idle. Where the "T" difference kicks in is the lower maximum clock and TDP, so that this CPU does not overload the cooling and PSU of tiny systems (e.g., systems with a 60W picoPSU). But many boards (like one of the boards that I have) let you underclock a CPU and set a TDP limit lower than the factory setting. If you have one of those boards, you can underclock the CPU and lower the maximum TDP allowance and get the exact same results. So the only time it's worth paying the (small) price premium for a T CPU is if you need the low-profile HSF (1.4cm shorter) or if your board does not let you downclock.