CoresĪ core can be thought of as in individual processor. What's important is what these different features mean, which we'll explain. Also, mobile processors are completely different again, so we're focussing on desktop models here only. Note that there are exceptions (see below), but you're mostly unlikely to encounter these odd models when buying a new CPU. The differences in Core i3, i5 and i7 are the same for Sandy Bridge Ivy Bridge, Haswell and Devil's Canyon (a Haswell refresh). The feature table above shows you how the most popular processors line-up in terms of features. The differences in performance come from which features are enabled or disabled, the clock speed and how many cores each one has. The most important thing about different architectures is making sure that you have a motherboard that supports the type of processor you're interested in. Processors, regardless of whether they're a Core i3, i5 and i7, based on the same architecture are fundamentally the same inside.
You can tell the architecture by the model number, Devil's Canyon and Haswell start with 4 Ivy Bridge with a 3 and Sandy Bridge with a 2. Generally speaking a Core i3, i5 or i7 that has a newer architecture is faster than the older-architecture processor that it replaces.
Before that we had Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge. We're currently starting to see Devil's Canyon chips, a refresh of last year's Haswell. Every year, Intel releases a newer, faster range of processors. Architectureįirst, it's important to explain about architecture and codenames.
If you're struggling to work out the differences between the Core i3, i5 and i7, don't worry, as we'll explain everything for you.
Model Codename Series L2 Cache 元 Cache FSB / QPI TDP (Watt) MHz Turbo Cores Threads Process (nm) Architecture 64 Bit Days old Graphics Card all, noneģDMark06 CPU Cinebench R10 32Bit Single Cinebench R10 32Bit Multi Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit Cinebench R11.5 64Bit Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit Cinebench R20 Single Cinebench R20 Cinebench R23 CPU (Single Core) Cinebench R23 CPU (Multi Core) SuperPI 1M* SuperPI 32M* wPrime 32 wPrime 1024 WinRAR 4.0 x264 Pass 1 x264 Pass 2 x265 TrueCrypt AES TrueCrypt Twofish TrueCrypt Serpent Blender 7-Zip Single 7-Zip Geekbench 2 Geekbench 3 32 Bit Single-Core Score Geekbench 3 32 Bit Multi-Core Score Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 64 Bit Single-Core Score Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 64 Bit Multi-Core Score Geekbench 5.0 64 Bit Single-Core Score Geekbench 5.0 64 Bit Multi-Core Score Geekbench 5.3 64 Bit Single-Core Score Geekbench 5.3 64 Bit Multi-Core Score PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1 CPU Tests Sunspider 1.Although Intel's naming convention is generally a lot better and less confusing than it used to be, it can be difficult to work out exactly which processor suits your needs. TDP W Cores Threads ArchitectureĪnnounced at least months ago (>0) Show only items with known benchmark results Still available (not archived) Show benchmark bars Show single scores on hover Show Percent Perf. (Manufacturer, Model, Series, Codename), Connect search words with and or .
How far the processor is currently overclocked can be seen in the Turbo Boost Technology Monitor widget for Vista and Windows 7. The fewer cores, the more levels the turbo function can use (up to 10 in the Core i7-820QM, i.e., from 1.73 GHz to 3.06). If all four cores are used at the same time, the CPU can only overclock by one step (133 MHz) (only if the TDP is not yet used to capacity). This way it can even outperform fast Core 2 Duo processors in these applications. Due to this automated overclocking the low clocked i7 can especially score points in old applications (e.g., older games) which only use one core. E.g., if only one core is used to capacity (and the cooling system is sufficiently sized) the Core i7-820QM can be overclocked from 1.73 GHz to 3.06 GHz. Depending on load and temperature single cores of the CPU can be clearly overclocked. Because the i7 CPUs use relative low base clock rates (1.6-2.0 GHz), the Turbo Boost technology already introduced in the latest Core 2 Duos becomes more important.