Intel Sandy Bridge processors are all secrets. Intel Sandy Bridge: Performance for Everyone and Overclocking for the Elite
We are opening a series of articles about the new Intel Sandy Bridge processor microarchitecture. In the first article, we will touch on the theory - we will talk about changes and innovations. In the near future, the results of tests of the new platform and a lot of interesting things will appear on the blog pages.
The Tick-Tock concept, invented in the bowels of Intel, continues to work - every year the manufacturer introduces a modified processor microarchitecture. The "Tick" phase implies the improvement of previous developments (reduction of the technical process, the introduction of not too revolutionary new technologies, and so on). About a year after "Tick" happens "Tock" - the release of processors based on a completely new microarchitecture.
In early 2010, Intel introduced a line of chips codenamed Westmere / Clarkdale - a technological advancement of the very first Core i3 / i5 / i7 (Nehalem) models. It was Tock's turn. Meet the revolutionary Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, on the basis of which processors under the general name Core 2011 are built - completely new models of Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, as well as budget Pentium and Celeron models.
This time, the manufacturer decided not to waste time on trifles and immediately announced many models for mobile and desktop computers in all price ranges. True, only a few, far from the most affordable versions went on sale, but more on that later.
The press calls Sandy Bridge one of the most significant Intel microarchitectures in recent years - the manufacturer has done everything possible to bring its processors to a new level of performance, brought to mind the technologies presented earlier, and offered incredible integration of computing units and controllers. Compared to Sandy Bridge, the models presented earlier seem childish. Let's take a closer look at the changes in Core 2011.
Features of the new microarchitecture
A block diagram depicting the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture is unlikely to tell much about the technologies implemented and the overall changes. However, it is worth knowing that all the components of the new processors differ significantly from those of the same Westmere / Clarkdale. The main thing to understand before exploring the features of Sandy Bridge is that architectural improvements allow new processors to run 10-50% faster compared to generation Core 2010.
Intel engineers reworked the branch prediction block, changed the preprocessor, implemented an advanced decoded cache, high-speed ring bus, advanced vector extensions AVX, redesigned the integrated controller random access memory and links with a bus PCI Express, changed the integrated graphics chip beyond recognition, introduced a fixed block for hardware acceleration of video transcoding, brought to mind the auto-overclocking technology Turbo Boost etc. Now you probably believe that there are really a lot of changes? We will try to briefly go over each of them in order to get a certain picture before full testing appears on our blogs.
For starters, the 4-core Sandy Bridge models are made up of 995 million transistors, manufactured in a highly tuned 32nm process. About 114 million are allocated for the needs of the graphics chip, each core takes 55 million transistors, the rest goes to additional controllers. For comparison, a full-fledged 4-core processor AMD Phenom The II X4 contains 758 million transistors, while the 4-core Nehalem used 731 million transistors. With all this, a full-fledged Sandy Bridge processor crystal occupies an area of 216 square millimeters - a crystal of one of the first 4-core Intel processors (Core 2 Quad) occupied the same area with a much smaller number of transistors and, accordingly, offered incomparably lower performance.
Now, let me tell you about the key innovations in microarchitecture in order.
Decoded instruction cache (micro-op cache) - Introduced in Sandy Bridge, the micro-op cache mechanism stores instructions as they are decoded. When performing calculations, the processor determines whether the next instruction has entered the cache. If so, the preprocessor and compute pipeline are de-energized, which saves energy. At the same time, 1.5 KB of decoded cache memory is fully integrated with the cache of the first level (L1).
The redesigned branch predictor boasts increased performance accuracy. All of this is made possible by several significant design innovations.
Ring Bus - Sandy Bridge processors use an advanced and very fast ring bus to combine multiple architecture blocks. The interface owes its appearance to the integrated graphics core and video transcoder - the need to communicate with the third-level cache made the previous connection scheme (about 1000 pins for each core) ineffective. All important processor components are connected to the redesigned bus - graphics, x86-compatible cores, transcoder, System Agent, L3 cache.
Under the name "System Agent" there is a block, previously known as un-core - here controllers that were previously moved to the north bridge on the motherboard are united. The agent includes 16 links for connecting to the PCI Express 2.0 bus, a dual-channel DDR3 memory controller, an interface for connecting to a common system bus DMI, a power management unit, and graphics block, responsible for displaying the image.
One of the most important innovations of Sandy Bridge is considered to be a redesigned graphics chip from scratch. Let's start with the fact that now the graphics are integrated with other blocks in a single crystal (previously, two scattered chips were hidden under the metal cover of Clarkdale processors). Intel engineers are bragging about double the bandwidth of the graphics chip over the previous generation Intel HD Graphics, thanks to redesigned unified shader processors, L3 cache access, and other enhancements. At the same time, in the new processors it will be possible to find at once two significantly different models of the graphics core - HD Graphics 2000 and HD Graphics 3000. The first offers six unified shader processors, the second - twelve. Intel and the industry press say the new graphics make the cheapest discrete graphics cards redundant, but we'll have to be convinced of that in a separate review. We almost forgot to say that the new HD Graphics models support DirectX 10, the transition to more modern graphics technologies will take place in the next generations of processors.
In addition, the new graphics chip provides a separate Media Engine block, consisting of two parts for video transcoding and decoding. Intel engineers decided not to tempt fate - before, decoding and encoding video was done by unified shader processors and, in part, low-power fixed units. According to eyewitnesses, the Fixed Media Engine does its job faster and better than even monstrous high-end graphics cards.
The revised Turbo Boost auto-overclocking algorithms now allow the processor to slightly exceed the prescribed power consumption norms for a short time - in practice, this means the processor will be able to make high-speed races over short distances. Of course, automation will not allow you to cross the line of reliability. Recall that Turbo Boost automatically increases the frequency of one, two, three or four cores as needed. So, the most powerful model Intel Core i7 2600 can increase the frequency of one core up to 3.8 GHz when working with applications that are not optimized for multi-core architecture.
Blocked overclocking
Since the days of the Pentium II, Intel has started selling processors with locked multipliers to prevent users from playing at the frequency, and the company itself has always been able to sell the same models in different price ranges... But overclockers have always had the ability to adjust the FSB frequency. Unfortunately, with the arrival of Sandy Bridge, everything changes again - the multiplier is tightly locked in most models, and the bus frequency generator is integrated into the only bridge of the 6-series chipsets and is locked at 100 MHz.
Modifications with unlocked multipliers remain the only overclocking outlet - there are not many such models in the new line, but they exist and cost quite adequate money.
Ruler
It's time to talk about the processors that were presented in the first place - to understand the new names and understand which processor should be chosen for your purposes.
During the Sandy Bridge release, Intel introduced 29 (twenty nine!) New Core iX models - fourteen for desktop and fifteen for mobile computers.
The manufacturer switched to a new, even more clouded processor designation scheme, in which it is necessary to delve into.
So, the name of each new processor in the desktop line consists of a brand designation (Intel Core), the name of a specific line (i3, i5, i7), an index (2600) and a suffix (K). There are only three suffixes for the desktop line - K (unlocked multiplier), S (power consumption 65W) and T (power consumption 34-45W). Now, the strangest thing is that the powerful HD Graphics 3000 graphics chip is included only in models with an unlocked multiplier (K), the rest of the processors are content with the noticeably weaker HD Graphics 2000.
The original Core 2011 desktop line breaks down nicely by line name. So, Core i7 processors are quad-core chips with Hyper Threading support (4 cores, 8 threads), Core i3 are simple dual-core chips without Turbo Boost support, but with Hyper Threading support (2 cores, 4 threads), Core i5 is the first queue quad-core models with Turbo Boost support, but no Hyper Threading. Unfortunately, in the future, dual-core models will also appear within the Core i5 line, but they will be available primarily for assemblers of ready-made systems.
Another reason for further differentiation of the line is auto-overclocking of the integrated graphics core. Initially, both graphics models run at 850 MHz, but the Core i5 and Core i3 processors can overclock it up to 1100 MHz. Older Core i7 - up to 1350 MHz. Think for yourself how this will affect the final performance.
With the mobile modifications of Sandy Bridge, things are a little more complicated. For starters, absolutely all mobile processors in the new line use the powerful HD Graphics 3000 graphics chip (even the most economical models). For some unknown reason, Intel decided to break the unspoken law of marketing and roam the indices - we have not yet decided how we will understand the models with indices 2657, 2537, 2410 and 2720. In terms of indexes, there are XM, QM, M designations, indicating laptops for different tasks. Accordingly, XM are extreme models for gaming systems, M are dual-core processors for economical laptops, QM are quad-core processors for mainstream laptops.
Of course, these are not all models for the next year - Intel will continue to experiment and will occasionally delight fans with new modifications. The main thing is not to violate the invented on their own the logic of the rulers.
Platform
Together with Sandy Bridge, chipsets of the 6th series with the necessary processor socket LGA1155 were presented - the first swallows were Intel P67 and Intel H67. Understanding the two modifications is as easy as shelling pears. Intel P67 is suitable for configurations where a discrete graphics card will be used, while the platform supports overclocking. Plus, P67-based boards offer 2x8 PCI Express 2.0 lanes for multi-GPU configurations in AMD CrossFire or NVIDIA SLI. Intel H67, on the other hand, is of little use for overclocking, it supports only one PCI Express x16 port, but it can output a video signal.
All those who dream of getting all the features on one board will have to wait a bit - sometime in the second quarter of 2011, the developers will present the Intel Z68 chipset. Motherboards based on this chipset will support the graphics core built into the processor, as well as all the features of the Intel P67.
A few words about the new processor socket - Intel has remade the schematics and structure of the socket, so the old Core 2010 models for LGA 1156 will no longer work. Fortunately, the socket size has remained the same, you can install numerous coolers for LGA 1156 here and not have to worry about looking for the newest models.
Chipsets still lack native support USB interface 3.0, although the market seems to be quite ready for such "innovations". Fans of all the best will have to focus on advanced motherboards, where manufacturers embed third-party USB 3.0 controllers.
Fortunately, Intel has not forgotten about the new version of the SATA interface - new platforms support SATA3 with a bandwidth of up to 6 Gb / s. It is clear that for classic spindle hard drives all these speed boosts are not needed, but flash drives will appreciate the speed window at their true worth. For example, one of the flash drives presented at CES will reveal its high-speed capabilities only when paired with SATA3 - within the framework of SATA2 it is cramped (we are talking about Crucial RealSSD C300). Importantly, the SATA3 ports on the new motherboards coexist with SATA2, although the new interface offers full backward compatibility with the previous generation - be careful when connecting your super-expensive SSD.
In the new chipsets, manufacturers are finally starting to get rid of the main archaism - the BIOS interface. UEFI comes to replace the clumsy blue screen from the past - the new shell supports mouse (or touchpad) control, offers a noticeably more modern and user-friendly interface. Other features of UEFI include innate support for hard drives over 2.2 TB.
What do we end up with?
It is widely believed among experts that Sandy Bridge is just an evolution of previous microarchitectures and that the company has not presented anything fundamentally new. We agree with the other part of the analysts. Despite the fact that the new line does not offer any truly revolutionary features, made by the company Intel work worthy of all praise. The manufacturer brought all its undertakings to perfection - it carried out full integration of all components, improved the graphics chip to an acceptable level, completed the ring bus, redesigned the preprocessor functions, revised the Turbo Boost auto-overclocking capabilities, introduced a fixed block for video processing, and so on. As a result, we have before us completely new processors, which are head and shoulders above the previous generations in terms of technical characteristics.
In the near future, DNS blogs will publish testing of a new processor in games and popular programs, an overview of overclocking options using air cooling, a test of a graphics chip against budget discrete graphics cards... Do not miss.
Finally, Intel has officially announced new processors running on a new microarchitecture. For most people, the "Sandy Bridge announcement" is just words, but by and large, Intel Core II generations are, if not a new era, then at least an update of almost the entire processor market.
Initially it was reported about the launch of only seven processors, but on the most useful page ark.intel.com information about all the new products has already appeared. There were several more processors, or rather their modifications (in parentheses I indicated indicative price- how much each processor will cost in a batch of 1000 pieces):
Mobile:
Intel Core i5-2510E (~ $ 266)Intel Core i5-2520M
Intel Core i5-2537M
Intel Core i5-2540M
A side-by-side, detailed comparison of the second generation Intel Core i5 mobile processors.
Intel Core i7-2617M
Intel Core i7-2620M
Intel Core i7-2629M
Intel Core i7-2649M
Intel Core i7-2657M
Intel Core i7-2710QE (~ $ 378)
Intel Core i7-2720QM
Intel Core i7-2820QM
Intel Core i7-2920XM Extreme Edition
A side-by-side, detailed comparison of the second generation Intel Core i7 mobile processors.
Desktop:
Intel Core i3-2100 (~ $ 117)Intel Core i3-2100T
Intel Core i3-2120 ($ 138)
A side-by-side detailed comparison of second generation Intel Core i3 desktop processors.
Intel Core i5-2300 (~ $ 177)
Intel Core i5-2390T
Intel Core i5-2400S
Intel Core i5-2400 (~ $ 184)
Intel Core i5-2500K (~ $ 216)
Intel Core i5-2500T
Intel Core i5-2500S
Intel Core i5-2500 (~ $ 205)
A side-by-side, detailed comparison of second generation Intel Core i5 desktop processors.
Intel Core i7-2600K (~ $ 317)
Intel Core i7-2600S
Intel Core i7-2600 (~ $ 294)
A side-by-side detailed comparison of second generation Intel Core i7 desktop processors.
As you can see, the model names now have four digits in the name - this is done to avoid confusion with the previous generation processors. The lineup turned out to be quite complete and logical - the most interesting i7 series are clearly separated from the i5 by the presence of technology Hyper threading and increased cache size. And processors of the i3 family differ from i5 not only in fewer cores, but also in the lack of technology Turbo Boost.
You probably also noticed the letters in the names of the processors, without which the lineup has greatly thinned. So, the letters S and T talk about lower power consumption, and TO Is a free multiplier.
Visual structure of new processors:
As you can see, in addition to the graphics and computational cores, cache memory and memory controller, there is a so-called System Agent- a lot of things are dumped there, for example, DDR3 memory and PCI-Express 2.0 controllers, a power management model and blocks that are responsible at the hardware level for the operation of the integrated GPU and for displaying an image if it is used.
All "core" components (including the graphics processor) are interconnected by a high-speed ring bus with full access to the L3 cache, which increases the overall data exchange rate in the processor itself; interestingly, this approach allows you to increase performance in the future, simply by increasing the number of cores added to the bus. Although even now everything promises to be at its best - compared to the previous generation processors, the performance of the new ones is more adaptive and, according to the manufacturer, in many tasks it is able to demonstrate a 30-50% increase in the speed of task execution!
If there is a desire to learn more about the new architecture, then in Russian I can advise these three articles -,,.
The new processors are wholly and completely manufactured according to the 32nm process technology and for the first time have a "visually smart" microarchitecture that combines best-in-class computing power and 3D graphics processing technology on a single chip. There are indeed many innovations in the Sandy Bridge graphics, aimed mainly at increasing productivity when working with 3D. One can argue for a long time about the "imposition" of an integrated video system, but there is still no other solution as such. But there is such a slide from the official presentation, which claims to be plausible, including in mobile products (laptops):
Partly about the new technologies of the second generation of Intel Core processors, I will not repeat myself. I will dwell only on the development Intel Insider, the appearance of which many were surprised. As I understand it, this will be a kind of store that will give computer owners access to high-definition films directly from the creators of these films - something that previously appeared only some time after the announcement and appearance of DVD or Blu-ray discs. To demonstrate this feature, Intel VP Mouli Eden(Mooly Eden) invited to the stage Kevin Tsujiharu(Kevin Tsujihara), President of Warner Home Entertainment Group. I quote:
« Warner Bros. finds personal systems the most versatile and widespread platform for delivering high-quality entertainment content, and Intel is now making the platform even more reliable and secure. From now on, with the help of the WBShop store, as well as our partners such as CinemaNow, we will be able to provide PC users with new releases and films from our catalog in true HD quality."- Muli Eden demonstrated the work of this technology on the example of the film" Inception ". In collaboration with the industry's leading studios and media giants (such as Best Buy CinemaNow, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, Image Entertainment, Sonic Solutions, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, and others), Intel is building a secure and piracy-free (hardware-based) ecosystem for distribution, storage and playback of high quality video.
The work of the above technology will be compatible with two equally interesting developments, which are also present in all models of new generation processors. I'm talking about (Intel WiDi 2.0) and Intel InTru 3-D... The first is for wireless transmission HD video (with support for resolutions up to 1080p), the second is designed to display stereo content on monitors or HDTVs via a connection HDMI 1.4.
Two more functions for which I did not find a better place in the article - Intel Advanced Vector Extensions(AVX). Processor support for these commands improves the speed of data-intensive applications such as audio editors and software for professional photo editing.
… and Intel Quick Sync Video- Through collaboration with software companies such as CyberLink, Corel and ArcSoft, the processor giant has managed to increase the performance in this task (transcoding between H.264 and MPEG-2 formats) 17 times over the performance of previous generation integrated graphics.
Let's say there are processors - how to use them? That's right - along with them, new chipsets (logic sets) were also announced, which are representatives of the "sixtieth" series. Apparently, there are only two sets for the thirsty Consumers, this is Intel H67 and Intel P67 on which most of the new motherboards will be built. The H67 is able to work with the video core integrated into the processor, while the P67 is endowed with the Performance Tuning function for overclocking the processor. All processors will work in the new socket, 1155 .
I am glad that it seems that the new processors have included compatibility with sockets of Intel processors with the next generation architecture. This plus is useful for both ordinary users and manufacturers who do not have to redesign and create new devices.
In total, Intel has unveiled more than 20 chips, chipsets and wireless adapters, including the new Intel Core i7, i5 and i3 processors, Intel 6 Series chipsets, and Intel Centrino Wi-Fi and WiMAX adapters. In addition to those mentioned above, the following "badges" may appear on the market:
More than 500 models of desktop computers and laptops of the world's leading brands are expected to be released on new processors this year.
And finally, once again an awesome video, suddenly someone did not see:
In early January, Intel officially unveiled the second generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Sandy Bridge, as well as Intel 6-series chipsets for them.
The new second generation Intel Core processors (2nd Generation Intel Core Processor Family), also known under the codename Sandy Bridge, can literally be called one of the most anticipated products. Without a doubt, they will become the most popular processors in 2011. AMD is preparing its answer in the form of processors based on the new Bulldozer microarchitecture, but, firstly, it is not yet clear when these processors will appear, and secondly, it can already be argued that they will not be able to compete with Sandy Bridge processors in any way. productivity, nor in terms of price / performance ratio. In general, looking ahead, we note that the new Intel processors turned out to be so successful that competitors' products simply pale in comparison with them.
We have already talked about the new Sandy Bridge processor microarchitecture in detail on the pages of our magazine, so we will not repeat ourselves in this article, but will acquaint our readers with the range of new processors and chipsets, as well as tell about their overclocking capabilities and the results of testing their performance.
First of all, we recall that the second generation Intel Core processors, like the first generation Intel Core processors, will make up three families: Intel Core i7, Core i5 and Core i3. To distinguish second-generation Intel Core processors from first-generation processors, the labeling system has been changed. Whereas the first generation processors were labeled with a three-digit number (for example, Intel Core i5-650), then the second generation processors were marked with a four-digit number, with the first digit - 2 - indicating the second generation.
So, in total, Intel simultaneously announced 29 new models of the Sandy Bridge family of processors for desktops and laptops, as well as ten new chipsets. Among the 29 new processor models, 15 are mobile processors, and the remaining 14 are designed for desktop computers. Of the ten new chipsets, five are aimed at laptops, and the other five are for PCs.
Before we get acquainted in more detail with the model range of mobile and desktop processors Sandy Bridge, we will give general information about them.
Features of Sandy Bridge processors
All Sandy Bridge processors will initially be manufactured using the 32nm process technology. In the future, when the transition to the 22-nm technical process takes place, the processors based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture will receive the codename Ivy Bridge.
A distinctive feature of all Sandy Bridge processors will be the presence of a new generation integrated graphics core (Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000). Moreover, if in the previous generation processors (Clarkdale and Arrandale) the computational cores of the processor and the graphics core were located on different crystals and, moreover, were produced according to different technical processes, then in Sandy Bridge processors all processor components are manufactured using a 32-nm process technology and are located on one crystal ...
It is important to emphasize that ideologically the graphics core of the Sandy Bridge processor can be considered as the fifth core of the processor (in the case of quad-core processors). Moreover, the graphics core, like the processing cores of the processor, has access to the L3 cache.
Just like the previous generation processors (Clarkdale and Arrandale), Sandy Bridge processors will have an integrated PCI Express 2.0 interface for using discrete graphics cards. Moreover, all processors support 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes, which can be grouped either as one PCI Express x16 port, or as two PCI ports Express x8.
It should also be noted that all Sandy Bridge processors will have an integrated dual channel DDR3 memory controller. The release of variants with a three-channel memory controller is not yet planned.
Another feature of processors based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture is that instead of the QPI (Intel QuickPath Interconnect) bus, which was previously used to connect individual processor components with each other, a fundamentally different interface is now used, called the Ring Bus.
The Sandy Bridge processor architecture generally implies a modular, easily scalable structure.
Another feature of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture is that it supports the Intel AVX (Intel Advanced Vector Extension) instruction set.
Intel AVX is a new set of extensions for the Intel architecture that provides 256-bit floating point vector computing based on SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data).
Speaking about the Sandy Bridge processor microarchitecture, it should be noted that it is a development of the Nehalem or Intel Core microarchitecture (since the Nehalem microarchitecture itself is a development of the Intel Core microarchitecture). The differences between Nehalem and Sandy Bridge are quite significant, but still it is impossible to call this microarchitecture fundamentally new, which was once the Intel Core microarchitecture. This is exactly the modified Nehalem microarchitecture.
2nd Generation Intel Core Mobile Processor Lineup
The family of mobile processors was represented by 15 models: ten models of the Core i7 family, four models of the Core i5 family and one model - Core i3.
The family of mobile processors includes both four and dual-core models. Moreover, all mobile processors have an integrated graphics core Intel HD Graphics 3000 and support the Hyper-Threading mode. The differences between the individual models are in power consumption, nominal clock speed and maximum clock speed in Turbo Boost mode, L3 cache size, supported memory frequency, graphics core frequency in normal mode and in Turbo Boost mode.
So, out of ten models in the Core i7 family, five are quad-core (in the designation of quad-core processes there is the letter Q or X). And one model - Intel Core i7-2920XM - belongs to the Extreme Edition series. This is the top and most expensive model in the mobile processor segment. It is unlikely that manufacturers will massively produce laptops based on the Core i7-2920XM processor, since it costs more than $ 1,000. Most likely, only exclusive custom laptop models will be based on it.
The next processor model in terms of cost and performance is the Core i7-2820QM. It differs from the Core i7-2920XM model only in that its nominal clock frequency is two steps lower (in Sandy Bridge processors, the system bus frequency is 100 MHz, respectively, one step of changing the clock frequency is 100 MHz). So, for the Core i7-2920XM processor, the nominal clock speed is 2.5 GHz, and for the Core i7-2820QM model - 2.3 GHz. In Turbo Boost mode, the maximum frequency of the Core i7-2920XM processor can be up to 3.5 GHz, and the Core i7-2820QM processor can reach 3.4 GHz. Another difference between the Core i7-2920XM and Core i7-2820QM processors is that the TDP of the Core i7-2920XM is 55W and the Core i7-2820QM is 45W. All other specifications of the Core i7-2920XM and Core i7-2820QM processors are the same. These are quad-core models with 8 MB L3 cache. Both models support DDR3-1600 memory and have Intel HD Graphics 3000 at 650 MHz in nominal mode and 1300 MHz in Turbo Boost mode.
As you can see, the Core i7-2920XM and Core i7-2820QM processors differ little from each other in terms of their characteristics, including performance. But at a cost - almost twice. That is why we assume that the Core i7-2820QM model will be the top solution, and the Core i7-2920XM will remain a kind of exclusive, which, most likely, will not be on sale.
All other quad-core models of mobile processors (Core i7-2720QM, i7-2635QM, i7-2630QM) are endowed with a 6 MB L3 cache. The Core i7-2720QM supports DDR3-1600 memory, while the rest of the processors support DDR3-1333 memory. The i7-2635QM and i7-2630QM models practically do not differ from each other at all - the only difference is in the maximum frequency of the graphics core in Turbo Boost mode. However, in our opinion, it makes no sense at all to pay attention to the characteristics of the integrated graphics core in the case of quad-core processor models, since notebooks based on such powerful processors without discrete graphics are unlikely to be produced (it would be simply illogical).
Now let's take a look at the dual-core models of Sandy Bridge mobile processors. All dual-core models in the Core i7 family have 4MB L3 cache and support DDR3-1333 memory. Actually, the difference between the individual dual-core models of the Core i7 family of processors lies in their power consumption (different TDP values), the nominal clock frequency and the maximum clock frequency of the processor and graphics cores in Turbo Boost mode.
Dual-core models of mobile processors of the Core i5 family (there are four of them) have an L3 cache that is already 3 MB in size. All these processors support DDR3-1333 memory and differ from each other in power consumption, nominal clock speed and maximum clock speed of the processor and graphics cores in Turbo Boost mode.
As already noted, the younger family of Core i3 processors is represented by only one model - the Core i3-2310M. A distinctive feature of the Core i3 family of processors is the fact that they do not support Turbo Boost for the processor cores (Turbo Boost is supported for the graphics core). In all other respects, these processors are similar to the models of the Core i5 family. So, in the Core i3-2310M model, the L3 cache size is 3 MB and it supports DDR3-1333 memory.
Technical characteristics of Sandy Bridge mobile processors are presented in table. one .
2nd Generation Intel Core Desktop Processor Lineup
The Sandy Bridge desktop processor lineup is also represented by three families: Core i7, Core i5 and Core i3.
All desktop processors of the Core i7 family are quad-core, support Hyper-Threading mode, DDR3-1333 memory and have 8MB L3 cache. Actually, currently the Core i7 family is represented by only one model, but in three versions: Core i7-2600K, Core i7-2600 and Core i7-2600S. The base model is Core i7-2600. This quad-core processor has a TDP of 95W and a base clock of 3.4GHz. Maximum Turbo Boost clock speed is 3.8 GHz. The Core i7-2600 processor has integrated Intel HD Graphics 2000 with a maximum clock speed of up to 1350 MHz in Turbo Boost mode.
The Core i7-2600K model differs from the Core i7-2600 primarily in that it is unlocked. All processors with the letter "K" in the marking have an unlocked multiplication factor and are oriented towards overclocking. We will tell you more about the overclocking features of the Sandy Bridge desktop processors, but for now, we note that the Core i7-2600K processor has an integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics core with a maximum clock speed of up to 1350 MHz in Turbo Boost mode.
In general, it should be noted that if all mobile processors have an integrated graphics core Intel HD Graphics 3000, then desktop processors can integrate the graphics core of both Intel HD Graphics 3000 and Intel HD Graphics 2000. In all unlocked processors (with the letter "K "In the marking), the Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics core is integrated, and in all other processors the Intel HD Graphics 2000 core is integrated. a more productive and decision to integrate a more powerful graphics core into unlocked processors seems completely illogical to us. The fact is that overclocking processors is possible only on motherboards based on the Intel P67 Express chipset. But it is precisely these boards that do not support the graphics core integrated into the processor (that is, motherboards based on the Intel P67 Express chipset cannot use the integrated graphics core). The integrated graphics core can only be used on motherboards with the Intel H67 Express chipset, however, they do not allow overclocking the processor cores (we will talk about the features of the chipsets a little later). Naturally, it makes sense to use unlocked K-series processors only with motherboards based on the Intel P67 Express chipset, but in this case you cannot use the integrated graphics core, and what is the point of equipping unlocked processors with a more efficient graphics core is completely incomprehensible.
The Core i7-2600S processor differs from the other two models in the Core i7 family in its lower power consumption. Its TDP is 65W. In addition, this processor model has a lower base clock speed (2.8 GHz), but in Turbo Boost mode, the clock speed can be the same as in the Core i7-2600 and Core i7-2600K models, that is, 3 , 8 GHz. Along the way, we note that if the letter "S" is present in the marking of the processor, it means that we are talking about a processor with reduced power consumption.
Now let's look at the Core i5 family of desktop processors. It is rather strange as it includes both dual- and quad-core processors with and without Hyper-Threading support. More precisely, if it were not for the Core i5-2390T model, then everything would be logical and Intel Core i5 could be described as a family of quad-core processors without Hyper-Threading technology support with 6 MB L3 cache. However, the Core i5-2390T spoils the whole classification system, as it is a dual-core processor with support for Hyper-Threading technology and a 3MB L3 cache. One gets the impression that this processor got into the Core i5 family simply by mistake - it belongs to the Core i3 family. However, the hallmark of all Core i3 processors is the lack of Turbo Boost support for the processor cores, and the Core i5-2390T model supports Turbo Boost. In short, the Core i5-2390T processor model simply does not fit into any family. Therefore, we will characterize Core i5 as a family of quad-core processors without Hyper-Threading technology support with 6 MB L3 cache, but with one exception in the form of the Core i5-2390T model.
The Core i5 family currently includes three base models in various variations. So, the base model Core i5-2500 is presented in four forms: Core i5-2500K, Core i5-2500, Core i5-2500S and Core i5-2500T. The Core i5-2500K model is an unlocked variant of the Core i5-2500 processor with Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics.
The Core i5-2500S model is a lower power variant of the Core i5-2500 processor. So, if for the Core i5-2500 model the TDP is 95 W, then for the Core i5-2500S model it is 65 W.
The Core i5-2500T is a processor with even lower power consumption. The TDP of this processor is 45W, and in addition, it has a reduced core frequency in the normal mode and in the Turbo Boost mode.
The Core i5-2400 processor comes in two flavors: the Core i5-2400 and the i5-2400S. The difference between the two lies in power consumption and clock frequency.
But the Core i5-2300 processor has no variations yet.
The Core i3 processor family is currently presented in three models. All processors in this family are dual-core, support Hyper-Threading, have a 3MB L3 cache and, as noted, do not support Turbo Boost for processor cores. The integrated graphics core HD Graphics 2000 has a maximum frequency (in Turbo Boost mode) of 1100 MHz.
Technical characteristics of all Sandy Bridge desktop processors are presented in table. 2.
Features of graphics cores Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000
As already noted, all Sandy Bridge processors have a new generation of integrated graphics core, which ideologically can be considered as another processor core. All mobile processors, as well as K-series desktop processors (with unlocked multiplier), integrate Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics, and the rest of the processors integrate Intel HD Graphics 2000 graphics.
Of course, the graphics core in Sandy Bridge processors cannot compare in performance with discrete graphics (by the way, DirectX 11 support for the new core is not even announced), but in fairness, we note that this core is not positioned as a gaming core.
The difference between Intel HD Graphics 3000 and Intel HD Graphics 2000 cores lies in the number of Execution Units (EU). So, in the core of Intel HD Graphics 3000 there are 12 execution units, and in the core of Intel HD Graphics 2000 - only 6.
Note that execution units in Intel HD Graphics 3000/2000 graphics cores cannot be compared to unified shader processors in NVIDIA or AMD graphics processors, where there are hundreds of them. The Intel graphics core is primarily focused not on 3D games, but on hardware video decoding and encoding (including HD video). That is, hardware decoders are included in the configuration of the graphics core. They are complemented by scaling, denoise filtering, deinterlace / film-mode detection and detail enhancement filters. Post-processing that enhances the playback image includes STE (Skin Enhancer), ACE (Adaptive Contrast Enhancement), and TCC (Total Color Management).
The multi-format hardware codec supports MPEG-2, VC1 and AVC formats, performing all stages of decoding using specialized hardware, whereas in the current generation integrated graphics processors, universal execution units EU are responsible for this function (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Comparison of capabilities for hardware decoding of graphics
new and previous generation controllers
In general, if we compare the previous generation Intel graphics controllers integrated into the Clarkdale / Arrandale processors and the graphics controllers integrated into the Sandy Bridge processors, then it should be noted that the difference between them is not only in the support of hardware decoding. Comparison of technical characteristics and functionality of graphics controllers of the new and previous generations is shown in Fig. 2 and 3.
Rice. 2. Comparison of the functionality of the new graphics controllers
and previous generations
Rice. 3. Comparison of technical characteristics of graphics controllers of the new and previous generations
Overclocking capabilities of Sandy Bridge desktop processors
The Sandy Bridge family of desktop processors has both unlocked overclocking-oriented processors and regular processors. However, conventional processors can (and should) be overclocked as well. In general, it is more correct to divide all Sandy Bridge desktop processors into Fully Unlocked and Limited Unlocked rather than regular and unlocked processors. Actually, this is one of the most interesting features of Sandy Bridge processors - they are all unlocked to one degree or another.
First of all, memory overclocking is fully unlocked in all processors. In the BIOS of the board, you can select the multiplication factor for the memory (8.00; 10.66; 13.33; 16.00; 18.66; 21.33). Taking into account that the nominal system bus frequency is 100 MHz, choosing, for example, a multiplier of 16.00, we get a memory frequency of 1600 MHz.
Naturally, fully unlocked on all processors is the ability to set the voltage supply to the memory and processor cores. Actually, it has always been this way.
Well, now about the main thing. In fully unlocked processors (K-series processors), you can set any clock multiplier for the clock speed of the processor cores. More precisely, the maximum multiplication factor can be 57, respectively, the maximum clock frequency of the processor cores can reach 5.7 GHz (theoretically). In partially unlocked processors (that is, in non-K-series processors), you can also change the multiplication factor, but in a smaller range. The rule here works like this. The maximum clock multiplier for partially unlocked processors can be up to four units higher than the clock multiplier for the maximum CPU clock in Turbo Boost in normal mode.
Consider, for example, a partially unlocked Core i5-2400 processor. Its nominal clock speed is 3.1 GHz, and in Turbo Boost mode, the maximum clock speed can be up to 3.4 GHz (with one active core). Accordingly, for this processor, the multiplier for the maximum frequency in Turbo Boost mode is 34. This means that the maximum multiplication factor that can be set is 38.
Both fully unlocked and partially unlocked Sandy Bridge processors allow you to customize the Turbo Boost mode. That is, for Sandy Bridge processors, you can set multiplication factors for processor cores in Turbo Boost mode. In the case of quad-core processors, it is possible to set multiplication factors for four, three, two and one active core. For fully unlocked processors, the multiplication factors can be any (but less than 57), and for partially unlocked processors, the same rule applies: the maximum multiplication factor is four units higher than the multiplication factor for the maximum processor frequency in Turbo Boost mode in normal mode (Fig. 4).
Rice. 4. Comparison of overclocking capabilities completely
and partially unlocked Sandy Bridge processors
Consider, for example, the same partially unlocked Core i5-2400 processor. The default (normal) Turbo Boost setting for this processor is as follows. If all four cores are active, then the multiplication factor can be equal to 32 (if the maximum current and TDP limits of the processor are not exceeded). If three or two processor cores are active, then the multiplication factor can be equal to 33, and if only one core is active, then the multiplication factor can reach 34.
Since the maximum multiplication factor for this processor is 4 units higher than 34, that is, equal to 38, the Turbo Boost mode can be configured so that for all cases of core activity, the multiplication factor is no higher than 38. For example, for one active core - 38, for two - 37, for three - 36 and for four - 35. And it is also possible so that for the cases of one, two, three and four active nuclei, the multiplication factor is 38.
Another feature of the Turbo Boost setting is that you can set the maximum current and power consumption values for both fully unlocked and partially unlocked processors. Recall that the Turbo Boost dynamic overclocking mode is implemented only if the maximum processor current and power consumption limits are not exceeded. So, the values of the maximum current and power consumption can be set independently.
Speaking about the overclocking capabilities of Sandy Bridge processors, it should be noted that they are really impressive. We had the opportunity to test three desktop processors: Core i7-2600K, Core i5-2500K and Core i5-2400, and I must say that they all overclocked perfectly. For example, the Core i7-2600K processor ran perfectly at 4.6 GHz (@ 3.4 GHz nominal), and the partially unlocked Core i5-2400 processor at 3.1 GHz ran perfectly at 3.8 GHz. We will tell you more about the performance and overclocking capabilities of these processors in the next issue of our magazine. Recall that you can overclock Sandy Bridge desktop processors only if you use a motherboard based on the Intel P67 Express chipset. Mainboards based on other chipsets do not allow overclocking processors.
Now is the time to take a closer look at the new chipsets for Sandy Bridge processors.
Intel 6 Series Chipsets
Intel presented ten 6-series chipsets at once, of which five models are chipsets for PCs (P67, H67, Q65, Q67, B65), and five more (QS67, QM67, HM67, HM65, UM67) are for laptops.
All new chipsets, or, in Intel's terminology, Platform Controller Hubs (PCHs), are single-chip solutions that replace the traditional north and south bridges.
In Sandy Bridge processors, the interaction between the processor and the chipset is implemented via the DMI bus. Accordingly, the Intel 6-series chipsets have a DMI controller.
Desktop Chipsets
When it comes to desktop chipsets, the most wide use will receive chipsets Intel P67 Express (P67) and Intel H67 Express (H67). They are targeted at home computers. The rest of the chipsets (Q65, Q67, B65) are intended for the corporate segment of the market and are not of interest to end users, and therefore we will focus primarily on the P67 and H67 chipsets.
As has been mentioned many times, the key difference between the P67 and H67 chipsets is that the P67 chipset, firstly, allows you to overclock processors, and secondly, it prevents the use of the graphics controller built into the processor. The H67 chipset, on the contrary, does not provide overclocking of processors, but allows the use of a graphics controller built into the processor. For this, the H67 chipset has an Intel FDI (Flexible Display Interface) bus, through which the chipset communicates with the processor. But the P67 chipset does not have such a bus, and for this reason it will not be possible to use the integrated graphics core of the Sandy Bridge processor on motherboards with the P67 chipset.
The rest of the functionality of the P67 and H67 chipsets is practically the same. Both chipsets support 14 USB 2.0 ports. They also have a built-in 6-port SATA controller that supports two SATA 6 Gb / s (SATA III) ports and four SATA 3 Gb / s (SATA II) ports. This controller supports Intel RST technology with the ability to create RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, or JBOD.
The P67 and H67 chipsets support eight full-speed PCI Express 2.0 lanes, which can be used by onboard controllers and to provide PCI Express 2.0 x1 and PCI Express 2.0 x4 slots. But the traditional PCI bus P67 and H67 chipsets do not support.
Note also that the P67 and H67 chipsets already have a built-in MAC-level of the gigabit network controller.
The block diagrams of the P67 and H67 chipsets are shown in Fig. 5 and 6. Table. 3 shows the technical characteristics of the P67 and H67 chipsets, as well as the Q67 and B65 chipsets.
Rice. 5. Block diagram of the Intel P67 Express chipset
Rice. 6. Block diagram of the Intel H67 Express chipset
Mobile Chipsets
Of the five chipsets for mobile PCs, the QM67 and QS67 are targeted at the corporate segment of the market and will not be found in notebooks for home users. But the HM67, HM65 and UM67 chipsets will be used in notebooks for home users.
In general, if you look at the characteristics of all mobile chipsets (see Table 3), you will notice that their characteristics differ very insignificantly. For example, the HM67 and UM67 chipsets differ from each other only by the difference in power consumption of 0.5 W, and their functionality is completely the same.
All mobile chipsets have an Intel FDI (Flexible Display Interface) bus and support an integrated graphics controller. In addition, these chipsets support DVI, VGA, Display Port, HDMI 1.4 and LVD outputs. In addition, supported Intel technology Wireless Display, PAVP and SDVO.
The QM67, QS67, HM67 and UM67 chipsets support 14 USB 2.0 ports, while the HM65 chipset only 12 ports. However, recall that we are talking about laptops and it is very problematic to physically implement more than four USB ports. So the difference in the number of supported USB ports can be ignored in this case.
In addition, all mobile chipsets have a built-in 6-port SATA controller that supports two SATA 6 Gb / s (SATA III) ports and four SATA 3 Gb / s (SATA II) ports. The QM67, QS67 and HM67 chipsets support Intel RST technology with the ability to create RAID arrays of levels 0 and 1, and the QM67 and HM67 chipsets also support the creation of RAID arrays of levels 5 and 10, although it is not very clear why this is needed in laptops.
All mobile chipsets support eight PCI Express 2.0 full speed lanes that can be used by the integrated controllers. Note also that the MAC-level of the gigabit network controller is built into the mobile chipsets.
Technical characteristics of all mobile chipsets are presented in
Comparison with mobile and desktop processors
In mid-January, we conducted the first study of a system based on the new Intel Sandy Bridge platform. That test involved a prototype Toshiba A665-3D laptop with a new NVIDIA video adapter and NVIDIA technology Optimus. However, as they say, they were too clever: the external graphics were not turned on on the laptop. Therefore, there was no point in testing applications that use graphics (primarily games). Anyway, some things cannot be adequately tested on an early and poorly working sample.
Therefore, it was decided to re-test a different system, and the case was not long in coming. We tested another laptop, Hewlett-Packard DV7, on a new platform and with a new generation of graphics from AMD. True, when the tests were already completed, information appeared about the notorious error in the south bridge, due to which the sold devices (including mobile ones) are subject to recall. So here the results are not quite official in the strict sense of the word (at least Hewlett-Packard asked to return the laptop), but we understand that an error (and even so “theoretical”) cannot affect the test results.
Nevertheless, it was not worth releasing a separate material just to repeat the measurements once again and call them final. Therefore, in this review, we set ourselves several tasks:
- check the results of the new system in the "mobile" method;
- test the Intel Turbo Boost overclocking system on another system with a different cooling;
- compare the mobile and desktop versions of the Sandy Bridge processor in a desktop computer system testing methodology.
Well, let's move on to testing.
Configuration of test participants according to the method for mobile systems
As already noted, it is much more difficult to compare the performance of mobile computer subsystems, since they are submitted for testing in the form of finished products. It is difficult to draw conclusions as more than one component can affect performance differences.
Let's look at the competitors, or rather, at the change in their composition in comparison with the previous testing. First, we decided to remove the Core i5-540M from the comparison. It belongs to the weaker dual-core line, and in the Sandy Bridge line it will correspond to other models. If the results of this processor are so important, they can be taken from the previous article. Instead, the comparison includes the Hewlett-Packard Elitebook 8740w, also based on the Core i7-720QM processor, and the main test system for today - the Hewlett-Packard Pavillon DV7 on the Sandy Bridge 2630QM processor.
Thus, the test involves two models on the Core i7-720QM processor and two models on the Core i7 2630QM processor. This will allow you not only to compare the performance of systems on an older and newer processor, but also to ensure that the performance level is the same for two systems on the same processor.
Well, we turn to the analysis of the configurations of the laptops participating in the testing.
| Notebook name | HP 8740w | ASUS N53Jq | Toshiba A665-3D | HP DV7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i7-720QM | Core i7-720QM | Core i7-2630QM | Core i7-2630QM |
| Number of Cores | 4 (8 threads) | 4 (8 threads) | 4 (8 threads) | 4 (8 threads) |
| Rated frequency | 1.6 GHz | 1.6 GHz | 2 GHz | 2 GHz |
| Max. Turbo Boost frequency | 2.6 * GHz | 2.6 * GHz | 2.9 * GHz | 2.9 * GHz |
| LLC cache size | 6 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| RAM | 10 GB | 10 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Video subsystem | NVIDIA QUADRO FX 2800M | NVIDIA GT 425M | Intel integ. | ATI 6570 |
* the frequency of automatic overclocking is indicated if the processor has all four cores under load. If there are two cores under load, then the frequency can still grow (from 2.6 GHz to 2.8 GHz), and if one, then rise to the maximum mark (from 2.6 GHz to 2.9 GHz).
We analyze the data on the processors necessary for comparison. Firstly, the manufacturer claims that the internal architecture of the processor is optimized in the Sandy Bridge line, this should bring some kind of increase in overall performance.
The number of cores and threads of hypertrading is the same for all participants. However, the clock speed is different: the 720QM has only 1.6 GHz, while the new processors run at 2 GHz. The limiting clock speed, however, does not differ that much. The fact is that for 720QM the frequency is indicated when four cores are involved, and for 2630QM - when one is involved. If it has four cores loaded, then the maximum frequency is the same 2.6 GHz. In other words, in the "overclocked" state, the processors must operate at the same frequency (until the temperature control is triggered). It's just that Sandy Bridge has a more advanced Intel Turbo Boost overclocking technology, which can keep the increased frequency for longer, so it may have an advantage. But it is impossible to predict exactly how overclocking will behave, since there are too many dependencies on external factors.
Let's go directly to the tests.
Comparing the performance of the Sandy Bridge processor line with the previous generation in the mobile performance research toolkit. Determination of repeatability of results
For the tests, we used the laptop testing methodology in real applications sample 2010. Compared to the desktop one, the set of applications is cut down in it, but the rest are launched with the same settings (except for games, the settings in this group have been seriously changed, and the parameters of the test task for Photoshop programs). Therefore, the results of individual tests can be compared with the results of desktop processors.
The rankings for individual groups of applications in this article cannot be compared directly to the rankings for desktop systems. When testing the performance of laptops, not all applications of the method are launched; therefore, the rating is calculated differently. The benchmark scores have been recalculated for the benchmarked desktop systems.
I'll make a reservation right away that tests were carried out twice for each system, and between runs the system was reinstalled and adjusted again. In other words, if the test results seem strange, then they are at least repeatable: on two different freshly installed systems with an up-to-date set of drivers.
Let's start with professional apps.
3D visualization
This group contains applications that are demanding on both processor performance and graphics.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Lightwave - work | 20,53 | 22,97 | 24,87 | 16,17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solidworks - work | 52,5 | 58,83 | 133,12 | 60,45 |
| Lightwave - rating | 122 | 109 | 101 | 155 |
| Solidworks - rating | 129 | 115 | 51 | 112 |
| Group - rating | 126 | 112 | 76 | 134 |
Interestingly, both systems of the "second wave" significantly outperform the systems tested one and a half months ago in performance. I wonder what this is - the influence of the drivers? Another, much more powerful graphics in both cases? Even disregarding the old results of the Sandy Bridge processor, the comparison between the two Core i7s shows the same relationship.
Now it's safe to say that the new generation is faster. Except for the strange results of SolidWorks, but we will return to them in the discussion of the results of the bench-top technique.
3D rendering
Let's see how things stand in the rendering of the final scene. This rendering is done by the CPU.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Lightwave | 138,58 | 131,56 | 269,89 | 90,22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Ds MAX | 0:10:04 | 0:10:06 | 00:21:56 | 0:07:45 |
| Lightwave - rating | 95 | 101 | 49 | 146 |
| 3Ds MAX - rating | 113 | 112 | 52 | 147 |
| Group - rating | 104 | 107 | 51 | 147 |
Let me remind you that Toshiba's sample showed very weak results in this test. On the other hand, in a fully functional system, the Sandy Bridge processor can achieve significant superiority in both graphics packages. In Lightwave, as you can see, there is a difference between the two Core i7-720QMs, while in 3Ds MAX there is almost no difference.
But in both tests it is clear that the Core i7-2630QM processor is significantly faster, significantly outperforming the representatives of the previous generation.
Calculations
Let's look at the performance of processors in mathematical computing applications.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Solidworks | 46,36 | 45,88 | 44,02 | 38,42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATLAB | 0,0494 | 0,0494 | 0,0352 | 0,0365 |
| Solidworks - rating | 111 | 112 | 117 | 134 |
| MATLAB - ranking | 113 | 113 | 159 | 153 |
| Group - rating | 112 | 113 | 138 | 144 |
Well, but the math tests do not feel the difference between the two Core i7-720QM. From this, we can make a preliminary conclusion that these applications are minimally responsive to other system components and software.
The processor of the new generation is faster, but here the gap is not so big, this is especially evident from the rating numbers. For some reason, the performance of the DV7 in the MATLAB benchmark is slightly lower than the A660.
Let's see if in other tests the gap between the new generation and the old one will be approximately the same.
Compilation
Test compilation speed of a program using the Microsoft compiler Visual studio 2008. This test responds well to processor speed and cache, and it also knows how to use multi-core.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Compile | 0:06:29 | 0:06:24 | 0:04:56 | 0:04:54 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compile - rating | 123 | 125 | 162 | 163 |
The difference in the results is small, I think it can be attributed to an error. The difference in performance between the two generations is significant.
Java Application Performance
This benchmark represents the execution speed of a set of Java applications. The test is critical to the speed of the processor and reacts very positively to additional cores.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Java | 79,32 | 83,64 | 111,8 | 105,45 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java - ranking | 90 | 94 | 126 | 119 |
Here, the results are slightly but noticeably lower for the newer tested laptops. We will not wonder why this happened, but I emphasize that the results were repeated twice. The difference between processors of different generations is about the same as in the previous test.
Let's move on to productive home tasks: working with video, sound and photos.
2D graphics
Let me remind you that there are only two tests left in this group, which are quite diverse. ACDSee converts a set of photos from RAW format in JPEG, and Photoshop carries out a series of image processing operations - applying filters, etc. Applications depend on the processor speed, but multi-core is used insofar as.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| ACDSee | 0:07:01 | 0:06:55 | 0:05:11 | 0:04:52 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photoshop | 0:01:17 | 0:01:17 | 0:00:49 | 0:00:51 |
| ACDSee - rating | 108 | 110 | 146 | 156 |
| Photoshop - rating | 426 | 426 | 669 | 643 |
| Group - rating | 267 | 268 | 408 | 400 |
ACDSee demonstrates some instability of results, but in general, the difference between generations corresponds to the trend, it is even slightly larger.
Photoshop ratings are not worth paying attention to due to the changed test item. The same ratings spoil the overall rating of the group. But if you look at the execution time, you can see that the advantage is about the same.
Audio encoding in various formats
Encoding audio into various audio formats is a fairly simple task for modern processors. The dBPowerAmp wrapper is used for encoding. She knows how to use multicore (additional coding streams are launched). The test result is its own points, they are inverse to the time spent on coding, that is, the more, the better the result.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| apple | 148 | 159 | 241 | 238 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flac | 199 | 214 | 340 | 343 |
| monkey | 143 | 155 | 239 | 235 |
| mp3 | 89 | 96 | 150 | 152 |
| nero | 85 | 91 | 135 | 142 |
| ogg | 60 | 65 | 92 | 90 |
| apple - rating | 90 | 97 | 147 | 145 |
| flac - rating | 99 | 106 | 169 | 171 |
| monkey - rating | 97 | 105 | 163 | 160 |
| mp3 - rating | 103 | 112 | 174 | 177 |
| nero - rating | 104 | 111 | 165 | 173 |
| ogg - rating | 103 | 112 | 159 | 155 |
| Group - rating | 99 | 107 | 163 | 164 |
The test is quite simple, but at the same time demonstrative. Quite unexpectedly, there is a difference between the two Core i7-720QM processors, and not in favor of the recently tested system. Sandy Bridge processors showed almost the same performance. As you can see, the advantage of the new processors is very significant, more than in the previous groups of tests.
Video encoding
Three out of four tests are encoding a video into a specific video format. The Premiere test stands apart, in this application the script provides for the creation of a movie, including the imposition of effects, and not just coding. Unfortunately, Sony Vegas didn't work on some systems, so we've removed its results for this article.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| DivX | 0:05:02 | 0:05:23 | 0:04:26 | 0:04:18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | 0:05:04 | 0:04:47 | 0:03:38 | 0:03:35 |
| x264 | 0:10:29 | 0:10:01 | 0:07:45 | 0:07:35 |
| XviD | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | 0:02:34 | 0:02:30 |
| DivX - rating | 86 | 80 | 98 | 101 |
| Premiere - rating | 101 | 107 | 140 | 142 |
| x264 - rating | 100 | 105 | 135 | 138 |
| XviD - rating | 87 | 86 | 119 | 123 |
| Group - rating | 94 | 95 | 123 | 126 |
The results of encoding in DivX stand apart. For some reason, in this test there is a very large difference for systems with 720QM and a very small difference between the old and new generations.
In other tests, the difference is significant, and the difference between generations roughly corresponds to the general trend. Interestingly, in Premiere, the difference is about the same as in simple coding. By the way, in this test, the big difference between the two 720QM systems also attracts attention.
Finally, there are several types of household tasks.
Archiving
Archiving is a fairly simple mathematical problem in which all processor components are actively working. 7z is more advanced, since it can use any number of cores, and generally works more efficiently with the processor. Winrar uses up to two cores.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| 7-zip | 0:01:57 | 0:01:55 | 0:01:30 | 0:01:27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WinRAR | 0:01:50 | 0:01:48 | 0:01:25 | 0:01:25 |
| Unpack (RAR) | 0:00:50 | 0:00:49 | 0:00:42 | 0:00:41 |
| 7-zip rating | 115 | 117 | 149 | 154 |
| WinRAR - rating | 135 | 138 | 175 | 175 |
| Unpack (RAR) - rating | 140 | 143 | 167 | 171 |
| Group - rating | 130 | 133 | 164 | 167 |
The difference between the same processors is very small. Again, the 8740 is not much faster than the two 720QM systems, but it is consistently faster. The new generation processors are significantly faster, the difference between the two generations is generally the same as in most other groups.
Performance in browser tests
Quite simple tests too. Both measure performance in Javascript, which is perhaps the most performance-intensive part of the browser engine. The trick is that the V8 benchmark scores in points, while the Sunspider scores in milliseconds. Accordingly, in the first case, the higher the number, the better, in the second - vice versa.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Googlev8-chrome | 6216 | 6262 | 7414 | 7366 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Googlev8-firefox | 556 | 555 | 662 | 654 |
| Googlev8-ie | 122 | 123 | 152 | 147 |
| Googlev8-opera | 3753 | 3729 | 4680 | 4552 |
| Googlev8-safari | 2608 | 2580 | 3129 | 3103 |
| Sunspider-firefox | 760 | 747 | 627 | 646 |
| Sunspider-ie | 4989 | 5237 | 4167 | 4087 |
| Sunspider-opera | 321 | 322 | 275 | 275 |
| Sunspider-safari | 422 | 421 | 353 | 354 |
| Googlev8 - ranking | 134 | 134 | 162 | 160 |
| Sunspider - rating | 144 | 143 | 172 | 172 |
| Group - rating | 139 | 139 | 167 | 166 |
Comparison in HD Play
This test has been removed from the benchmark for desktop systems, but it is still relevant for mobile. Even if the system can cope with decoding a complex video, in a laptop it is still very important how many resources are required to complete this task, because the heating of the system and the battery life depend on it ...
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| H.264 hardware | 2,6 | 2,5 | 2,3 | 1,2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 software | 19,7 | 18,9 | 13,4 | 14 |
| H.264 hardware - rating | 631 | 656 | 713 | 1367 |
| H.264 software - rating | 173 | 180 | 254 | 243 |
In absolute terms, the difference between the two 720QMs is not very large, although in the ratings it may seem significant. It is interesting to see the difference between the two Core i7-2630QM processors in hardware accelerated mode. A system with AMD graphics shows a lower load, but the results were very good when using an Intel adapter. In the software mode, both systems do a good job with decoding, the processor load is low. For Sandy Bridge processors, the system load is predictably lower.
Let's look at the average score of the systems that participated in the tests.
| HP 8740w Core i7-720QM | ASUS N53Jq Core i7-720QM | Toshiba A665-3D Core i7-2630QM | HP DV7 Core i7-2630QM |
|
| Overall system rating | 128 | 129 | 158 | 173 |
|---|
Although the difference between the two systems with Intel Core i7-720QM processors was noticeable in some tests, the overall results were almost identical.
The performance of a completely healthy and functional system with Core processor i7-2630QM is much higher than the sample we tested earlier. Based on these results, it is already possible to draw conclusions about the performance of the platform.
And these conclusions are that the performance of the new Sandy Bridge platform is about 35% (depending on the applications used) higher than the used platform of the previous generation. Of course, the conclusions are still not final. At least the chips have different frequencies. Anyway, in relation to the new Intel processors, such a concept as "clock frequency" has become rather illusory, because we have Intel Turbo Boost technology.
Verifying Intel Turbo Boost System Operation
Sandy Bridge series processors include a new version Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which has much more ample opportunities to control the clock frequency of the processor. The monitoring and control system has become much more sophisticated and intelligent. Now it can take into account many parameters: which cores and how loaded, the temperature of the processor and individual components (that is, the system can monitor and prevent local overheating).
Since control over temperature and load has become more efficient, the processor needs a smaller margin of safety in order to operate stably and efficiently under any external conditions (first of all, temperature). This allows you to more effectively use its capabilities. In fact, this system is a controlled overclocking: the operating frequency is increased, and the control does not allow the processor to go beyond the safe operating conditions and lose stability or break down. If the processor operating at an increased frequency gets too hot, the monitoring system will itself lower the frequency and supply voltage to safe limits.
Moreover, the new acceleration control system is able to take into account the "effect of inertia". When the processor is cold, the frequency may rise very high for a short time, the processor may even exceed the manufacturer's specified heat dissipation limit. If the load is short-term, the processor will not have time to heat up to the extreme temperatures, and if the load lasts longer, the processor will heat up and the system will reduce the temperature to safe limits.
Thus, the Sandy Bridge processor has three operating positions:
Energy saving mechanisms are activated, the processor operates at a low frequency and undervoltage. The Intel Turbo Boost system is activated, the processor is overclocked to the maximum allowed overclocking frequency (it depends on how many cores and how they are loaded), the supply voltage rises. The processor runs at this clock speed as long as the core temperature allows it. The processor, when the thresholds for load or heating are exceeded, returns to the clock frequency at which it is guaranteed to work stably. For example, for the 2630QM this frequency is indicated as 2 GHz, this frequency is indicated in the specifications and the manufacturer guarantees that the processor will be able to maintain this frequency for as long as necessary, subject to the specified external conditions. Intel Turbo Boost allows you to increase the operating frequency, but its operating parameters and operating frequency depend on external conditions, so the manufacturer cannot guarantee that this system will always perform the same.However, this information can be gleaned from the first review. As a reminder, in the first test the processor worked with the following parameters in idle time:
- Simple: 800 MHz, supply voltage 0.771 V.
- Load (all cores, maximum): frequency 2594 MHz (multiplier 26), supply voltage 1.231 V.
- The load (after about 5 minutes of operation) is either 2594 MHz (multiplier 26) or 2494 MHz (multiplier 25).
- Load (after about 7-8 minutes of operation) - 1995 MHz (multiplier 20). Voltage 1.071 V. The system returned to the stable operating parameters set by the manufacturer.
Let's see how long the Hewlett-Packard DV7 will hold out in the overclocked position.
We launch programs for monitoring the state of the processor.
The operating frequency and voltage are the same as in the previous testing. Let's take a look at the temperature readings.
Everything is quiet, temperatures are relatively low - 49 degrees. For a high-performance processor, this is not much. Note the difference in temperature between the first and fourth cores.
We run a load test. Let me remind you that it loads all cores at once, so we won't see the maximum numbers (2.9 GHz) in Intel Turbo Boost.
As you can see, the voltage has risen to 1.211 Volts, the frequency has become 2594 MHz due to the changed multiplier, now it is 26. The processor begins to rapidly gain temperature, the cooling fan starts to sound louder.
Well, let's see how long the processor will last when it switches to the nominal frequency.
A minute has passed, it is clear that the temperatures are starting to stabilize.
Five minutes passed and the temperatures stabilized. For some reason, the temperatures of the first and fourth cores differ by 10 degrees. The difference in temperatures is present in all tests, even in idle time it is noticeable. I will not presume to say why this is happening.
15 minutes have passed since the start of testing. Temperatures are stable, the cooling system copes. The clock speed remains at 2.6 GHz.
48 minutes passed. The laptop continues to work under load, temperatures are stable (well, they have risen by a degree). The clock frequency is the same:
Well, at least in winter and in a not very hot room, the DV7 can work with the maximum available frequency for an unlimited time. The cooling system has enough power for Intel Turbo Boost to keep the maximum available overclocking frequency without any problems. Theoretically, it would be possible to overclock the processor a little more.
This finding differs from previous results. Now it is clear that it is worth buying a high-quality laptop: if the designers did a good job on creating a cooling system, you will receive dividends not only in the form of a high-quality and sturdy case, but also in performance!
Well, now we are moving on to the second very interesting part of the article: comparing the mobile processor Core i7-2630QM with desktop processors of the Sandy Bridge series in a desktop test method.
Comparison of Core i7-2630QM Mobile Processor vs. Sandy Bridge Desktop Processors
For comparison, we use the results from our study of desktop Core i7 and Core i5 processors on the Sandy Bridge core.
Let's compare the configurations of the participants, including in the table information about the Core i7-2630QM.
| CPU | Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM |
| Kernel name | Sandy bridge | Sandy bridge | Sandy bridge | Sandy bridge | Sandy bridge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect technology | 32 nm | 32 nm | 32 nm | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Core frequency (std / max), GHz | 2,8/3,1 | 3,1/3,4 | 3,3/3,7 | 3,4/3,8 | 2,0/2,9 |
| Start multiplication factor | 28 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 20 |
| Turbo Boost workflow | 3-2-2-1 | 3-2-2-1 | 4-3-2-1 | 4-3-2-1 | n / a |
| Number of cores / threads | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/8 | 4/8 |
| L1 cache, I / D, KB | 32/32 | 32/32 | 32/32 | 32/32 | n / a |
| L2 cache, KB | 4 × 256 | 4 × 256 | 4 × 256 | 4 × 256 | n / a |
| L3 cache, MiB | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| RAM | 2 × DDR3-1333 | ||||
| Graphics core GMA HD | 2000 | 2000 | 2000/3000 | 2000/3000 | 3000 |
| Graphics core frequency (max), MHz | 1100 | 1100 | 1100 | 1350 | 1100 |
| Socket | LGA1155 | LGA1155 | LGA1155 | LGA1155 | n / a |
| TDP | 95 watts | 95 watts | 95 watts | 95 watts | 45 watts |
The clock speed of the mobile processor is lower, which is obvious. In the maximum Turbo Boost mode, it slightly outperforms the younger desktop Core i5, which works without Turbo Boost, but nothing more. But the thermal package is much lower - more than half. Plus, it has less last-level cache at just 6MB. Of the advantages, it is worth noting that the mobile processor has four cores and eight threads of computing, since this is a Core i7. At least some advantage over the lower-end desktop Core i5. Let's see what it will result in in practice.
Unfortunately, a full-fledged comparison did not work out anyway. Some packages from the desktop method did not start (for example, Pro / Engineer stably hung on our test system), as a result, their results had to be thrown out of the rating, which means that the rating itself changed in comparison with the ratings from the main material.
Let's move on to the tests. The phrase "the test did not start" means that the test did not start on our laptop, therefore the results of all test participants were removed. In this case, the ratings are recalculated.
According to the results, it is immediately clear that the mobile processor loses to the desktop one quite seriously - it cannot reach the performance level of even the junior processor of the new desktop line. The results of a desktop processor Core i7, in my opinion, are rather weak, nevertheless, it should be much more powerful than the Core i5 line, according to the results, the dependence seems to be linear. Solidworks results are generally almost the same for all desktop systems. This benchmark doesn't care what the CPU clock speed is?
Let's take a look at the rendering speed of 3D scenes.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| 3ds max | 181 | 195 | 207 | 233 | 157 |
| Lightwave | 153 | 168 | 180 | 234 | 161 |
| Maya | 142 | 170 | 181 | 240 | 165 |
| Rendering | 159 | 178 | 189 | 236 | 161 |
Here the situation is a little more fun - the mobile system has nevertheless reached the level of the junior desktop system. However, the desktop Core i7 is far ahead in all benchmarks. For comparison, here are the absolute results from one of the benchmarks, Maya. The result of this test is the time spent on the project, which is more illustrative than the scores in other tests.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| Maya | 00:08:47 | 00:07:20 | 00:06:52 | 00:05:11 | 00:07:34 |
As you can see, even with a not very long time for rendering the project, the difference is significant. In the case of more complex projects, it should be even larger.
Let's move on to the next test.
Almost all applications use complex math, so a higher frequency desktop ruler will obviously be ahead. At the same time, I am very confused by the too small difference between desktop Core i5-2500 and Core i7-2600, in some applications a more powerful processor even loses. Is hyperdreading really so inefficient in these applications that even the difference in clock speeds cannot compensate for the slowdown it causes? This is all the more interesting, because in a mobile processor the core configuration is the same as in the 2600 series, and in general it is not that much behind the junior desktop processor, given the difference in operating frequencies between them.
And we move on to less professional and more common tests. And let's start with bitmap graphics. Unfortunately, one of the tests did not start, which again affected the picture of the tests.
And again, the mobile system is consistently at a level slightly below the youngest desktop solution. And that is due to the unexpectedly high result in Photoimpact, otherwise the picture would have been even sadder. For clarity, I will give the results for two packages in absolute numbers.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| ACDSee | 00:04:20 | 00:03:59 | 00:03:46 | 00:03:34 | 00:04:57 |
| Photoshop | 00:03:36 | 00:03:15 | 00:03:07 | 00:02:58 | 00:04:00 |
This way you can estimate the specific difference in the time it takes to complete the task.
Let's move on to the archiving tests. These are simple calculations that are good at both speed and the presence of additional processor cores (although there are questions with this).
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| 7-zip | 140 | 151 | 156 | 213 | 137 |
| RAR | 191 | 207 | 216 | 229 | 173 |
| Unpack (RAR) | 179 | 194 | 206 | 219 | 167 |
| Archivers | 170 | 184 | 193 | 220 | 159 |
And again and again ... If you look at the results of 7-zip, you can see that multicore (even in the form of hyper-threading) pays significant dividends. But, apparently, the clock frequency also pays significant dividends, because the mobile Core i7 with eight cores again did not even reach the junior desktop processor. And the same situation persisted in the Winrar tests. But the desktop Core i7-2600 in the 7-zip test goes very far ahead.
Compilation test, again using the mathematical capabilities of the processor ...
In the Java application performance test, the trend is in principle confirmed. But the lag of the mobile processor is even greater.
Let's take a look at Javascript performance in modern browsers.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| Google v8 | 161 | 176 | 190 | 191 | 148 |
| Sun spider | 156 | 162 | 167 | 170 | 198 |
| Browser | 159 | 169 | 179 | 181 | 173 |
While Google's benchmark results roughly match what we've seen before, something is clearly wrong with Sunspider. Although, in principle, in all browsers, this test worked faster on a mobile processor than on all desktop ones, including the desktop Core i7 (which, however, according to the results, differs very slightly from the older Core i5).
In general, a very unexpected result of the second test, which I cannot explain. Perhaps something worked differently in the software?
Let's leave the Internet applications and move on to working with video and audio. It is also a fairly popular type of activity, including for mobile computers.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| Apple lossless | 135 | 149 | 154 | 206 | 126 |
| FLAC | 145 | 159 | 171 | 233 | 144 |
| Monkey "s Audio | 150 | 165 | 174 | 230 | 139 |
| MP3 (LAME) | 162 | 179 | 191 | 258 | 152 |
| Nero AAC | 154 | 171 | 179 | 250 | 148 |
| Ogg Vorbis | 164 | 179 | 191 | 252 | 147 |
| Audio | 152 | 167 | 177 | 238 | 143 |
Audio coding doesn't give us any surprises. The mobile Core i7-2630QM is slightly weaker than all the tested desktop processors, the desktop Core i7 goes into a serious lead. What will happen in video coding?
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| DivX | 146 | 160 | 170 | 157 | 96 |
| Mainconcept (VC-1) | 153 | 167 | 175 | 187 | 133 |
| Premiere | 155 | 169 | 178 | 222 | 132 |
| Vegas | 164 | 177 | 185 | 204 | 131 |
| x264 | 152 | 165 | 174 | 225 | 136 |
| XviD | 166 | 180 | 190 | 196 | 133 |
| Video | 156 | 170 | 179 | 199 | 127 |
The mobile processor lag has widened, with the desktop Core i7 still well ahead of all other processors, although the gap has narrowed.
Well, and one of the most "real" tests: games!
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| Batman | 131 | 134 | 135 | 134 | 40 |
| Borderlands | 142 | 149 | 157 | 160 | 234 |
| DiRT 2 | 109 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 36 |
| Far cry 2 | 200 | 218 | 232 | 237 | 84 |
| Fritz Chess | 142 | 156 | 166 | 215 | 149 |
| Gta iv | 162 | 164 | 167 | 167 | 144 |
| Resident evil | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 119 |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. | 104 | 104 | 104 | 104 | 28 |
| UT3 | 150 | 152 | 157 | 156 | 48 |
| Crysis: Warhead | 127 | 128 | 128 | 128 | 40 |
| World in Conflict | 163 | 166 | 168 | 170 | 0 |
| Games | 141 | 146 | 150 | 155 | 84 |
I just want to say "oh". All games are clearly divided into CPU-dependent and graphics-dependent. Installing a more powerful processor can greatly increase the speed in Borderlands, Far Cry 2 and Fritz Chess. Some games react very slightly to more powerful processors, some don't react at all. If we exclude from consideration World in Confict, where the mobile Core i7 got 0, then the overall rating looks like this.
The results were disappointing for mobile system, and for the most part, the processor is not to blame for this. Before drawing conclusions, let's look at the absolute numbers of performance in games.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| Batman | 205 | 209 | 210 | 209 | 63 |
| Borderlands | 75 | 79 | 83 | 85 | 124 |
| DiRT 2 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 25 |
| Far cry 2 | 76 | 83 | 88 | 90 | 32 |
| Fritz Chess | 8524 | 9368 | 9982 | 12956 | 8936 |
| Gta iv | 63 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 56 |
| Resident evil | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 | 121,6 |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. | 62,9 | 62,9 | 63 | 62,9 | 17,2 |
| UT3 | 166 | 169 | 174 | 173 | 53 |
| Crysis: Warhead | 57,4 | 57,6 | 57,7 | 57,7 | 18,1 |
| World in Conflict | 62,6 | 63,5 | 64,3 | 65 |
As you can see, if desktop processors almost always show quite good results, then the mobile system is in many places on the threshold of playability or below it.
For almost all games, the processors are too fast, the final result depends mainly on the performance of the video card. At the same time, the level of performance of the mobile system is much lower, which allows us to draw some conclusions about the very large difference between desktop and mobile video solutions. The difference on the example of our tests is, on average, three times. Standing apart are GTA IV and Resident Evil, which show similar results on all systems, including mobile.
In a processor-intensive chess program, the mobile Core i7 performs well between budget desktop models.
Well, let's summarize.
| Core i5-2300 | Core i5-2400 | Core i5-2500 / 2500K | Core i7-2600 / 2600K | Core i7-2630QM | |
| Overall score | 157 | 170 | 180 | 203 | 141 |
The overall result confirms the trend: one of the most powerful mobile processors, the Core i7-2360QM, cannot reach the performance level of the lower desktop processor in the weaker Core i5 line. The desktop processor Core i7 in performance is far ahead of even the desktop processors from the younger line, let alone the mobile version.
Conclusion
So it's time to jump to conclusions. Let me remind you of some of the results from the previous material.
At first glance, Sandy Bridge is indeed, very lucky processor... First, it has been greatly improved, illogical solutions have been removed (the same two separate crystals made according to different technical processes), the structure of the chip has become logical and well-optimized. The communication bus of the components inside the processor has been improved (which now includes the video core!). Secondly, the structure of processor cores has been optimized, which should also improve performance. Practice confirms the theory: the processor that we had on the test goes far ahead in performance compared to the current platform.
Indeed, in practical testing, the Core i7-2630QM, which should be the youngest in the new mobile line of Core i7, seriously bypasses the performance level of the Core i7-720QM, the most common of the productive (or the most productive of the widespread) processors in the mobile Intel Core line of the first generations. Apparently, the 2630QM should take its place, that is, become the mainstream productive processor in the 2nd generation Core line.
In general, we can conclude that the second generation of mobile Core processors in terms of performance is a good step forward. As for the other advantages of the line, then, I think, it is worth waiting for the release of the lower lines, and just a large number models on new processors, and even then to evaluate such qualities of the new line as heating, energy efficiency, etc.
However, compared to the new Sandy Bridge desktop Core i5 and i7 processors, the new mobile Core i7-2630QM still loses out. And mobile platform weaker stable in all test groups. This is a normal situation, since when creating mobile lines, the priorities are not only performance, but also low power consumption (to ensure longer battery life) and low power consumption (due to more compact and weaker cooling systems). It is worth looking at at least the thermal package of the new mobile processor, which is more than two times (!) Lower than that of the desktop versions. This comes at a price, including lower nominal frequency and overall performance.
By the way, speaking of frequencies. Hewlett-Packard DV7 presented a pleasant surprise in this respect (although it is possible that in hot summer everything will not be so rosy). A processor, assuming a good cooling system, can run indefinitely at a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 2.6 GHz, so it is quite capable of demonstrating a higher level of performance than standard specifications. Of course, there is no guarantee that the cooling system will cope in the summer, and if not, then the level of real performance relative to desktop systems may be significantly lower than in our tests. Therefore, the presence of a competent cooling system in a laptop with a new mobile processor Core i7 comes to the fore.
The difference between "fully" and "partially" unlocked processors
What is the result? Having tried Turbo Boost on previous generations of processors, Intel decided to make it a tool for real price positioning of its products relative to each other. Previously, enthusiasts often bought junior processors in the series, often easily overclocking them to the level of older models, but now the 400 MHz difference between the i3-2100 and i3-2120 costs $ 21, and you won't do anything about it.
Both unlocked processors will cost slightly more than regular models. This difference will be less than in the case of previous generations - $ 11 for the 2500 model and $ 23 for the 2600. Intel still does not want to scare away overclockers too much. However, now $ 216 is the threshold for joining the club. Overclocking is fun and you have to pay for it. It is clear that such a position may drag some users to the AMD camp, where budget processors are overclocked very well.
Overclocking itself has become easier in general - the requirements for the motherboard and RAM have decreased, there is less hassle with timings and various coefficients. But extreme enthusiasts have where to turn around - whole treatises will probably be written about adjusting the BCLK.
Graphics core and Quick Sync
Intel began to improve the performance of its integrated graphics core with the announcement of Clarkdale and Arrandale, but this time it did not work out to overtake the competitors. Further the bar was set by AMD, which is going to destroy the discrete graphics market entry level... Intel's solution appeared earlier, but can it cope with the task at hand?
Let's start with the fact that there are two solutions. They are called HD 2000 and HD 3000, and the difference between them lies in the different number of execution units (EU). In the first case, there are 6 of them, and in the second - 12. 12 of them were also in GMA HD, but the increase in productivity due to integration and redesigned architecture turned out to be very significant. In the lineup of Intel desktop processors, only a couple of processors with an unlocked multiplier were awarded with advanced graphics. These are the models in which embedded graphics are least likely to be used. This decision seems very strange to us. It is hoped that in the future Intel will also release modifications of lower processors with a fully unlocked graphics core.
Fortunately, all of the company's new mobile processors are equipped with the HD 3000. Intel is determined to push hard on competitors in this segment to make it easier to reach entry-level performance levels.
The performance of the integrated graphics does not only depend on the number of EUs. All Sandy desktops have the same base frequency(850 MHz), but the older ones (2600 and 2600K) have a higher maximum Turbo Boost frequency - 1350 MHz versus 1100 for the rest. The result will also be affected to some extent by the power of the CPU's computational cores, but much more by the amount of its cache memory. Indeed, one of the main features of the new graphics is the shared use of L3 cache with the computational cores, which is realized thanks to the LLC ring bus.
As in the Clarkdale processors, the new products use hardware acceleration for decoding MPEG, VC-1 and AVC. However, this process is now being carried out much faster. As in "adult" discrete graphics, Sandy Bridge processors have a separate unit for video encoding / decoding. Unlike previous generation processors, it takes over this task completely. The use of hardware acceleration is much more beneficial in terms of energy efficiency, and the performance in the case of SNB is very high. Intel promises to decode more than two 1080p streams simultaneously. Such performance may be needed to quickly transcode an existing video into a suitable one for mobile device format. In addition, the rich multimedia capabilities make SNB the best choice when building an HTPC system.
Graphics solutions for Intel processors are developed by a separate division of the company. New developments of this division are also very relevant for the company's mobile processors. Until the Larrabee project in one form or another gets the proper development, Intel will have to put up with "non-x86" components in their CPUs.
Intel Core i5-2400 and Core i5-2500K
We got 2 processors based on the Sandy Bridge architecture. First of all, the 2500K model is of interest, since it has an unlocked multiplier. In the future, it is possible that benchmarks of dual-core models and processors of the i7 series will be published separately.
How to send on a megaphone waiting for a call
Setting a password on a computer How to set a code on a computer at startup
What is ESD format Open install esd
How to format a mobile phone
Information satellite systems named after academician M
Independent rating of the best Russian blogs LiveJournal blogs in Russian top 50
How to set up a microphone on a laptop