Intel Core Processors

This article is about the Intel processor brand name. For the Intel microarchitecture that is the basis for the Core 2 processor family, see Core (microarchitecture).

Intel Core is a brand name that Intel uses for various mid-range to high-end consumer and business microprocessors. In general, processors sold as Core are more powerful variants of the same processors marketed as entry-level Celeron and Pentium. Similarly, identical or more capable versions of Core processors are also sold as Xeon processors for the server and workstation market.

As of 2013 the current lineup of Core processors includes the latest Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i3, and the older Intel Core 2 Solo, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core 2 Quad, and Intel Core 2 Extreme lines.

Enhanced Pentium M based

The originals Core brand refers to Intel's 32-bit mobile dual-core x86 CPUs, which derived from the Pentium M branded processors. The processor family used a more enhanced version of the Intel P6 microarchitecture. It emerged in parallel with the NetBurst microarchitecture (Intel P68) of the Pentium 4 brand, and was a precursor of the 64-bit Core microarchitecture of Core 2 branded CPUs. The Core brand comprised two branches: the Duo (dual-core) and Solo (Duo with one disabled core, which replaced the Pentium M brand of single-core mobile processor).

Intel launched the Core brand on January 6, 2006 with the release of the 32-bit Yonah CPU – Intel's first dual-core mobile (low-power) processor. Its dual-core layout closely resembled two interconnected Pentium M branded CPUs packaged as a single die (piece) silicon chip (IC). Hence, the 32-bit microarchitecture of Core branded CPUs – contrary to its name – had more in common with Pentium M branded CPUs than with the subsequent 64-bit Core microarchitecture of Core 2 branded CPUs. Despite a major rebranding effort by Intel starting January 2006, some companies continued to market computers with the Yonah core marked as Pentium M.

The Core series is also the first Intel processor used as the main CPU in an Apple Macintosh computer. The Core Duo was the CPU for the first generation MacBook Pro, while the Core Solo appeared in Apple's Mac mini line. Core Duo signified the beginning of Apple's shift to Intel processors across their entire line.

In 2007, Intel began branding the Yonah core CPUs intended for mainstream mobile computers as Pentium Dual-Core, not to be confused with the desktop 64-bit Core microarchitecture CPUs also branded as Pentium Dual-Core.

September 2007 and January 4, 2008 marked the discontinuation of a number of Core branded CPUs including several Core Solo, Core Duo, Celeron and one Core 2 Quad chip

Core Duo

Intel Core Duo (product code 80539) consists of two cores on one die, a 2 MB L2 cache shared by both cores, and an arbiter bus that controls both L2 cache and FSB (front-side bus) access.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	L2 Cache	Socket	TDP
Yonah	Core Duo T2xxx	2 MB	Socket M	31 W
	Core Duo L2xxx			15 W
	Core Duo u2xxx			9 W

Core Solo

Intel Core Solo (product code 80538) uses the same two-core die as the Core Duo, but features only one active core.[citation needed] Depending on demand, Intel may also simply disable one of the cores to sell the chip at the Core Solo price—this requires less effort than launching and maintaining a separate line of CPUs that physically only have one core. Intel used the same strategy previously with the 486 CPU in which early 486SX CPUs were in fact manufactured as 486DX CPUs but with the FPU disabled.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	L2 Cache	Socket	TDP
Yonah	Core Solo T1xxx	2 MB	Socket M	27–31 W
	Core Solo U1xxx			5.5–6 W

64-bit Core microarchitecture based


The successor to Core is the mobile version of the Intel Core 2 line of processors using cores based upon the Intel Core microarchitecture, released on July 27, 2006. The release of the mobile version of Intel Core 2 marks the reunification of Intel's desktop and mobile product lines as Core 2 processors were released for desktops and notebooks, unlike the first Intel Core CPUs that were targeted only for notebooks (although some small form factor and all-in-one desktops, like the iMac and the Mac Mini, also used Core processors).

Unlike the Intel Core, Intel Core 2 is a 64-bit processor, supporting Intel 64. Another difference between the original Core Duo and the new Core 2 Duo is an increase in the amount of Level 2 cache. The new Core 2 Duo has tripled the amount of on-board cache to 6 MB. Core 2 also introduced a quad-core performance variant to the single- and dual-core chips, branded Core 2 Quad, as well as an enthusiast variant, Core 2 Extreme. All three chips are manufactured at a 65 nm lithography, and in 2008, a 45 nm lithography and support Front Side Bus speeds ranging from 533 MHz to 1600 MHz. In addition, the 45 nm die shrink of the Core microarchitecture adds SSE4.1 support to all Core 2 microprocessors manufactured at a 45 nm lithography, therefore increasing the calculation rate of the processors.

Core 2 Solo

The Core 2 Solo,introduced in September 2007, is the successor to the Core Solo and is available only as an ultra-low-power mobile processor with 5.5 Watt thermal design power. The original U2xxx series "Merom-L" used a special version of the Merom chip with CPUID number 10661 (model 22, stepping A1) that only had a single core and was also used in some Celeron processors. The later SU3xxx are part of Intel's CULV range of processors in a smaller µFC-BGA 956 package but contain the same Penryn chip as the dual-core variants, with one of the cores disabled during manufacturing.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	L2 Cache	Socket	TDP
Merom-L	Mobile Core 2 Solo U2xxx	1 MB	FCBGA	5.5 W
Penryn-L	Mobile Core 2 Solo SU2xxx	3 MB	BGA956	5.5 W

Core 2 Duo

The majority of the desktop and mobile Core 2 processor variants are Core 2 Duo with two processor cores on a single Merom, Conroe, Allendale, Penryn, or Wolfdale chip. These come in a wide range of performance and power consumption, starting with the relatively slow ultra-low-power Uxxxx (10 W) and low-power Lxxxx (17 W) versions, to the more performance oriented Pxxxx (25 W) and Txxxx (35 W) mobile versions and the Exxxx (65 W) desktop models. The mobile Core 2 Duo processors with an 'S' prefix in the name are produced in a smaller µFC-BGA 956 package, which allows building more compact laptops.

Within each line, a higher number usually refers to a better performance, which depends largely on core and front-side bus clock frequency and amount of second level cache, which are model-specific. Core 2 Duo processors typically use the full L2 cache of 2, 3, 4, or 6 MB available in the specific stepping of the chip, while versions with the amount of cache reduced during manufacturing are sold for the low-end consumer market as Celeron or Pentium Dual-Core processors. Like those processors, some low-end Core 2 Duo models disable features such as Intel Virtualization Technology. Details can be found at the list of Intel Core 2 microprocessors.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	L2 Cache	Socket	TDP
Merom	Mobile Core 2 Duo U7xxx	2 MB	BGA479	10 W
	Mobile Core 2 DuoL7xxx	4 MB		17 W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo T5xxx	2 MB	Socket M Socket P BGA479	35 W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo T7xxx	2–4 MB
Conroe and Allendale	Core 2 Duo E4xxx	2 MB	LGA 775	65 W
	Core 2 Duo E6xxx	2–4 MB
Penryn	Mobile Core 2 Duo SU7xxx	3 MB	BGA956	10W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo SU9xxx
	Mobile Core 2 Duo SL9xxx	6 MB		17 W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo SP9xxx			25 W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo P7xxx	3 MB	Socket P FCBGA6	25 W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo P8xxx
	Mobile Core 2 Duo P9xxx	6 MB
	Mobile Core 2 Duo T6xxx	2 MB		35 W
	Mobile Core 2 Duo T8xxx	3 MB
	Mobile Core 2 Duo T9xxx	6 MB
	Mobile Core 2 Duo E8xxx	6 MB	Socket P	35-55 W
Wolfdale	Core 2 Duo E7xxx	3 MB	LGA 775	65 W

Core 2 Quad

Core 2 Quad processors are multi-chip modules consisting of two dies similar to those used in Core 2 Duo, forming a quad-core processor. This allows twice the performance of a dual-core processors at the same clock frequency in ideal conditions.

Initially, all Core 2 Quad models were versions of Core 2 Duo desktop processors, Kentsfield derived from Conroe and Yorkfield from Wolfdale, but later Penryn-QC was added as a high-end version of the mobile dual-core Penryn.

The Xeon 32xx and 33xx processors are mostly identical versions of the desktop Core 2 Quad processors and can be used interchangeably.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	L2 Cache	Socket	TDP
Kentsfield	Core 2 Quad Q6xxx	2×4 MB	LGA 775	95–105 W
Yorkfield	Core 2 Quad Q7xxx	2×1 MB		95 W
	Core 2 Quad Q8xxx	2×2 MB		65–95 W
	Core 2 Quad Q9xxx	2×3–2×6 MB
Penryn-QC	Mobile Core 2 Quad Q9xxx	2×3–2×6 MB	Socket P	45 W

Core 2 Extreme

Core 2 Extreme processors are enthusiast versions of Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors, usually with a higher clock frequency and an unlocked clock multiplier, which makes them especially attractive for overclocking. This is similar to earlier Pentium processors labeled as Extreme Edition. Core 2 Extreme processors were released at a much higher price than their regular version, often $999 or more.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	L2 Cache	Socket	TDP
Merom	Mobile Core 2 Extreme X7xxx	4 MB	Socket P	44 W
Conroe	Core 2 Extreme X6xxx	4 MB	LGA 775	75 W
Kentsfield	Core 2 Extreme QX6xxx	2×4 MB	LGA 775	130 W
Penryn	Mobile Core 2 Extreme X9xxx	6 MB	Socket P	44 W
Penryn-QC	Mobile Core 2 Extreme QX9xxx	2×6 MB	Socket P	45 W
Yorkfield	Core 2 Extreme QX9xxx	2×6 MB	LGA 775 / LGA 771	130–150 W

Nehalem microarchitecture based

With the release of the Nehalem microarchitecture in November 2008,Intel introduced a new naming scheme for its Core processors. There are three variants, Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7, but the names no longer correspond to specific technical features like the number of cores. Instead, the brand is now divided from low-level (i3), through mid-range (i5) to high-end performance (i7), which correspond to three, four and five stars in Intel's Intel Processor Rating[17] following on from the entry-level Celeron (one star) and Pentium (two stars) processors. Common features of all Nehalem based processors include an integrated DDR3 memory controller as well as QuickPath Interconnect or PCI Express and Direct Media Interface on the processor replacing the aging quad-pumped Front Side Bus used in all earlier Core processors. All these processors have 256 KB L2 cache per core, plus up to 12 MB shared L3 cache. Because of the new I/O interconnect, chipsets and mainboards from previous generations can no longer be used with Nehalem based processors.

Core i3

Intel intended the Core i3 as the new low end of the performance processor line from Intel, following the retirement of the Core 2 brand.

The first Core i3 processors were launched on January 7, 2010

The first Nehalem based Core i3 was Clarkdale-based, with an integrated GPU and two cores.The same processor is also available as Core i5 and Pentium, with slightly different configurations.

The Core i3-3xxM processors are based on Arrandale, the mobile version of the Clarkdale desktop processor. They are similar to the Core i5-4xx series but running at lower clock speeds and without Turbo Boost.[23] According to an Intel FAQ they do not support Error Correction Code (ECC) memory.[24] According to motherboard manufacturer Supermicro, if a Core i3 processor is used with a server chipset platform such as Intel 3400/3420/3450, the CPU will support ECC with UDIMM.When asked, Intel confirmed that, although the Intel 5 series chipset supports non-ECC memory only with the Core i5 or i3 processors, using those processors on a motherboard with 3400 series chipsets it will support the ECC function of ECC memory.A limited number of motherboards by other companies also support ECC with Intel Core ix processors; the Asus P8B WS is an example, but it does not support ECC memory under Windows non-server operating systems.

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	Cores	L3 Cache	Socket	TDP	I/O Bus
Clarkdale	Core i3-5xx	2	4 MB	LGA 1156	73 W	Direct Media Interface, Integrated GPU
Arrandale	Core i3-3xxM		3 MB	rPGA-988A	35 W
	Core i3-3xxUM		3 MB	BGA-1288	18 W

Core i5

The first Core i5 using the Nehalem microarchitecture was introduced on September 8, 2009, as a mainstream variant of the earlier Core i7, the Lynnfield core.Lynnfield Core i5 processors have an 8 MB L3 cache, a DMI bus running at 2.5 GT/s and support for dual-channel DDR3-800/1066/1333 memory and have Hyper-threading disabled. The same processors with different sets of features (Hyper-Threading and other clock frequencies) enabled are sold as Core i7-8xx and Xeon 3400-series processors, which should not be confused with high-end Core i7-9xx and Xeon 3500-series processors based on Bloomfield.New feature add Turbo Boost Technology maximizes speed for demanding application, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload- more performance when you need it the most.

The Core i5-5xx mobile processors are named Arrandale and based on the 32 nm Westmere shrink of the Nehalem microarchitecture. Arrandale processors have integrated graphics capability but only two processor cores. They were released in January 2010, together with Core i7-6xx and Core i3-3xx processors based on the same chip. The L3 cache in Core i5-5xx processors is reduced to 3 MB, while the Core i5-6xx will use the full cache and the Core i3-3xx will have no support for Turbo Boost.[30] Clarkdale, the desktop version of Arrandale, is sold as Core i5-6xx, along with related Core i3 and Pentium brands. It has Hyper-Threading enabled and the full 4 MB L3 cache.

According to Intel "Core i5 desktop processors and desktop boards typically do not support ECC memory",but information on limited ECC support in the Core i3 section also applies to Core i5 and i7

Codename (main article)	Brand name (list)	Cores	L3 Cache	Socket	TDB	I/O Bus
Lynnfield	Core i5-7xx	4	8 MB	LGA 1156	95 W	Direct Media Interface
	Core i5-7xxM				82 W
Clarkdale	Core i5-6xx	2	4 MB		73–87 W	Direct Media Interface, Integrated GPU
Arrandale	Core i5-5xxM		3 MB	rPGA-988A	35 W
	Core i5-4xxM
	Core i5-5xxUM			BGA-1288	18 W
	Core i5-4xxUM

Core i7

Intel Core i7 as an Intel brand name applies to several families of desktop and laptop 64-bit x86-64 processors using the Nehalem, Westmere, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge and Haswell microarchitectures. The Core i7 brand targets the business and high-end consumer markets for both desktop and laptop computers,and is distinguished from the Core i3 (entry-level consumer), Core i5 (mainstream consumer), and Xeon (server and workstation) brands.

Intel introduced the Core i7 name with the Bloomfield Quad-core processor in late 2008.In 2009 new Core i7 models based on the Lynnfield desktop quad-core processor and the Clarksfield quad-core mobile were added,and models based on the Arrandale dual-core mobile processor were added in January 2010. The first six-core processor in the Core lineup is the Gulftown, which was launched on March 16, 2010. Both the regular Core i7 and the Extreme Edition are advertised as five stars in the Intel Processor Rating. In January 2011, Intel released the second generation of Core i7 processors. Both the first and second generation of Intel Core i7 processors are rated as 5 stars in the Intel processor rating. The second generation of Intel core processors are based on the "Sandy Bridge" core and were updated in April 2012 with "Ivy Bridge".

In each of the first three microarchitecture generations of the brand, Core i7 has family members using two distinct system-level architectures, and therefore two distinct sockets (for example, LGA 1156 and LGA 1366 with Nehalem). In each generation, the highest-performing Core i7 processors use the same socket and QPI-based architecture as the low-end Xeon processors of that generation, while lower-performing Core i7 processors use the same socket and PCIe/DMI/FDI architecture as the Core i5.

"Core i7" is a successor to the Intel Core 2 brand.Intel representatives stated that the moniker Core i7 is meant to help consumers decide which processor to purchase as the newer Nehalem-based products are released in the future.

Code name	Brand name	Cores	L3 Cache	Socket	TDP	Process	Busses	Release Date
Gulftown	Core i7-9xxX Extreme	6	12 MB	LGA 1366	130 W	32nm	QPI, 3 × DDR3	Mar 2010
	Core i7-970							Jul 2010
Bloomfield	Core i7-9xx Extreme	4	8 MB			45nm		Nov 2008
	Core i7-9xx (except Core i7-970/980)
Lynnfield	Core i7-8xx			LGA 1156	95 W		DMI, PCI-e, 2 × DDR3	Sep 2009
	Core i7-8xxS				82 W			Jan 2010
Clarkfield	Core i7-9xxXM Extreme Edition			rPGA-988A	55 W			Sep 2009
	Core i7-8xxQM				45 W
	Core i7-7xxQM		6 MB
Arrandale	Core i7-6xxM	2	4 MB		35 W	32nm	DMI, PCI-e, FDI, 2 × DDR3	Jan 2010
	Core i7-6xxLM			BGA-1288	25 W
	Core i7-6xxUM				18 W

Ivy Bridge

Ivy Bridge is the codename for a line of processors based on the 22 nm manufacturing process developed by Intel. The name is also applied more broadly to the 22 nm die shrink of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture based on FinFET ("3D") tri-gate transistors, which is also used in the Xeon and Core i7 Ivy Bridge-EX (Ivytown), Ivy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-E microprocessors released in 2013.

Ivy Bridge processors are backwards compatible with the Sandy Bridge platform, but such systems might require a firmware update (vendor specific).In 2011, Intel released the 7-series Panther Point chipsets with integrated USB 3.0 to complement Ivy Bridge.[2]

Volume production of Ivy Bridge chips began in the third quarter of 2011.Quad-core and dual-core-mobile models launched on April 29, 2012 and May 31, 2012 respectively.Core i3 desktop processors, as well as the first 22 nm Pentium, were announced and available the first week of September, 2012.

Overview

The Ivy Bridge CPU microarchitecture is a shrink from Sandy Bridge and remains largely unchanged.

Notable improvements include:

*22 nm Tri-gate transistor ("3-D") technology (up to 50% less power consumption at the same performance  level as 2-D planar transistors).
*A new random number generator and the RdRand instruction,codenamed Bull Mountain

Ivy Bridge features and performance

*F16C (16-bit Floating-point conversion instructions).
*RdRand instruction (Intel Secure Key).
*PCI Express 3.0 support (not on Core i3 and ULV processors).
*Max CPU multiplier of 63 (57 for Sandy Bridge).
*RAM support up to 2800 MT/s in 200 MHz increments.
*The built-in GPU has 6 or 16 execution units (EUs), compared to Sandy Bridge's 6 or 12.
*Intel HD Graphics with DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1, and OpenCL 1.1 support.OpenGL 4.0 is supported *with 9.18.10.3071 WHQL drivers[15] and later drivers.
*DDR3L and Configurable TDP (cTDP) for mobile processors.
*Multiple 4K video playback.
*Intel Quick Sync Video version 2.
*Up to three displays are supported (with some limitations: with chipset of 7-series and using two of them with DisplayPort or eDP).
*A 14- to 19-stage instruction pipeline, depending on the micro-operation cache hit or miss.

Translation lookaside buffer sizes

Cache		Page Size
Name	Level	4 KB	2 MB	1 GB
DTLB	1st	64	32	4
ITLB	1st	128	8 / logical core	none
STLB	2nd	512	none	none

Benchmark comparisons

Compared to Sandy Bridge:
*3% to 5% increase in CPU performance when compared clock for clock.
*25% to 68% increase in integrated GPU performance.

Thermal performance and heat issues

Ivy Bridge's temperatures are reportedly 10°C higher compared to Sandy Bridge when overclocked, even at default voltage setting.[24] Impress PC Watch, a Japanese website, performed experiments that confirmed earlier speculations that this is because Intel used a poor quality (and perhaps lower cost) thermal interface material (thermal paste, or "TIM") between the chip and the heat spreader, instead of the fluxless solder of previous generations.The mobile Ivy Bridge processors are not affected by this issue because they do not use a heat spreader between the chip and cooling system.

Enthusiast reports describe the TIM used by Intel as low-quality,and not up to par for a "premium" CPU, with some speculation that this is by design to encourage sales of prior processors.[25] Further analyses caution that the processor can be damaged or void its warranty if home users attempt to remedy the matter.[25][28] The TIM has much lower thermal conductivity, causing heat to trap on the die.[24] Experiments replacing this with a higher quality TIM or other heat removal methods showed a substantial temperature drop, and improvements to the voltages and clocking sustainable by Ivy Bridge chips.

Intel claims that the smaller die of Ivy Bridge and the related increase in thermal density is expected to result in higher temperatures when the CPU is overclocked; Intel also stated that this is as expected and will likely not improve in future revisions.

Ivy Bridge-E features

Ivy Bridge-E is the follow-up to Sandy Bridge-E, using the same CPU core as the Ivy Bridge processor, but in an LGA 2011 or LGA 1356 package for workstations and servers.

    *New RAS features for Ivybridge-EX
    *Dual-Memory Controller for Ivybridge-EP
    *No integrated GPU
    *Up to 15 CPU cores
    *Up to 37.5 MB L3 cache.
    *Thermal design power between 60 W and 155 W
    *Support for up to 8 DIMMS of DDR3-1866 memory per socket

Server processors

Additional high-end server processors based on the Ivy Bridge architecture, code named Ivytown, were announced September 10, 2013 at the Intel Developer Forum, after the usual one year interval between consumer and server product releases.The Ivy Bridge-EP processor line announced in September 2013 has up to 12 cores and 30 MB third level cache, with rumors of Ivy Bridge-EX up to 15 cores and an increased third level cache of up to 37.5 MB,although an early leaked lineup of Ivy Bridge-E included processors with a maximum of 6 cores.Both Core-i7 and Xeon versions are produced: the Xeon versions marketed as Xeon E5-2600 V2 act as drop-in replacements for the existing Sandy Bridge-EN and Sandy Bridge-EP based Xeon E5, and Core-i7 versions designated i7-4820K, i7-4930K, i7-4960X were released on September 10, 2013 remained compatible with X79 and LGA2011 hardware

Roadmap

Intel demonstrated the Haswell architecture in September 2011, which began release in 2013 as the successor to Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge.

Sandy Bridge

Sandy Bridge is the codename for a microarchitecture developed by Intel beginning in 2005 for central processing units in computers to replace the Nehalem microarchitecture. Intel demonstrated a Sandy Bridge processor in 2009, and released first products based on the architecture in January 2011 under the Core brand.[1][2]

Sandy Bridge implementations targeted a 32 nanometer manufacturing process based on planar double-gate transistors.[3] Intel's subsequent product, codenamed Ivy Bridge, uses a 22 nanometer process. The Ivy Bridge die shrink, known in the Intel Tick-Tock model as the "tick", is based on FinFET (non-planar, "3D") tri-gate transistors. Intel demonstrated the Ivy Bridge processors in 2011.

Technology

Developed primarily by the Israel branch of Intel, the codename was originally "Gesher" (meaning "bridge" in Hebrew). The name was changed to avoid being associated with the defunct Gesher political party;[5] the decision was led by Ron Friedman, vice president of Intel managing the group at the time.[1] Intel demonstrated a Sandy Bridge processor with A1 stepping at 2 GHz during the Intel Developer Forum in September 2009.[6]

Upgraded features from Nehalem include:

    32 KB data + 32 KB instruction L1 cache (3 clocks) and 256 KB L2 cache (8 clocks) per core.
    Shared L3 cache includes the processor graphics (LGA 1155).
    64-byte cache line size.
    Two load/store operations per CPU cycle for each memory channel.
    Decoded micro-operation cache (uop cache) and enlarged, optimized branch predictor.
    Improved performance for transcendental mathematics, AES encryption (AES instruction set), and         SHA-1 hashing.
    256-bit/cycle ring bus interconnect between cores, graphics, cache and System Agent Domain.
    Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) 256-bit instruction set with wider vectors, new extensible syntax and rich functionality.
    Intel Quick Sync Video, hardware support for video encoding and decoding.
    Up to 8 physical cores or 16 logical cores through Hyper-threading.
    Integration of the GMCH (integrated graphics and memory controller) and processor into a single die inside the processor package. In contrast, Sandy Bridge's predecessor, Clarkdale, has two separate dies (one for GMCH, one for processor) within the processor package. This tighter integration reduces memory latency even more.
    A 14- to 19-stage instruction pipeline, depending on the micro-operation cache hit or miss

Translation lookaside buffer sizes

Cache		Page Size
Name	Level	4 KB	2 MB	1 GB
DTLB	1st	64	32	4
ITLB	1st	128	8 / logical core	none
STLB	2nd	512	none	none

Performance
The average performance increase, according to IXBT Labs and Semi Accurate as well as many other benchmarking sites, at clock to clock is 11.3% compared to the Nehalem Generation, which includes Bloomfield, Clarkdale, and Lynnfield processors.
Around twice the integrated graphics performance compared to Clarkdale's (12 EUs comparison).



Cougar Point chipset flaw

On January 31, 2011, Intel issued a recall on all 67-series motherboards due to a flaw in the Cougar Point Chipset.A hardware problem, in which the chipset's SATA-II ports may fail over time, cause failure of connection to SATA-II devices, though data is not at risk. Intel claims that this problem will affect only 5% of users over 3 years, however, heavier I/O workloads can exacerbate the problem.

Intel stopped production of flawed B2 stepping chipsets and began producing B3 stepping chipsets with the silicon fix. Shipping of these new chipsets started on 14 February 2011 and Intel estimated full recovery volume in April 2011. Motherboard manufacturers (such as ASUS and Gigabyte Technology) and computer manufacturers (such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard) stopped selling products that involved the flawed chipset and offered support for affected customers. Options ranged from swapping for B3 motherboards to product refunds.

Sandy Bridge processor sales were temporarily on hold, as one cannot use the CPU without a motherboard. However, processor release dates were not affected.After two weeks, Intel continued shipping some chipsets, but manufacturers had to agree to a set of terms that will prevent customers from encountering the bug

Overclocking

With Sandy Bridge, Intel has tied the speed of every bus (USB, SATA, PCI, PCI-E, CPU cores, Uncore, memory etc.) to a single internal clock generator issuing the basic 100 MHz Base Clock (BClk).With CPUs being multiplier locked, the only way to overclock is to increase the BClk, which can be raised by only 5–7% without other hardware components failing. As a work around, Intel made available K/X-series processors, which feature unlocked multipliers; with a multiplier cap of 57 for Sandy Bridge.For the Sandy Bridge E platform, there is alternative method known as the BClk ratio overclock.

During IDF (Intel Developer Forum) 2010, Intel demonstrated an unknown Sandy Bridge CPU running stably overclocked at 4.9 GHz on air cooling

vPro remote-control (Intel Insider)

Sandy and Ivy Bridge processors with vPro capability have security features that can remotely disable a PC or erase information from hard drives. This can be useful in the case of a lost or stolen PC. The commands can be received through 3G signals, Ethernet, or Internet connections. AES encryption acceleration will be available, which can be useful for video conferencing and VoIP applications

Software development kit

With the introduction of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, Intel also introduced the Intel Data Plane Development Kit (Intel DPDK) to help developers of communications applications take advantage of the platform in packet processing applications, and network processors

What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?

Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs have been around for over a year now, but some buyers still get stumped whenever they attempt to build their own systems and are forced to choose among the three. With the more recent Sandy Bridge architecture now on store shelves, we expect the latest wave of buyers to ask the same kind of questions.

Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 — the difference in a nutshell

If you want a plain and simple answer, then generally speaking, Core i7s are better than Core i5s, which are in turn better than Core i3s. Nope, Core i7 does not have seven cores nor does Core i3 have three cores. The numbers are simply indicative of their relative processing powers.

Their relative levels of processing power are also signified by their Intel Processor Star Ratings, which are based on a collection of criteria involving their number of cores, clockspeed (in GHz), size of cache, as well as some new Intel technologies like Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading.
Core i3s are rated with three stars, i5s have four stars, and i7s have five. If you’re wondering why the ratings start with three, well they actually don’t. The entry-level Intel CPUs — Celeron and Pentium — get one and two stars respectively.

Note: Core processors can be grouped in terms of their target devices, i.e., those for laptops and those for desktops. Each has its own specific characteristics/specs. To avoid confusion, we’ll focus on the desktop variants. Note also that we’ll be focusing on the 2nd Generation (Sandy Bridge) Core CPUs.

Number of cores

The more cores there are, the more tasks (known as threads) can be served at the same time. The lowest number of cores can be found in Core i3 CPUs, i.e., which have only two cores. Currently, all Core i3s are dual-core processors.

Currently all Core i5 processors, except for the i5-661, are quad cores in Australia. The Core i5-661 is only a dual-core processor with a clockspeed of 3.33 GHz. Remember that all Core i3s are also dual cores. Furthermore, the i3-560 is also 3.33GHz, yet a lot cheaper. Sounds like it might be a better buy than the i5. What gives?

At this point, I’d like to grab the opportunity to illustrate how a number of factors affect the overall processing power of a CPU and determine whether it should be considered an i3, an i5, or an i7.

Even if the i5-661 normally runs at the same clockspeed as Core i3-560, and even if they all have the same number of cores, the i5-661 benefits from a technology known as Turbo Boost.

Intel Turbo Boost 

The Intel Turbo Boost Technology allows a processor to dynamically increase its clockspeed whenever the need arises. The maximum amount that Turbo Boost can raise clockspeed at any given time is dependent on the number of active cores, the estimated current consumption, the estimated power consumption, and the processor temperature.

For the Core i5-661, its maximum allowable processor frequency is 3.6 GHz. Because none of the Core i3 CPUs have Turbo Boost, the i5-661 can outrun them when it needs to. Because all Core i5 processors are equipped with the latest version of this technology — Turbo Boost 2.0 — all of them can outrun any Core i3.

Cache size

Whenever the CPU finds that it keeps on using the same data over and over, it stores that data in its cache. Cache is just like RAM, only faster — because it’s built into the CPU itself. Both RAM and cache serve as holding areas for frequently used data. Without them, the CPU would have to keep on reading from the hard disk drive, which would take a lot more time.

Basically, RAM minimises interaction with the hard disk, while cache minimises interaction with the RAM. Obviously, with a larger cache, more data can be accessed quickly. All Core i3 processors have 3MB of cache. All Core i5s, except again for the 661 (only 4MB), have 6MB of cache. Finally, all Core i7 CPUs have 8MB of cache. This is clearly one reason why an i7 outperforms an i5 — and why an i5 outperforms an i3.

Hyper-Threading 

Strictly speaking, only one thread can be served by one core at a time. So if a CPU is a dual core, then supposedly only two threads can be served simultaneously. However, Intel has introduced a technology called Hyper-Threading. This enables a single core to serve multiple threads.

For instance, a Core i3, which is only a dual core, can actually serve two threads per core. In other words, a total of four threads can run simultaneously. Thus, even if Core i5 processors are quad cores, since they don’t support Hyper-Threading (again, except the i5-661) the number of threads they can serve at the same time is just about equal to those of their Core i3 counterparts.

This is one of the many reasons why Core i7 processors are the creme de la creme. Not only are they quad cores, they also support Hyper-Threading. Thus, a total of eight threads can run on them at the same time. Combine that with 8MB of cache and Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which all of them have, and you’ll see what sets the Core i7 apart from its siblings.

The upshot is that if you do a lot of things at the same time on your PC, then it might be worth forking out a bit more for an i5 or i7. However, if you use your PC to check emails, do some banking, read the news, and download a bit of music, you might be equally served by the cheaper i3.

At DCA computers, we regularly hear across the sales counter, “I don’t mind paying for a computer that will last, which CPU should I buy?” The sales tech invariably responds “Well that depends on what you use your computer for.” If it’s the scenario described above, we pretty much tell our customers to save their money and buy an i3 or AMD dual core.

Another factor in this deliberation is that more and more programs are being released with multithread capability. That is they can use more than one CPU thread to execute a single command. So things happen more quickly. Some photo editors and video editing programs are multi-threaded, for example. However, the Internet browser you use to access Netbank or your email client is not, and is unlikely to be in the foreseeable future.

Hopefully this gives you some insight for your next CPU selection.

Happy computing!

Comparing Intel Core i5 vs i7

There is a wealth of difference between Intel Core i5 vs Core i7 CPUs. We break it down and explain what it all means for your next desktop or laptop purchase.

For many consumers shopping around for a new desktop or laptop PC, one of the biggest considerations is the type of processor, and the two most often in contention are the Intel Core i5 and Core i7. Discounting Core i3 (mainly found in budget systems) and AMD processors (another article entirely), the difference between Intel Core i5 and Core i7 can seem daunting, especially when the prices seem so close together once they're in completed systems. We break down the differences

Price and Marketing

Simply put, Core i5-equipped systems will be less expensive than Core i7-equipped systems. Intel has moved away from the star ratings it used with previous-generation Core processors in favor of a capability-driven marketing message. Essentially, the Core i7 processors have more capabilities than Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs. Core i7 will be better for multi-tasking, multimedia tasks, high end gaming, and scientific work. Core i7 processors are certainly aimed at people who complain that their current system is "too slow." Spot-checking a system like the midrange Dell XPS 8500 desktop, you'll find the Core i5 about $150 less expensive than a similarly equipped Core i7 system.

Core Confusion

For the most part, you'll get faster CPU performance from Core i7 parts than Core i5. The majority of desktop Core i7 CPUs are quad-core processors, while many mobile Core i5 processors are dual-core. This is not always the case, as there are mobile dual-core Core i7 processors, and likewise several desktop quad-core Core i5 processors. Then of course you'll see the rare six-core Core i7, which are usually found with the desktop-only Extreme Edition top-of-the-line models.

The Core nomenclature has been used for several generations of CPUs. Nehalem and Westmere use three-digit model names (i.e. Core i7-920), while Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs use four-digit model names (Core i7-2600). Thankfully, unless you're shopping the used PC market, you'll find Sandy Bridge processors in closeout systems and budget PCs while you'll find Ivy Bridge processors in most new PCs. The essential takeaway is that to get better performance in each generation, buy a processor with a higher model number (e.g., a Core i7-3770 generally has better performance than a Core i5-3450).

Give Me the Cache

 In addition to generally faster base clock speeds, Core i7 processors have larger cache (on-board memory) to help the processor deal with repetitive tasks faster. If you're editing and calculating spreadsheets, your CPU shouldn't have to reload the framework the numbers sit in. This info will sit in the cache so that when you change a number the calculations are almost instantaneous. Larger cache sizes help with multitasking as well, since background tasks will be ready for when you switch focus to another window. On currently available desktop processors, i5 CPUs have 3MB to 6MB of L3 cache, while i7 processors have 8MB to 15MB.

A Word on Turbo Boost 

Turbo Boost refers to Intel's "overclocking" feature built into its processors. Essentially, it allows the processor to run faster than its base clock speed when only one or two processor cores are needed (like when you're running a single-threaded task that you want done now). Both Core i5 and Core i7 processors use Turbo Boost, with Core i7 processors achieving higher clock speeds, of course.

Hyper-Threading

Intel Hyper-Threading uses multi-threading technology to make a processor appear to have more cores than it physically has to the operating system and applications. Hyper-Threading technology is used to increase performance at multi-threaded tasks. The simplest multi-threaded situation is a multi-tasking user running several programs simultaneously, but there are other tasks that take advantage of Hyper-Threading like multimedia operations (like transcoding, rendering, etc.) and Web surfing (loading different elements like Flash content and images simultaneously).
The quick explanation is that all Core i7 CPUs use Hyper-Threading, so a six-core CPU can handle 12 streams, a four core handles eight streams, and a dual-core handles four streams. Core i5 uses Hyper-Threading to make a dual-core CPU act like a four-core one, but if you have a Core i5 processor with four true cores, it won't have Hyper-Threading. For the time being, Core i5 tops out at handling 4 streams, using four real cores or two cores with Hyper-Threading.

Integrated Graphics

The Westmere generation of Core processors introduced Intel HD graphics, integrated graphics built into the processor core itself. Previous Intel integrated graphics were built onto the motherboard chipsets, rather than on the processor. You'll find DX10 Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000 in currently shipping Sandy Bridge processors, and new DX11-compatible Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000 in the newer Ivy Bridge processors. Same numerical rules apply, so Intel HD Graphics 4000 performs better than Intel HD Graphics 2000. You'll find 3000 and 4000 on Core i7, while Core i5 features one of all four versions of Intel HD graphics, depending on the part number. Integrated graphics saves power, since there won't be an extra graphics chip on your laptop or desktop's motherboard using power.
So, long story short: Core i5 is made for mainstream users who care about performance, and Core i7 is made for enthusiasts and high-end users. If you follow this mantra, you're likely going to find the system you're looking for.
 
 

3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors

Ivy Bridge is the codename for a line of processors based on the 22 nm manufacturing process developed by Intel. The name is also applied more broadly to the 22 nm die shrink of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture based on FinFET ("3D") tri-gate transistors, which is also used in the Xeon and Core i7 Ivy Bridge-EX (Ivytown), Ivy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-E microprocessors released in 2013.

Ivy Bridge processors are backwards compatible with the Sandy Bridge platform, but such systems might require a firmware update (vendor specific).[1] In 2011, Intel released the 7-series Panther Point chipsets with integrated USB 3.0 to complement Ivy Bridge.

Volume production of Ivy Bridge chips began in the third quarter of 2011. Quad-core and dual-core-mobile models launched on April 29, 2012 and May 31, 2012 respectively. Core i3 desktop processors, as well as the first 22 nm Pentium, were announced and available the first week of September, 2012.

Overview

The Ivy Bridge CPU microarchitecture is a shrink from Sandy Bridge and remains largely unchanged.

Notable improvements include:

1.22 nm Tri-gate transistor ("3-D") technology (up to 50% less power consumption at the same   performance level as 2-D planar transistors).
2.A new random number generator and the RdRand instruction, codenamed Bull Mountain
 
Ivy Bridge features and performance

The mobile and desktop Ivy Bridge chips also include significant changes over Sandy Bridge:

   1.F16C (16-bit Floating-point conversion instructions).
   2.RdRand instruction (Intel Secure Key).
   3.PCI Express 3.0 support (not on Core i3 and ULV processors).[11]
   4.Max CPU multiplier of 63 (57 for Sandy Bridge).[12]
   5.RAM support up to 2800 MT/s in 200 MHz increments.[12]
   6.The built-in GPU has 6 or 16 execution units (EUs), compared to Sandy Bridge's 6 or 12.
   7.Intel HD Graphics with DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1, and OpenCL 1.1 support.[14] OpenGL 4.0 is    supported with 9.18.10.3071 WHQL drivers[15] and later drivers.
   8.DDR3L and Configurable TDP (cTDP) for mobile processors.
   9.Multiple 4K video playback.
  10.Intel Quick Sync Video version 2.
  11.Up to three displays are supported (with some limitations: with chipset of 7-series and using two of them with DisplayPort or eDP).[17]
  12.A 14- to 19-stage instruction pipeline, depending on the micro-operation cache hit or miss

Benchmark comparisons

*3% to 5% increase in CPU performance when compared clock for clock.
*25% to 68% increase in integrated GPU performance.

Models and Steppings

The Ivy Bridge-E family is made in three different versions, by number of cores, and for three market segments: the basic Ivy Bridge-E is a single-socket processor sold as Core i7-49xx and is only available in the six-core S1 stepping, with some versions limited to four active cores. Ivy Bridge-EN (Xeon E5-14xx v2 and Xeon E5-24xx v2) is the model for single- and dual-socket servers using LGA 1356 with up to 10 cores, while Ivy Bridge-EP (nd Xeon E5-16xx v2, Xeon E5-26xx v2 and Xeon E5-46xx v2) scales up to four LGA 2011 sockets and up to 12 cores per chip and Ivybridge-EX will have up to 15 cores and scale to 8 sockets.

Die Code Name CPUID Stepping Die size Transistors Cores L3 Cache Socket Ivy Bridge-E-6 S1 256.5 mm² 1.86 billion 6 15 MB LGA 2011 Ivy Bridge-EN-6 LGA 1356 Ivy Bridge-EP-6 LGA 2011 Ivy Bridge-EN-10 M1  ? mm²  ? billion 10 25 MB LGA 1356 Ivy Bridge-EP-10 LGA 2011 Ivy Bridge-EX-15 C1 541 mm² 4.3 billion 15 37.5 MB LGA 2011

Server Processors

Additional high-end server processors based on the Ivy Bridge architecture, code named Ivytown, were announced September 10, 2013 at the Intel Developer Forum, after the usual one year interval between consumer and server product releases.[39][40][41] The Ivy Bridge-EP processor line announced in September 2013 has up to 12 cores and 30 MB third level cache, with rumors of Ivy Bridge-EX up to 15 cores and an increased third level cache of up to 37.5 MB,[42][43] although an early leaked lineup of Ivy Bridge-E included processors with a maximum of 6 cores.[44] Both Core-i7 and Xeon versions are produced: the Xeon versions marketed as Xeon E5-2600 V2 act as drop-in replacements for the existing Sandy Bridge-EN and Sandy Bridge-EP based Xeon E5, and Core-i7 versions designated i7-4820K, i7-4930K, i7-4960X were released on September 10, 2013 remained compatible with X79 and LGA2011 hardware.

4th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor-Based Desktops

Amazing performance and stunning visuals at their best. Get top-of-the-line performance for your
most demanding tasks with a 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor. For a difference you can see and feel in HD and 3-D, multitasking and multimedia, the 4th generation Intel Core i7 processor is perfect for all your most demanding tasks.
Effortlessly move through applications with smart multitasking from Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology¹. Enjoy the thrill of an automatic burst of speed when you need it with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0². Experience your movies, photos, and games smoothly and seamlessly with a suite of built-in visual enhancements—no extra hardware required

The Haswell architecture is specifically designed to optimize the power savings and performance benefits from the move to FinFet (non-planar, "3D") transistors on the improved 22 nm process node.
Haswell has been launched in three major forms:

1. Desktop version (LGA1150 socket): Haswell-DT
2. Mobile/Laptop version (PGA socket): Haswell-MB
3. BGA version:
   • 47 W and 57 W TDP classes: Haswell-H (For "All-in-one" systems, Mini-ITX form factor motherboards, and other small footprint formats.)
   • 13.5 W and 15 W TDP classes (MCP): Haswell-ULT (For Intel's UltraBook platform.)
   • 10 W TDP class (SoC): Haswell-ULX (For tablets and certain UltraBook-class implementations.
     
     
     

     Performance

     Compared to Ivy Bridge:

     • Approximately 8% better vector processing performance.
     • Up to 6% faster single-threaded performance.
     • 6% faster multi-threaded performance.
     • Desktop variants of Haswell draw between 8% and 23% more power under load than Ivy Bridge.
     • A 6% increase in sequential CPU performance (eight execution ports per core versus six).
     • Up to 20% performance increase over the integrated HD4000 GPU (Haswell HD4600 vs Ivy Bridge's built-in Intel HD4000.
     • Total performance improvement on average is about 3%^.
     • Wider Core: fourth ALU, third AGU, second branch prediction unit, deeper buffers, higher cache bandwidth, improved front-end.
     • ^[HNI, includes Advanced Vector Extensions 2 (AVX2), gather, BMI1+BMI2, LZCNT and FMA3 support).
     • The instruction decode queue, which holds instructions after they have been decoded, is no longer statically partitioned between the two threads that each core can service.
     • New sockets – LGA 1150 for desktops and rPGA947 & BGA1364.
     • New socket –LGA 2011-3 for the Enthusiast-Class Desktop Platform Haswell-E
     • Intel  Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX), on selected models.
     • Graphics support in hardware for Direct3D 11.1 and OpenGL 4.0
     • DDR4 for the enterprise/server variant (Haswell-EX)
     • DDR4 for the Enthusiast-Class Desktop Platform Haswell-E
     • Variable Base clock BClk
     • There are four versions of the integrated GPU: GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT3e, where GT3 version has 40 execution units (EUs). Haswell's predecessor, Ivy Bridge, has a maximum of 16 EUs. GT3e version with 40 EUs and on-package 128 MB of embedded DRAM (eDRAM), called Crystal Well, is available only in mobile H-SKUs and desktop (BGA-only) R-SKUs. Effectively, this eDRAM is a Level 4 cache — shared dynamically between the on-die GPU and CPU, and serving as a victim cache to the CPU's L3 cache.