A Bunch of New Core iX CPUs Released

[Hellhammer]

Not that it changes anything but Intel has released eight new mobile iX CPUs. Core i7-640M is probably the most interesting part but it offers only minor (~5%) improvement over 620M.

New CPUs:

Core i7:

• 640M (2.8GHz)
• 660LM (2.26GHz)
• 680UM (1.46GHz)

Core i5:

• 580M (2.66GHz)
• 560M (2.66GHz)
• 560UM (1.33GHz)

Also two new Celerons but those are not interesting

http://files.shareholder.com/downlo...-4F94-8507-96F77528ADDB/Sept_26_1ku_Price.pdf

 

[Hisdem]

A minor bump in CPU speed, wonder if Apple will use it. Not that it matters really, but having for example, a 2.66GHz i5 as base and the 2.8 i7 as CTO really seems nice.

 

[mark28]

A minor bump in CPU speed, wonder if Apple will use it. Not that it matters really, but having for example, a 2.66GHz i5 as base and the 2.8 i7 as CTO really seems nice.

Probably if they update.

But Apple could skip it and only go for a Macbook Air update only, because I don't know what they could improve on the 13 inch MBP, assuming that the C2D 2.4 ghz and 2.66 ghz is already pushing the limits on how hot those 13 inch MBP get.

Would be strange if they only update the 15 & 17 inch MBP, so that's why I possibly think it could be skipped.

 

[velocityg4]

Interesting but it is a really confusing that the i7 640M is a higher Ghz than the 660LM which is higher than the 680UM also the fact that desktop i7's are quad core's while laptop i7's are not always quad cores. They need a more consistent naming and numbering system.

i3 = Budget class dual core
i5 = High performance dual core with hyperthreading
i7 = Quad Core

Then for the numbering a higher number should mean a higher clock speed and leave the lettering for wattage and features.

 

[Hellhammer]

Interesting but it is a really confusing that the i7 640M is a higher Ghz than the 660LM which is higher than the 680UM also the fact that desktop i7's are quad core's while laptop i7's are not always quad cores. They need a more consistent naming and numbering system.

i3 = Budget class dual core
i5 = High performance dual core with hyperthreading
i7 = Quad Core

Then for the numbering a higher number should mean a higher clock speed and leave the lettering for wattage and features.

Sandy Bridge's naming system should be more simple but it's still Intel so don't expect miracles.

 

[puma1552]

I'd really, really, really like a 2.8 i7 not so much for the speed, but because it's a much improved Rev. B chip with better silicon.

 

[Blu101]

Core i5:

• 580M (2.66GHz)
• 560M (2.66GHz)

No difference between these two? There must be something..?

 

[gnasher729]

No difference between these two? There must be something..?

The first difference is the number, one is 560, the other is 580. The second difference is probably the price. Other differences? Not something that Intel wants you to know, as long as you pay more for the bigger number, that is all that Intel wants.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Should be the chips for the Oct/Nov refresh. As those are minor updates maybe the machines will have new features like 3G, Blutooth, better HD, etc...

 

[Hellhammer]

The first difference is the number, one is 560, the other is 580. The second difference is probably the price. Other differences? Not something that Intel wants you to know, as long as you pay more for the bigger number, that is all that Intel wants.

False. 580M goes up to 3.33GHz with Turbo while 560M goes to only 3.2GHz. 41$ for 133MHz faster Turbo, that's quite ridiculous though.

 

[WardC]

This would be like when Apple introduced the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros after the 2.16GHz chips, a minor speed bump...also like the 2.0GHz over the 1.83GHz ones. It's minor but it makes a small difference. Still waiting patiently for Sandy Bridge.

 

[velocityg4]

Sandy Bridge's naming system should be more simple but it's still Intel so don't expect miracles.

Yea I know but it was a bit simpler with the Core 2's. As the second digit of the number was generally a good indicator of which CPU was the higher clock speed. While the first number indicated the series. At least for desktop CPU's since I build desktops for myself and my family.

I could not say about laptop CPU's as I rarely looked at them since I have to look at the entire laptops spec's. If only Intel would set a standard similar to ATX for laptops so that we could build our own.

 

[Adidas Addict]

Processor Base Clock Rate Max. Turbo Boost Clock Rate L2/L3-Cache TDP

Core i3-380M 2.53 GHz 512KB/3MB 35W

Core i3-380UM 1.33 GHz 512KB/3MB 18W

Core i5-460M 2.53 GHz 2.80 GHz 512KB/3MB 35W

Core i5-470UM 1.33 GHz 1.87 GHz 512KB/3MB 18W

Core i5-560M 2.66 GHz 3.20 GHz 512KB/3MB 35W

Core i5-560UM 1.33 GHz 2.13 GHz 512KB/3MB 18W

Core i5-580M 2.66 GHz 3.33 GHz 512KB/3MB 35W

Core i7-640M 2.80 GHz 3.46 GHz 512KB/4MB 35W

Core i7-660LM 2.27 GHz 3.07 GHz 512KB/4MB 35W

Core i7-680UM 1.46 GHz 2.53 GHz 512KB/4MB 18W

 

[DesmoPilot]

Huge yawn, out with SB already.

 

[73CortinaV8]

A minor bump in CPU speed, wonder if Apple will use it. Not that it matters really, but having for example, a 2.66GHz i5 as base and the 2.8 i7 as CTO really seems nice.

not just a minor speed bump - these i7 chips are more efficient, too.

the Core i7-640M draws the same power as the 2.66GHz i7.
many laptops are already shipping with these chips.

 

[mark28]

not just a minor speed bump - these i7 chips are more efficient, too.

the Core i7-640M draws the same power as the 2.66GHz i7.
many laptops are already shipping with these chips.

Let's first wait for some test.

Intel says the i7 draws the same power as the i5, while tests show the i7 has higher power consumption.

Just because it has the same TDP of 35W, there could be a difference in real world.

 

[Hellhammer]

Yea I know but it was a bit simpler with the Core 2's. As the second digit of the number was generally a good indicator of which CPU was the higher clock speed. While the first number indicated the series. At least for desktop CPU's since I build desktops for myself and my family.

I could not say about laptop CPU's as I rarely looked at them since I have to look at the entire laptops spec's. If only Intel would set a standard similar to ATX for laptops so that we could build our own.

The best thing about Core 2 was that Intel clearly separated duals and quads. Now they have all been thrown under the same model numbers so you can barely see which are which. Then add Hyper-Threading to the mix and you have a complete mess.

The K and S Intel added are fairly useless, they should have added e.g. T or HT to show what features it has. I wish they did it like i2 for duals, i4 for quads etc.

 

[gnasher729]

False. 580M goes up to 3.33GHz with Turbo while 560M goes to only 3.2GHz. 41$ for 133MHz faster Turbo, that's quite ridiculous though.

The point is that you have to be a rocket scientist and study very carefully what Intel says to figure out the difference between 560M and 580M. If an average customer goes to a shop, and sees two computers that are identical except one has a 560M and one has a 580M, all they know is what I said: 580 is twenty more than 560, and the price is higher.

If you tell someone "two cores, hyperthreading, 2.4 GHz can go up to 3.2 GHz, 3MB L2 cache", then they have all the information that a reasonably educated person needs to know. With Intel's numbering scheme, you have to go to the Internet and start searching.