Do i7's use more power / create more heat than i5's when idle?

[Whackintosh]

I'll rarely need the extra horsepower of an i7, but I just might go for it. I know they run slightly hotter and use more power than i5 processors do when pushed to their limits, but do they consume more energy when idle (or not pushed to their fullest)?

 

[WilliamG]

I'll rarely need the extra horsepower of an i7, but I just might go for it. I know they run slightly hotter and use more power than i5 processors do when pushed to their limits, but do they consume more energy when idle (or not pushed to their fullest)?

Probably negligibly.

 

[Hexley]

If you can afford an Core i7 then the power cost to you is negligible.

My Core i7 is not running at 48C while playing a flash video.

 

[Gav2k]

Without load 1-3 watts

With load 20 depending on the task.

 

[Mac32]

They will not use more power when idle, but they'll run hotter/use more power when running intensive tasks. The i7 CPU has a higher boost frequency, and the additional HT threads also creates more heat. How much is very hard to say, a few celsius for certain. You could check with some overclocking forums. Overclockers tend to disable HT for higher overclocks.