Intel Core i7 Power Consumption Performance Analysis

Intel Core i7 Power Consumption



Although the power consumption graphs in isolation seem to show all the processors to be on level pegging, once you take into account the performance you get for your power outlay, the graphs tell a different story. All Intel's processors blow the AMD 9950 Black Edition out of the water and the i7 further demonstrates its efficiency improvements. You may not see that much difference on your electricity bill but there are improvements nonetheless. Also, it's worth remembering these figures are particularly high because a very high power graphics card was also being used in the system.



Value

While we can't be sure of exact retail prices, the Core i7 965 Extreme Edition is likely to cost the best part of a grand so any talk of value with regards this part is somewhat moot. Of course, there will always be people that are wiling to pay through the nose for the latest and greatest. For most of us, though, there's got to be a significant motivation to splash the cash and the 965 Extreme Edition doesn't really provide that. It's very fast but it's not a huge amount faster than what came before it.

Conversely, the Core i7 920 and 940 (not tested here) are far more sensibly priced and are definitely worth considering. Except, of course, that buying one of these new CPUs isn't just a straight swap for your previous one. You've got to factor in a brand new motherboard and, if you're still using DDR2, possibly some new memory and this could easily add another £200 or so.

Taking this into account, the value of upgrading from an existing Intel Core 2 solution is pretty negligible. You're almost guaranteed to get more performance for your money buy upgrading your E6300 to a Q9300, say. Conversely, if your running an AMD system then the performance advantage is a lot more compelling. Even with AMD set to launch improved versions of its Phenom CPUs, which will crucially be compatible with existing platforms, it's hard to see them making up the gap. No doubt some of you will still consider delaying your decision a couple more months to find out though.

Obviously, if your system is really ancient and doesn't support either Intel's previous generation (i.e. none LGA775 socket) or AMDs current generation then it would make sense to jump straight in with Core i7 and be ahead of the curve, even if it does cost a little bit more than the older systems available.

Verdict

With Core i7, Intel has stretched its lead in the CPU performance race without increasing power consumption and that's really all we could ask for. Admittedly the performance advantage isn't quite as significant as we may have expected and, with prices set to be high for the next few months, we wouldn't recommend Core i7 as the next upgrade for everyone. However, if you're in the market for a brand new system there seems little reason to choose anything but a Core i7 platform.

Intel Core i7 3D rendering Analysis

While many people will associate 3D performance with a graphics card, for CAD applications a lot of the grunt work is still performed on CPUs so this is something we've put to the test. We use two industry standard tests, called POV-Ray and Cinebench. Both programs can be freely downloaded and the benchmark is a just a single click so they're a really easy comparison tool if you fancy seeing how your system shapes up.

Cinebench has both a single-threaded and multi-threaded test while POV-Ray is just multi-threaded. Slightly disappointingly, CInebench only returns a score, rather than a time to completion, so the numbers in isolation don't really mean anything. However, when compared they adequately show up any difference in performance.

Intel Core i7 "Nehalem" XE Processor Review

Let’s take a little walk through the recent history of processors since it is a story of amazing success, crushing losses along with both stunning and utterly disappointing performance numbers. Indeed, we have seen a pretty amazing transformation in the overall performance as well as efficiency in the last few years. Back in the days of Intel’s Pentium 4s to AMD’s Athlons, the processor marketplace used to be a confusing minefield of competing products vying for your attention until AMD released their Athlon 64s. In the blink of an eye, the game of cat versus mouse suddenly had Intel scurrying to find an answer to a surging AMD. AMD enjoyed its time in the limelight until Intel found the answer to their problems in the form of the mobile Yonah laptop processor. From this unsuspecting quarter the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors we have all come to know and love were conceived and born. Not only did these new processors run all over the AMD competition but they have been running strong for more than two years now with little competition. Now, following Intel’s Tick / Tock model where a new architecture is released every other year, we have a brand new processor family launching and it is called the Nehalem by many but can also go by its Core i7 name or even by its codename: Bloomfield.

Today marks the day we are finally able to post our review of the next step in Intel’s march to market domination and with it they are hoping to put the competition to shame. What we get is a processor with four physical cores which through the “miracle” of Hyperthreading (don’t worry, this will be explained in its own section a bit later on in this review) operates as if it has eight cores. Words like QuickPath Interconnect, Turbo Mode and Triple Channel Memory will all become familiar lexicons in no time at all since they are all integral technologies that this new 45nm processor family uses.

This may sound perfect for many of you operating those LGA775 systems out there but there is one important thing to remember: unlike the move from the Pentium D to the Core architecture, a completely new socket was used for the i7 processors. Technological advancement comes at a price folks and thankfully, with this step forward the sacrifices one will have to make are relatively minimal. This new LGA 1366 socket will be the centerpiece of a new generation of motherboards boasting enough overclocking potential to put a smile on the face of the most jaded enthusiast while having features galore. We will be running multiple reviews of these new X58-based boards in the coming weeks so stay tuned since some of them are real show stoppers.

While today may mark the day we can begin talking about these new processors and their accompanying motherboards, it will still be a few weeks until you can actually go out and purchase one. In other words...be patient. That being said, even though they may not have any real amount of competition on the market today, the prices being asked for the processors themselves will not be exorbitant. According to the chaps over at Intel, the launch prices will be about $284 for the i7-920, $562 for the i7-940 and finally nearly $1000 for the i7-965. This isn’t outrageous but since you have to factor the price of a new motherboard and memory into the equation, things start getting a bit hairy for the bank account. That being said, boys will be boys and many of us will spend whatever it takes to get the latest and greatest.

AMD plots earlier Phenom II support for DDR3 memory

Advanced Micro Devices could bring DDR3 memory support to Phenom II desktops earlier than it had projected, the company said on Monday.

The company aims to add DDR3 support to Phenom II by the middle of 2009, but could push that up depending on factors including pricing of the memory, said John Taylor, an AMD spokesman.

To support DDR3 memory, the company will introduce the AM3 socket, Taylor said. Motherboards with the AM3 socket will support AMD's upcoming Phenom II CPU.

AM3's launch could be as early as "a few" months after the release of the Phenom II processor, which is scheduled for launch in January.

AMD plans to transition to DDR3 memory support for servers with the Maranello platform in 2010. The Maranello platform includes the six-core Sao Paulo and 12-core Magny-Cours chips.

DDR3 is a new form of memory that offers larger bandwidth for quicker data transfers in PCs than DDR2 memory. As processors get faster, DDR3 provides faster communication between the CPU and the memory that could boost system performance, said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64. DDR3 memory will boost performance of the already-speedy Phenom II-based machines, he said. However, DDR3 memory is expensive as it's relatively new, he noted.

AMD has overclocked the Phenom II processor to run at up to 4GHz on air-cooled systems, and up to 5GHz on liquid-nitrogen cooling, Taylor said. The first Phenom II chips will be quad-core processors and will include 8M bytes of cache, according to the company's chip road map. AMD declined to provide pricing information for Phenom II.

Intel's Core i7 processor for gaming systems, launched last week, already supports DDR3 memory.

Intel, Micron to Mass Produce 34nm Memory Chips

Intel and Micron are teaming up to take on Samsung and Toshiba in the battle for NAND flash memory, used for multimedia storage on consumer products such as iPods and digital cameras. But when falling consumer confidence is taking its toll on the flash memory market, is this the right time for Intel and Micron to invest?

A joint venture between Intel and memory maker Micron Technology has begun production on a 34nm NAND flash memory disk. The venture, called IM Flash Technologies, should heighten competition with Toshiba and Samsung Electronics, the world's largest NAND flash memory chip maker.

NAND flash memory is commonly used for multimedia storage on portable media players. The 34nm, 32 Gb chips are manufactured on 300 mm wafers. Measuring less than the size of a thumbnail, the chip enables high-density solid-state storage in small form factor applications, including digital cameras, iPods and digital camcorders. “The tiny 34nm, 32 Gb chip enables our customers to easily increase their NAND storage capacity for a number of consumer and computing products,” Micron Memory Group’s vice president Brian Shirley said in a statement.

“The creation of this new company supports Intel’s intent to maintain its industry-leading position in nonvolatile memory and enables us to rapidly enter a fast-growing portion of the flash market segment,” Intel’s president and CEO Paul Otellini said in a statement. Despite Otellini’s statement, a recent report by market research firm iSuppli found the NAND flash market is feeling the effects of a weakened global economy, and will cause revenue declines in 2008. A slim rise in revenue over 2007’s $13.9 billion intake is expected, though the report was released before the worsening of the financial crisis this fall. Worldwide, iSuppli projects NAND flash revenue will decline 14 percent in 2008 and fall another 15 percent in 2009.

Intel and Micron also announced that they have each entered into separate long-term agreements to supply Apple with a significant portion of each of their share of IM Flash Technologies’ NAND flash memory output. As part of these agreements, Apple would prepay $250 million each to Intel and Micron. “We are extremely pleased to have Apple broaden its relationship with us,” Otellini said.

The companies also released information on the venture’s management team, which will be led by Intel’s Dave Baglee, who previously served as manager of Intel’s Fab 11 in New Mexico, and Micron’s Rod Morgan, who most recently served as manager of Micron’s fabrication facility in Manassas, Va.

Both companies said they also plan to begin sampling lower density multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) products using the 34nm process technology in early 2009.

Intel to eliminate toxic lead from its microprocessor chips

(NaturalNews) Intel Corp. has announced plans to stop using lead as a soldering agent in its microprocessors. Lead is a chemical element with widespread industrial use. It is particularly useful as a semiconductor, due to its specific electrical and mechanical properties. The element, however, is a highly potent toxin known to cause blood and nervous system disorders, including mental dysfunction, especially in children.

Intel began phasing out the use of lead in its products in 2002, with the introduction of a tin-silver-copper soldering alloy. This alloy had replaced lead as a soldering agent in nearly all Intel chip sets and processors by 2004, with the exception of 0.02 grams of lead that continued to be used inside each chip.

This lead will now be eliminated in favor of the tin-silver-copper alloy, beginning with the Penryn line of processors. The company plans to have its microprocessors be lead-free by the end of the year, and to phase out lead in its 65-nanometer-process chips in 2008.

The use of toxic metals in electronics manufacture has become a serious health problem worldwide. High rates of obsolescence have contributed to a global "electronic waste" problem, in which vast quantities of electronics have been ending up as garbage, particularly in Third World countries that are paid to dispose of First World waste.

Unregulated disposal of this waste, whether by landfilling, burning or even disassembly for parts, exposes local workers, residents and ecosystems to a heavy toxic payload. Lead in particular is known for its ability to contaminate soil and groundwater.

According to Solving the E-waste Problem, a United-Nations-led alliance between three U.N. agencies, 16 businesses and several government agencies and universities, electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing types of trash in the world, with levels rapidly approaching 40 million metric tons per year.

Intel fleshes out the MID platform with five low-power CPUs

Intel has high hopes for its new Silverthorne/Diamondville-based Atom processors. Intel formally introduced Atom and Centrino Atom in early March and indicated that the processors/platform would be used in a wide variety of devices.

Intel expects for its new Atom architecture to target $40B in new markets. "It’s not just the 1 billion people that have access to the Internet now. It’s the next 2 billion people. It’s not just about selling more PCs, but bringing new devices and new price points to bring those people onto the Internet," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini in March. "We are not talking about repurposing old silicon, but designing new silicon for each of these different areas."

Intel is now taking its first steps to deliver Atom processors to the masses. The first round of Atom processors are the Silverthorne-based units which feature a 13mm x 14mm package size.

The five new 45nm, high-k Atom processor range in speed from 800MHz to 1.86GHz and all feature 512KB of L2 cache. The Z500 and Z510 clock in at 800MHz and 1.1GHz respectively and feature a FSB operating at 400MHz. The Z520, Z530, and Z540 represent speed grades of 1.33GHz, 1.6GHz, and 1.86GHz respectively using a 533MHz FSB. The 533MHz SKUs will feature Hyper-Threading -- a technology that many are familiar with thanks to the unloved Pentium 4 processors.

The family of Atom processors features a thermal design power (TDP) range of 0.65 to 2.4 W; average power range of 160 to 200 mW; and idle power range of 80 to 100 mW.

Prices for the chips range from $45 for the Z500 to $160 for the Z540 in quantities of 1,000.

The Atom Z5xx processors are aimed at what Intel calls the Mobile Internet Device (MID) market. These devices fit into your pocket and are expected to have excellent battery life. Other targeted platforms for these Atom processors include GPS devices, portable video players, and converged tablets.

Backing up Intel's Atom Z5xx processors is Intel's new System Controller Hub (SCH) which was previously known as Poulsbo. The SCH incorporates HD audio, PCIe, USB, and SDIO support. The SCH will also have extended capabilities for WiFi, WiMAX, EV-DO and HSDPA.

Also included on the SCH is a third-party graphics solution which is quite a departure for Intel. In this case, Intel licensed Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX graphics and POWERVR VXD multi-standard HD video technologies. The graphics core is capable of supporting hardware accelerated 720p and 1080i HD resolutions.

"The introduction of Intel’s Centrino Atom processor technology incorporating our POWERVR graphics and video technologies signifies the beginning of a new class of Mobile Internet Device,” said Tony King-Smith, Imagination Technologies’ VP of Marketing. “Imagination looks forward to its continued collaboration with leading industry players to provide products and technologies that help enable ever more dynamic visual user experiences."

"Today is a historic day for Intel and the high-tech industry as we deliver our first-ever Intel Atom processor and surround it with a great package of technology," said Intel Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher. "Mix in the incredible innovation coming from our fellow device makers and software vendors, and we will change the way consumers will come to know and access the World Wide Web. These forthcoming MIDs, and some incredible longer-term plans our customers are sharing with us, will show how small devices can deliver a big Internet experience."

The next big release for Intel's Atom processors will come in the form of the Diamondville-based processors. These processors will go in devices which Intel calls "netbooks". However, we know them more commonly as devices like the Eee PC 900 and ECS G10IL.

The Diamondville-based N270 will run at 1.6GHz using a 533MHz FSB. This is the chip that will find a home in the previously mentioned nettops. According to Intel's latest roadmaps, the chip will be priced at $44 in quantities of 1,000.

Intel is going full-bore with its new Atom processor lineup and it should be interesting to see how the Silverthorne and Diamondville-based machines fare in the marketplace. Diamondville-based nettops are pretty much a sure bet as far as sales are concerned, but many are still not sold on the whole MID concept which would cater to Silverthorne.

Intel Bets Big on Mobile Computing

In a bid to leverage the growing demand for notebook PCs, Intel has launched its Intel Centrino 2 processor technology products for laptops that include five new Intel Core2 duo processors.

Intel also introduced what it claims to be the world's highest performing dual-core mobile processor, the Intel Core2 Extreme processor running at 3.06 GHz, according to a press release.

In addition, 250 new laptop models with features such as powerful processors, enhanced graphics and battery life will soon be launched, the release said.

Intel also plans to unveil eight new processors within 90 days that will include first-ever mobile quad-core products and second generation products for ultra thin and light notebooks. In total, the company will bring 14 diverse processors into the marketplace as laptop sales continue to outpace desktop PCs.

The Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology improve upon every facet of a laptop's main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless (with WiMAX arriving later this year), and new business-class manageability capabilities.

"When we first introduced Intel Centrino back in 2003, there were very few Wi-Fi hotspots, YouTube videos and social media didn't really exist, 'thin and light' only referred to weight goals and desktop PCs outsold notebooks by a very wide margin," said R Ravichandran, director of sales, Intel South Asia.

"Today, notebooks are fast gaining share and we are seeing new and previously unheard off usage model. We are paving the way to HD entertainment, rich online gaming, faster broadband wireless speeds and an easier and more secure way for businesses to manage, update and repair their notebook fleets."

The five new dual core processors come with a faster 1066MHz front side bus and up to 6MB of L2 cache, and three versions reduce laptop processor wattage about 30 percent, down to just 25 watts, according to the release. Also featured is Deep Power Down Technology that turns off processing components such as core clocks and cache memory when the laptop is idle for greater energy savings.

Intel also unveiled its new Mobile Intel 45 Express Chipset and wireless Intel WiFi Link 5000 series that is shipping to customers now, with laptops arriving in July and August. According to Intel, it delivers five times the speed and twice the range of older 802.11a/g technology, while the Intel WiFi Link 5000 series provides 802.11 draft-N support that delivers the fastest data rates possible today -- up to 450 Mbps.

Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers manageability and security options. This is increasingly important as companies replace desktops with notebooks and need to remotely diagnose, update and repair systems over a wireless network, according to the release.

Improved manageability with AMT 4.0 has also been added that provides wireless manageability during system sleep states, ongoing remote configuration capabilities, support for next-generation management standards (WS-MAN and DASH 1.0) and the ability for an employee to initiate communications to IT from outside a company's firewall.

The company will begin shipping its first ever combined WiMax/Wi-Fi module later this year in the US. The module will be part of the Intel WiMax/WiFi Link 5050 Series that is an optional feature for future Intel Centrino 2-based laptops.

Intel Holds WiMAX Vital in Internet Expansion

Intel has high hopes for its new Silverthorne/Diamondville-based Atom processors. Intel formally introduced Atom and Centrino Atom in early March and indicated that the processors/platform would be used in a wide variety of devices.

Intel expects for its new Atom architecture to target $40B in new markets. "It’s not just the 1 billion people that have access to the Internet now. It’s the next 2 billion people. It’s not just about selling more PCs, but bringing new devices and new price points to bring those people onto the Internet," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini in March. "We are not talking about repurposing old silicon, but designing new silicon for each of these different areas."

Intel is now taking its first steps to deliver Atom processors to the masses. The first round of Atom processors are the Silverthorne-based units which feature a 13mm x 14mm package size.

The five new 45nm, high-k Atom processor range in speed from 800MHz to 1.86GHz and all feature 512KB of L2 cache. The Z500 and Z510 clock in at 800MHz and 1.1GHz respectively and feature a FSB operating at 400MHz. The Z520, Z530, and Z540 represent speed grades of 1.33GHz, 1.6GHz, and 1.86GHz respectively using a 533MHz FSB. The 533MHz SKUs will feature Hyper-Threading -- a technology that many are familiar with thanks to the unloved Pentium 4 processors.

The family of Atom processors features a thermal design power (TDP) range of 0.65 to 2.4 W; average power range of 160 to 200 mW; and idle power range of 80 to 100 mW.

Prices for the chips range from $45 for the Z500 to $160 for the Z540 in quantities of 1,000.

The Atom Z5xx processors are aimed at what Intel calls the Mobile Internet Device (MID) market. These devices fit into your pocket and are expected to have excellent battery life. Other targeted platforms for these Atom processors include GPS devices, portable video players, and converged tablets.

Backing up Intel's Atom Z5xx processors is Intel's new System Controller Hub (SCH) which was previously known as Poulsbo. The SCH incorporates HD audio, PCIe, USB, and SDIO support. The SCH will also have extended capabilities for WiFi, WiMAX, EV-DO and HSDPA.

Also included on the SCH is a third-party graphics solution which is quite a departure for Intel. In this case, Intel licensed Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX graphics and POWERVR VXD multi-standard HD video technologies. The graphics core is capable of supporting hardware accelerated 720p and 1080i HD resolutions.

"The introduction of Intel’s Centrino Atom processor technology incorporating our POWERVR graphics and video technologies signifies the beginning of a new class of Mobile Internet Device,” said Tony King-Smith, Imagination Technologies’ VP of Marketing. “Imagination looks forward to its continued collaboration with leading industry players to provide products and technologies that help enable ever more dynamic visual user experiences."

"Today is a historic day for Intel and the high-tech industry as we deliver our first-ever Intel Atom processor and surround it with a great package of technology," said Intel Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher. "Mix in the incredible innovation coming from our fellow device makers and software vendors, and we will change the way consumers will come to know and access the World Wide Web. These forthcoming MIDs, and some incredible longer-term plans our customers are sharing with us, will show how small devices can deliver a big Internet experience."

The next big release for Intel's Atom processors will come in the form of the Diamondville-based processors. These processors will go in devices which Intel calls "netbooks". However, we know them more commonly as devices like the Eee PC 900 and ECS G10IL.

The Diamondville-based N270 will run at 1.6GHz using a 533MHz FSB. This is the chip that will find a home in the previously mentioned nettops. According to Intel's latest roadmaps, the chip will be priced at $44 in quantities of 1,000.

Intel is going full-bore with its new Atom processor lineup and it should be interesting to see how the Silverthorne and Diamondville-based machines fare in the marketplace. Diamondville-based nettops are pretty much a sure bet as far as sales are concerned, but many are still not sold on the whole MID concept which would cater to Silverthorne.

Intel Core 2 Duo Knocks Down AMD Athlon 64

Intel has regained the performance crown from AMD, after its launch of Core 2 Duo line of processors which are based on Intel’s new Core micro architecture. The processors are expected to ship by 27th July 2006. The performance Core 2 Duo is found to be superior than the AMD’s current line of processors.

Intel’s Core 2 Extreme X6800 didn’t lose a single benchmark in our comparison; not a single one. In many cases, the $183 Core 2 Duo E6300 actually outperformed Intel’s previous champ: the Pentium Extreme Edition 965. In one day, Intel has made its entire Pentium D lineup of processors obsolete. Intel’s Core 2 processors offer the sort of next-generation micro-architecture performance leap that we honestly haven’t seen from Intel since the introduction of the P6.

Compared to AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 the situation gets a lot more competitive, but AMD still doesn’t stand a chance. The Core 2 Extreme X6800, Core 2 Duo E6700 and E6600 were pretty consistently in the top 3 or 4 spots in each benchmark, with the E6600 offering better performance than AMD’s FX-62 flagship in the vast majority of benchmarks. Another way of looking at it is that Intel’s Core 2 Duo E6600 is effectively a $316 FX-62, which doesn’t sound bad at all.

We’re still waiting to get our hands on the E6400 as it may end up being the best bang for your buck, but even the slower E6300 is quite competitive with AMD’s X2 4200+ and X2 3800+. If AMD drops the price on those two parts even more than we’re expecting, then it may be able to hold on to the lower end of the performance mainstream market as the E6300 is not nearly as fast as the E6600.

For industry experts, Core 2 Duo beating the Athlon 64 processor family is no surprise: On the one hand, Core 2 Duo is a brand-new state-of-the-art processor, whereas the Athlon 64 X2 has been around for a while. On the other hand, Intel must come out with a superior product to finally beat AMD after two years of Athlon 64 headwinds.

Core 2 is an eighth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor to be produced by Intel based on an all-new CPU design called the Intel Core Microarchitecture, which will replace the NetBurst architecture that has powered Intel processors since 2000. Core 2 also will mark the retirement of Intel’s Pentium brand name that has been used from 1993 and the reunion of Intel’s notebook and desktop product lines since Pentium M was released apart from Pentium 4 in 2003.

Unlike NetBurst-based processors, such as the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Core 2 will not stress designs based on extremely high clock speeds but rather improvements on other CPU features, including cache size and number of cores. Intel claims that the power consumption of these processors is to be extremely low compared to the Pentiums before.

Intel Core 2 processors will feature EM64T, Virtualization Technology, and Execute Disable Bit. The release will also introduce LaGrande Technology, SSE4, Enhanced SpeedStep Technology, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2).