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.