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Core i7 Mobile Processor Family
The Core i7 represents the pinnacle of Intel's current (early 2010) processor lineup, as it includes the largest memory caches, fastest clock speeds and real-world performance benchmarks, and the most advanced processor technologies, including hardware virtualization, 64-bit support, automatic overclocking on demand, and others.
Core i7 Mobile processors differ from their desktop kin in two significant ways: They support dual-channel instead of triple-channel memory, they include integrated graphics, and they use the slower DMI interconnect between the CPU and the chipset instead of the faster QPI interconnect used by the fastest Core i7 desktop processors. Essentially, the fastest Core i7 Mobile processors provide performance on a par with midrange versions of the Core i7 desktop processors.
Core i7 Mobile Extreme Edition 900 Series and Core i7 Mobile 800 Series
These processors represent the fastest of the group and include the following features:
- Four processor cores—Provides outstanding support for multitasking.
- Intel HT Technology (hyperthreading)—When enabled, hyperthreading enables the processor to handle twice the process threads possible with physical processor cores only. In other words, a four-core processor can handle up to eight threads, while a two-core processor can handle up to four threads.
- 8MB intelligent cache memory—Any location in unified cache memory can be used by any processor core.
- Intel Direct Media Interface (DMI) Interconnect between processor and platform controller hub chipset—2.5GT/s.
- Advanced integrated graphics; for details, see Quick Reference Guide to Intel HD Graphics
- PCI Express 2.0 support
- Advanced integrated graphics; for details, see Quick Reference Guide to Intel HD Graphics
- Integrated memory controller supporting two channels of DDR3 memory.
- Intel Turbo Boost—Turbo Boost switches processor speed in 133MHz increments from base to maximum clock speed as needed, essentially providing a manufacturer-sanctioned automatic overclocking capability.
- Intel HD Boost (SSE4.2 instructions) support for faster digital media throughput.
- Intel VT-x (hardware virtualization support)—Hardware virtualization support is recommended by the latest release of Microsoft's Windows Virtual PC virtualization program for Windows 7, and enables faster virtual machine (VM) performance with any virtualization program that supports hardware virtualization. Note that Windows Virtual PC originally required hardware virtualization support.
- Support for 64-bit operating systems and applications (Intel 64 architecture).
- Based on "Clarksfield" architecture.
To learn more, see Intel's ARK website: Core i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition and Core i7 800 Mobile Processor series.
Core i7 700 Mobile Series
These processors provide lower performance than the Extreme Edition and 800 series by virtue of a lower clock speed and smaller cache. Here are the major features of this series:
- Four processor cores
- Intel HT Technology (hyperthreading)
- 6MB intelligent cache memory
- PCI Express 2.0 support
- Advanced integrated graphics; for details, see Quick Reference Guide to Intel HD Graphics
- Integrated memory controller supporting two channels of DDR3 memory
- Intel HD Boost (SSE4.2 instructions) support
- Intel Direct Media Interface (DMI) interconnect between processor and chipset—2.5GT/s
- Intel Turbo Boost overclocking
- Intel VT-x hardware virtualization
- Intel 64 architecture
- Based on "Lynnfield" architecture
To learn more, see Intel's ARK website: Core i7 Desktop Processor.
Core i7 700 Mobile Series
These processors provide lower performance than the Extreme Edition and 800 series by virtue of lower clock speeds and smaller cache. Here are the major features of this series:
- Four processor cores
- Intel HT Technology (hyperthreading)
- 6MB intelligent cache memory
- PCI Express 2.0 support
- Advanced integrated graphics; for details, see Quick Reference Guide to Intel HD Graphics
- Integrated memory controller supporting two channels of DDR3 memory
- Intel HD Boost (SSE4.2 instructions) support
- Intel Turbo Boost overclocking
- Intel VT-x hardware virtualization
- Intel 64 architecture
- Based on "Lynnfield" architecture
To learn more, see Intel's ARK website: Core i7-700 Mobile Processor series.
Core i7 600 Mobile Series
These processors provide lower performance than other Core i7 Mobile series by virtue of lower clock speeds and smaller cache. Here are the major features of this series:
- Four processor cores
- Intel HT Technology (hyperthreading)
- 4MB intelligent cache memory
- Advanced integrated graphics; for details, see Quick Reference Guide to Intel HD Graphics
- PCI Express 2.0 support
- Integrated memory controller supporting two channels of DDR3 memory
- Intel Turbo Boost overclocking
- Intel HD Boost (SSE4.2 instructions) support
- Intel VT-x hardware virtualization
- Intel 64 architecture
- Based on "Arrandale" architecture
- Low and ultra-low voltage versions available
To learn more, see Intel's ARK website: Core i7-600 Mobile Processor series.