Intel Core i3 vs Core i5 vs Core i7 – The Difference
Intel Core i7 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i5 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i3 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
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Intel Core i3 vs Core i5 vs Core i7 Comparison- The Difference

This post explains the difference between the Intel Core i3, Core i5 and the Core i7 processors.

Intel Core i3

Codenamed: Clarkdale (Westmere)
Fabrication: 32 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1156
Bus: Direct Media Interface
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: P55, H55, H57, Q57

Intel Core i5

Codenamed: Lynnfield (Nehalem), Clarkdale (Westmere)
Fabrication: 45 nm, 32 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1156
Bus: Direct Media Interface
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: P55, H55, H57, Q57

Intel Core i7

Codenamed: Bloomfield (Nehalem)
Fabrication: 45 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1366
Bus: Quick Path Interconnect
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: X58

Intel has classified the Core processor range into Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7. Both the cost and the performance goes on increasing as you move from Core i3 to Core i7.

Intel Core i3

The Core i3 processors are dual core processors based on the Clarkdale (Westmere) architecture. They have a 32 nm fabrication and work with LGA 1156 socket motherboards. Direct Media Interface (DMI) replaces FSB in the Core i3 processors, unlike the faster Quick Path Interconnect in the Core i7 processors. They have clock speeds ranging from 2.93 to 3.06 GHz. They have 2×256 KB L2 cache and 4 MB L3 cache. They are compatible with these chipsets – P55, H55, H57, Q57. They don’t support Turbo Boost (dynamic overclocking) unlike the Core i5 and Core i7. They also have an Integrated graphics processor. They also have Hyperthreading support.

Intel Core i5

There are two types in Core i5 – Dual core and Quad Core. The dualcore Intel Core i5 processors are similar to the Core i3s while the quadcore Core i5s are much closer to the Core i7 in terms of features.

DualCore Core i5 Processors – They are based on the Clarkdale (Westmere) architecture like the Core i3. They also have a 32 nm fabrication and work with LGA 1156 socket motherboards. Direct Media Interface (DMI) replaces FSB in the Core i5 dualcore processors. They have clock speeds ranging from 3.2 to 3.6 GHz. They have 2×256 KB L2 cache and 4 MB L3 cache. They are compatible with these chipsets – P55, H55, H57, Q57. They support Turbo Boost (dynamic overclocking). They also have an Integrated graphics processor and also include Turbo Boost (dynamic overclocking). They also have Hyperthreading support.

QuadCore Core i5 Processors – They are based on the Lynnfield (Nehalem) architecture similar to the Core i7. They have a 45 nm fabrication and work with LGA 1156 socket motherboards. Direct Media Interface (DMI) replaces FSB in the Core i5 quadcore processors. There are 2 processors with clock speeds of 2.4 and 2.66 GHz. They have 4×256 KB L2 cache and 8 MB L3 cache. They are compatible with these chipsets – P55, H55, H57, Q57. They do support Turbo Boost (dynamic overclocking). However they don’t support Hyperthreading and don’t have a Integrated Graphics Processor.

Intel Core i7

They are the most powerful of the lot. They are based on the Bloomfield (Nehalem) architecture. They have a 45 nm fabrication and work with LGA 1366 socket motherboards. They have Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) which is faster than both DMI in Core i3/i5 and FSB. They are native quad cores which offer the best performance. They have 4×256 KB L2 cache and 8 MB L3 cache. They are compatible with the X58 chipset. They support Turbo Boost (dynamic overclocking) and Hyperthreading (8 virtual cores). However they don’t have an Integrated Graphics Processor.

All the three – Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 comes with Smart Cache (cache sharing between two cores) and support hardware virtualization.

Intel – Difference between Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7

Intel Core i3 vs Core i5 vs Core i7 – The Difference
Intel Core i7 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i5 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i3 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
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Intel Core i5 vs Core 2 Duo Comparison- The Difference

This post explains the Difference Between Intel Core i5 and the Core 2 Duo processors.

The Intel Core i5 series is based on two architectures:

1. Westmere (Core i5 6xx – Clarkdale – 32 nm – Dual Core)
2. Nehalem (Core i5 7xx – Lynnfield – 45 nm – Quad core)

Intel Core 2 Duo

Codenamed: Conroe, Allendale, Wolfdale – Core 2
Fabrication: 65 nm / 45 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.1
Socket: LGA 775
Bus: 1333 MHz FSB
RAM: DDR2
Chipset Support: 965, P3x, G3x, P45, X48

Intel Core i5

Codenamed: Lynnfield, Clarkdale
Fabrication: 45 nm, 32 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1156
Bus: Direct Media Interface
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: P55, H55, H57, Q57

LGA 1156, Direct Media Interface, Smart Cache

Like the Intel Core i3 processors, The Core i5 are also native dual cores; they have both processors on the same die which leads to better processing speeds. The quadcore Core i5 processors are native Quad cores – 4 processors on the same die – much faster than two dual cores stitched together. While the Intel Core 2 Duo processors work on the LGA 775 socket, the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors use the LGA 1156 socket and support motherboards based on the following chipsets - P55, H55, H57, Q57.

All the Core i5 processors sport the DMI (Direct Media Interface) which is much faster than the FSB used in Core 2 Duo processors but is not as fast as Quick Path Interconnect in the Core i7. They also have a on die memory controller which helps in much faster memory access than the Core 2 Duo processors. They also support Smart Cache which allows cache memory sharing between the two cores reducing memory latencies.

Difference between dualcore Core i5 and quadcore Core i5 Processors

Like the Core i3 processors, the dualcore Core i5 processors also have a 32 nm fabrication, they are much more power efficient and run faster than Core 2 Duo processors which have a 65 / 45 nm fabrication. There are 5 dual core Core i5 processors (Core i5 6xx) with clock speeds ranging from (Core i5 650) 3.2 GHz to (Core i5 680) 3.6 GHz. They have 2×256 KB L2 cache and 4 MB L3 cache. They also have an on die graphics processor for better graphics performance like the Core i3 series. They also support Hyperthreading enabling 2×2=4 virtual cores.

The quadcore Core i5 processors (Core i5 7xx) have a 45 nm fabrication, and like the Core i7 processors, are based on the Nehalem architecture. There are 2 of them – Core i5 750 (2.66 GHz) and Core i5 750S (2.4 GHz). They have 4 x 256 KB L2 cache and 8 MB L3 cache. They don’t have an on die graphics processor. Also, Hyperthreading is disabled in quadcore Core i5s.

The Core i5 processors are meant for those who need more power than Core i3 processors. The Core i5 650 offers excellent value for money in a gaming rig.

Dual Core Intel Core i5 Prices

Core i5 650 – $176
Core i5 660 – $196
Core i5 661 – $196
Core i5 670 – $284
Core i5 680 – $294

Quad Core Intel Core i5 Prices

Core i5 750 – $196
Core i5 750S – $259

Intel Core i3 vs Core i5 vs Core i7 – The Difference
Intel Core i7 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i5 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i3 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
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Intel Core i3 vs Intel Core 2 Duo Comparison- The Difference

This post explains the Difference Between the Intel Core i3 and Core 2 Duo processors.

Just like the Intel Core i7, the Core i3 is based on a new architecture – Clarkdale which is based on the new Westmere microarchitecture. The Intel Core i3 range offers only dual core processors unlike the Core i5 and i7 which offer Quad cores as well.

Intel Core 2 Duo

Codenamed: Conroe, Allendale, Wolfdale – Core 2
Fabrication: 65 nm / 45 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.1
Socket: LGA 775
Bus: 1333 MHz FSB
RAM: DDR2
Chipset Support: 965, P3x, G3x, P45, X48

Intel Core i3

Codenamed: Clarkdale
Fabrication: 32 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1156
Bus: Direct Media Interface
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: P55, H55, H57, Q57

LGA 1156, Direct Media Interface, Smart Cache

Both the Intel Core i3 and Intel Core 2 Duo processors are native dual cores; they have both processors on the same die which leads to better processing speeds. The Intel Core 2 Duo processors work on the LGA 775 socket, the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors use the LGA 1156 socket. The Core i3 processors support motherboards based on the following chipsets – P55, H55, H57, Q57.

As the Core i3 processors have a 32 nm fabrication, they are much more power efficient and run faster than Core 2 Duo processors which have a 65 / 45 nm fabrication. There are two processors in the Core i3 series – Core i3 530 (2.93 GHz) and the Core i3 540 (3.06 GHz). Both have 2 x 256 KB L2 cache and 4 MB of L3 cache. Both the Core i3 processors sport the DMI (Direct Media Interface) which is much faster than the FSB used in Core 2 Duo processors but is not as fast as Quick Path Interconnect in the Core i7.

The Core i3 processors also have a on die graphics processor which offer much better graphics performance. They also support Hyperthreading which means that each core can run 2 threads simultaneously which results in 2×2=4 virtual cores. They also have a on die memory controller which helps in much faster memory access than the Core 2 Duo processors. Also their chipsets are compatible with DDR3 RAM. The whole combination of Core i3 + DDR3 RAM offers much better performance than Core 2 Duo + DDR2 RAM. The Core i3 processors also support Smart Cache which allows cache memory sharing between the two cores reducing memory latencies.

However, unlike the Core i5 and Core i7 processors, the Core i3 processors also don’t support Turbo Boost which allows dynamic overclocking for better performance. Nevertheless, they are priced very low, which makes them a very good deal for budget PCs.

Intel Core i3 i530 – $113
Intel Core i3 i540 – $133

Moblin is an open source project focused on developing software for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). It is jointly being developed by Intel and the Linux Foundation. It is optimised for Netbooks powered by the Intel Atom processor. Moblin v2.0 Beta was launched very recently.

Official Site – Moblin.Org
Moblin – Wikipedia

Download Moblin

You can download Moblin v2.0 beta from the official Moblin site – Download Moblin

It’s a 670 MB IMG which you can then burn on your USB drive or a CD and then install it on your Netbook or Laptop.

Here are the Official Download Links -

Moblin Download

Moblin Torrent – MD5

Install Moblin

To install / run Moblin, just burn/write the downloaded image on a USB stick or a CD drive.

To burn it on a Windows PC, download Win32 Disk Imager. Run it and select the Moblin IMG file, then select the USB drive and Write.

To burn it to a CD, use any ISO burning tool like Nero, Magic ISO, Power ISO.

Then insert the USB drive / CD in your netbook / laptop and boot from it. You may need to change your boot preferences and change your boot device order. Just follow the instructions and you should have Moblin running live from the USB drive on your netbook.

It works fine with most netbooks including the Asus EEE PCs, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, Lenovo S10, Samsung NC10, Dell Inspiron Mini etc. Here’s a list of the tested platforms.

Here’s a detailed guide to install Moblin – Test Drive Moblin and a Detailed Review of Moblin by Arstechnica.

Intel Core i3 vs Core i5 vs Core i7 – The Difference
Intel Core i7 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i5 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
Intel Core i3 vs Intel Core 2 Duo – The Difference
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With the launch of the new Core i7 (Nehalem) processors by Intel, there are many doubts regarding the Difference between Intel Core i7 and Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors. In this post, I will try to list all the differences and also reasons why the new Core i7 architecture is much better than the Core 2 architecture.

Intel Core i7

Codenamed: Bloomfield – Nehalem
Fabrication: 45 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1366
Bus: Quick Path Interconnect
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: X58

Intel Core 2 Duo

Codenamed: Conroe, Allendale, Wolfdale – Core 2
Fabrication: 65 nm / 45 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.1
Socket: LGA 775
Bus: 1333 MHz FSB
RAM: DDR2
Chipset Support: 965, P3x, G3x, P45, X48

Explanation:

(Difference between Intel Core i7 and Core 2 Duo)

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The Core i7 is a completely new architecture which is much faster and more efficient than the Core 2 Duo. Currently only the Core i7 920, 945 and 965 XE versions are available. Of that the Core i7 920 is available at just $284 which makes it a great buy. It offers better performance than almost all Core 2 Duo processors.

Native Quad Core, More Cache and Hyper Threading:

All the Core i7 processors are Native Quad cores (4 cores), which means that they actually have 4 cores on a single die, while the older Core 2 Duo processors like the Q6600 (2×2 = 4 cores) had two cores on a single die, and two such dies merged together. This increases the processing speed greatly. They also have 256 KB L2 cache per core and a shared 8 MB L3 cache which has proven to be much better than any cache configuration in Core 2 Duo.

It also has HyperThreading support which means that each of the 4 cores can process 2 threads simultaneously, so you get 8 virtual cores. This helps in running many applications parallely and also in gaming.

Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) and On Die Memory Controller:

The Core i7 processors sport the new Quick Path Interconnect technology which replaces the FSB (Front Side Bus) to connect the various components in a computer. QPI is much faster than FSB and hence improves the overall performance. It is even faster than AMD’s similar HyperTransport 3.0 standard.

The Core i7 have an On Die Memory Controller which means that it can access memory much faster than the Core 2 Duo processors which had an external memory controller. Intel has borrowed this feature from AMD. All the four cores, memory controller, cache are on the same die which improves the speed and performance greatly.

Intel X58 Chipset and DDR3 RAM:

The new Core i7 processors work with Intel’s newest X58 chipset motherboards – these are the best currently available and have superb features like PCI Express 2.0, Support for both AMD’s Crossfire and Nvidia’s SLI to use two graphic cards simultaneously. The combo of Intel X58 and Core i7 also runs much cooler and consumes much less power than the older Core 2 Duo processors. Also the new Core i7 and X58 combo supports only the super fast DDR3 RAM which is becoming cheaper day by day.

These are the main differences between the Intel Core 2 Duo and the Core i7 processors. AMD doesn’t seem to have a decent processor coming up which could compete with Intel’s new Core i7 – the new king. The new Core i7 processors beat every other processor when it comes to performance and are also much more power efficient. They are better for gaming and other tasks. They also overclock better than any Intel or AMD processor.

So if you are planning to buy a new PC, I would suggest you to get a Core i7 based one. Core i7 920 + Intel X58 based motherboard + 1-2 GB DDR3 RAM should cost you about $600.

Note: This post was deliberately dumbed down to make it more understandable to non techies.

For any queries, leave a comment below.