Introduction
Contents
The Core i7 is a CPU series manufactured by Intel aimed at high-range computers. In this tutorial, we will present a series of quick reference tables for you to compare the main differences between all models released to date.
By the way, the correct name of this line of processors is “Core i7,” not “Intel i7.”
Currently, there are four different generations of Core i7 processors available. In the tables below, we describe the main differences between these generations and the model series within each generation.
|
Model |
8xx |
9xx |
6xx |
7xx |
8xx and 9xx |
|
Market |
Desktop |
Desktop |
Mobile |
Mobile |
Mobile |
|
Generation |
First |
First |
First |
First |
First |
|
Microarchitecture |
|||||
|
Manufacturing Process |
45 nm |
45 nm or 32 nm |
32 nm |
45 nm |
45 nm |
|
Number of Cores |
4 |
4 or 6 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
|
Hyper-Threading |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
L1 cache (per core) |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
32 kiB+32kB |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
|
L2 cache (per core) |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
|
L3 cache (total) |
8 MiB |
8 MiB or 12 MiB |
4 MiB |
6 MiB |
8 MiB |
|
DMI bus |
1 GB/s |
No |
1 GB/s |
1 GB/s |
1 GB/s |
|
Memory (DDR3) |
1066, 1333 |
1066 |
800, 1066† |
1066, 1333 |
1066, 1333 |
|
Memory Channels |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
DDR3L and DDR3L-RS |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Graphics Engine |
No |
No |
HD Graphics |
No |
No |
|
DirectX |
No |
No |
10 |
No |
No |
|
Graphics Processors |
No |
No |
6 |
No |
No |
|
Graphics Base Clock |
No |
No |
166, 266 or 500 MHz |
No |
No |
|
Graphics Boost Clock |
No |
No |
500, 566 or 766 MHz |
No |
No |
|
Displays Supported |
None |
None |
2 |
None |
None |
|
PCIe Controller |
2.0 |
No |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
PCIe Configuration |
1×16, 2×8 |
NA |
1×16 |
1×16 |
1×16 |
|
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
SSE4.2 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
AES-NI |
No |
On 32 nm models |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
Base Clock |
133 MHz |
133 MHz |
133 MHz |
133 MHz |
133 MHz |
|
Pinout |
LGA1156 |
LGA1366 |
G1 or BGA1288 |
G1 |
G1 |
† Except for “UM” and “UE” models, which only support DDR3-800 memory.
|
Model |
2xxx |
38xx |
39xx |
2xxx |
|
Market |
Desktop |
Desktop |
Desktop |
Mobile |
|
Generation |
Second |
Second |
Second |
Second |
|
Microarchitecture |
||||
|
Manufacturing Process |
32 nm |
32 nm |
32 nm |
32 nm |
|
Number of Cores |
4 |
4 |
6 |
2 or 4 |
|
Hyper-Threading |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
L1 cache (per core) |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
32 kiB+32 kiB |
32 kiB+32kB |
|
L2 cache (per core) |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
256 kiB |
|
L3 cache (total) |
8 MiB |
10 MiB |
12 MiB or 15 MiB |
4 MiB, 6 MiB or 8 MiB |
|
DMI bus |
2 GB/s |
2 GB/2 |
2 GB/s |
2 GB/s |
|
Memory (DDR3) |
1066, 1333 |
1066, 1333, 1600 |
1066, 1333, 1600 |
1066, 1333, 1600 |
|
Memory Channels |
2 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
|
DDR3L and DDR3L-RS |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Graphics Engine |
HD 2000 or HD 3000 |
No |
No |
HD 3000 |
|
DirectX |
10.1 |
No |
No |
10.1 |
|
Graphics Processors |
6 or 12 |
No |
No |
12 |
|
Graphics Base Clock |
850 MHz |
No |
No |
350, 500 or 650 MHz |
|
Graphics Boost Clock |
1.35 GHz |
No |
No |
950 MHz, 1 GHz, 1.1 GHz, 1.2 GHz or 1.3 GHz |
|
Displays Supported |
2 |
No |
None |
2 |
|
PCIe Controller |
2.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
|
PCIe Configuration |
1×16, 2×8 |
40 lanes‡ |
40 lanes‡ |
1×16, 2×8, 1×8, 2×4 |
|
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
SSE4.2 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
AES-NI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
Base Clock |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
|
Pinout |
LGA1155 |
LGA2011 |
LGA2011 |
G2, BGA1023 or BGA1224 |
‡ There are three ports, two of them supporting 1×16, 2×8, 4×4, 8×2, and 16×1 speeds, and one of them supporting 1×8, 4×2, and 8×1 speeds. The “best” configuration allowed is x16/x16/x8, however other configurations are supported, such as x8/x8/x8/x8/x8.
| Model | 37xx | 3xxx |
4xxx |
4xxx |
| Market | Desktop | Mobile |
Desktop |
Mobile |
| Generation | Third | Third |
Fourth |
Fourth |
| Microarchitecture | Ivy Bridge | Ivy Bridge | ||
| Manufacturing Process | 22 nm | 22 nm |
22 nm |
22 mm |
| Number of Cores | 4 | 2 or 4 |
4 |
2 or 4 |
| Hyper-Threading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| L1 cache (per core) | 32 kiB+32kB | 32 kiB+32 kiB | 32 kiB+32 kiB | 32 kiB+32 kiB |
| L2 cache (per core) | 256 kiB | 256 kiB | 256 kiB | 256 kiB |
| L3 cache (total) | 8 MiB | 4 MiB, 6 MiB or 8 MiB | 8 MiB | 4 MiB, 6 MiB or 8 MiB |
| DMI bus | 2 GB/s | 2 GB/s |
2 GB/s |
2 GB/s |
| Memory (DDR3) | 1333, 1600 | 1333, 1600 | 1333, 1600 | 1333, 1600 |
| Memory Channels | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DDR3L and DDR3L-RS | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Graphics Engine | HD 4000 | HD 4000 | HD 4600 or Iris Pro 5200 | HD 4200, HD 4400, HD 4600, HD 5000, Iris 5100 or Iris Pro 5200 |
| DirectX | 11 | 11 |
11.1 |
11.1 |
| Graphics Processors | 12 | 12 | 20 or 40 | 10, 20 or 40 |
| Graphics Base Clock | 650 MHz | 350 MHz or 650 MHz | 200 or 350 MHz | 200 or 400 MHz |
| Graphics Boost Clock | 1.15 GHz | 1.1, 1.2, 1.25, 1.3 or 1.35 GHz | 1.2, 1.25 or 1.3 GHz | 850 MHz, 1 GHz, 1.1 GHz, 1.15 GHz, 1.2 GHz or 1.3 GHz |
| Displays Supported | 3 | 3 |
3 |
3 |
| PCIe Controller | 3.0 | 3.0* | 3.0 | 2.0 or 3.0 |
| PCIe Configuration | 1×16, 2×8, 1×8, 2×4 | 1×16, 2×8, 1×8, 2×4 | 1×16, 2×8, 1×8, 2×4 | 1×4, 4×1 or 1×16, 2×8, 1×8, 2×4 |
| Turbo Boost | 2.0 | 2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
| EM64T | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtualization | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSE4.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AES-NI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AVX | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AVX2 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Base Clock | 100 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz |
| Pinout | LGA1155 | G2, BGA1023 or BGA1224 |
LGA1150 |
FCPGA946, FCBGA1168 or FCBGA1364 |
* Except for “U” models, which have a PCI Express 2.0 controller.
Let’s now take a detailed look at all Core i7 models launched so far.
