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Confused with CPU naming - which is quicker?

TheBigCheese

TheBigCheese

TheBigCheese

Soldato
Joined
6 Sep 2005
Posts
3,782
Hi guys

I'm considering having a custom built laptop and there are several processor options but I'm a bit stumped which to pick.

I am looking for raw processing power as the machine will be more of a number cruncher (Photoshop and video encoding) rather than a games machine.

The options are:
P8800 - 2.6GHz 3MB cache - dual core
T9600 - 2.8GHz 6MB cache - dual core
T9700 - 2.6GHz 6MB cache - dual core
T9900 - 3.06GHz 6MB cache - dual core

The quad core versions are too expensive to consider.

However...tonight I've found that I can get a proper i7 which I had no idea you could get in a laptop...that's upset things a bit!

i7 920 D0 2.66GHz- quad core
i7 950 D0 3.06GHz - quad core

Now I'm assuming that an i7 920 will be significantly faster than a P8800, and an i7 950 will be significantly faster than a T9900...but are they fast enough to warrant the extra expense?

My Google skills seem to be failing me tonight and I can't find any comparison charts that show all the processors under the same tests.

I am completely out of touch with what i7 is capable of (though I know it's great for overclocking...but not in a laptop I presume), but notebook processors are a mystery to me...the last laptop I got was over 4 years ago...netbooks are probably more powerful than that now!

Any thoughts or guidance would be most appreciated!

Many thanks :)
 
i7 in a notebook? I don't think that's available yet. From what I hear the "clarksfield " processors are Nahalem based mobile CPUs, but they won't be available until later this year. They will be rather expensive, relatively hot and use mPGA-989. However, for pure number -crunching they will be the kings. I believe they are expected to appear around the time of i5 launch (autumn this year).

The i7 920 and 950 you mentioned in your OP are desktop chips and will not work in normal laptops (very high power consumption and heat production). I believe some companies offer custom build "laptops" that use these CPUs, but they look more like desktops with screens bolted on than practical laptops.

If I were you, wait till these new nahalem-based mobile chips come out and build a system around one of them. If you can't wait then get a nice 45nm Core 2 Duo mobile chip and be happy with the impressive quickness of these rather nice CPUs.
 
Thanks for the posts guys though I think some of you may not have read my post closely...it will be going into a laptop so no way can I overclock it...not without melting something that's probably important! :D

I like the idea of the 18.4" screen with the macro keys at the side but they only come with the T series of mobile processor...will there be much difference in capabilities between those and the i7 920/950?
 
TheBigCheese said:
Thanks for the posts guys though I think some of you may not have read my post closely...it will be going into a laptop so no way can I overclock it...not without melting something that's probably important! :D

I like the idea of the 18.4" screen with the macro keys at the side but they only come with the T series of mobile processor...will there be much difference in capabilities between those and the i7 920/950?
Click to expand...

A huge difference. The P and T processors are both dual cores, I think. The i7 quad core would offer a big difference over them, and if I'm looking at the right laptop (the most expensive custom built one on OCUK), then the i7 is a better choice.
 
Wouldnt bother with i7 on a laptop, the gfx will be a bottleneck for gaming or CAD etc, and even if encoding video the dvdrw speed will be a bottleneck when it comes to make dvd's etc.
 
There's no way I'd be buying an i7 laptop, unless you enjoy the thought of having a small, heavy and fairly noisy cooker on your lap and you're not planning to spend more than half an hour away from a power socket.
 
Having a further look at the i7 laptop, its pretty cool tbh. I mean it all depends on how portable you need it, but if you can live with a what is essentially a very portable desktop - then it is rather awesome. However, if you intend to work untethered - then this is not the laptop, a core 2 duo based machine with a big battery will suite you much better.

But as you said in your OP raw power is the main aim. With an i7 CPU, 6GB of RAM, SSD primary hard disks (in RAID) and a graphics card equivalent to a 9800GT - its the best equipped laptop I have ever see. Just make sure you a) add the 500GB third HDD to the order, b) buy a strong bag, c) never put it on your lap.
 
Do you actually need to do encoding and Photoshop work on the move? Because for the price of a laptop like that, you could get a quiet, comfortable desktop with a 24" monitor which would be faster for video and image work, and a smaller laptop or netbook with better battery life for Office and browsing the net.
 
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