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Dual core I5 = i3 surely?

FatRakoon

FatRakoon

FatRakoon

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I have seen a number of laptops now, that are apparently claiming to be i5 but dual core?

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Dual core is the i3 is it not? With HT

The i5 is a quad core without HT and the i7 a Quad with HT?

So WTF is this Dual core nonsense? Please explain?

I mean, my I7 Laptop is 4+HT and I get to see all 8 cores ( well, 4+4 - you know what I mean )

What possible excuse do they give for that?

Cache?

Argh.
 
The laptop version of the i5 is dual core I think. The i7 is still quad core.

You are talking about the desktop version of the chips.

EDIT: Quick google search shows that there are a lot of versions. i3 is normally dual without HT. i5 is normally dual core with/without HT, but there are some i5 as quad core. i7 can be dual core with HT or quad with HT.

Man, its a mix up. Best give us the exact model of the CPU.
 
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Laptop CPU v Desktop
Yes, I know that, but why?

Why call it an I5 when its really an i3 then?

What IS the difference between an I3 and an I5 with Laptops then?

Kitkat? Yeah I know... on my High horse ranting again!
Its part of my mental disability... I cant help it.

>>The Mad Mix up

Just saw the back of your post.
Yeah ok, if its a combo of this that and the other...
I dont know the exact model, its just something that I have noticed over the past few months that this is how things seem to be?

I mean, lets be honest here, whats better an i3 or an i5 ? - I think we should all agree that clock for clock, the i5 is the better option.
But then according to this kind of stuff, you can get an i3 with HT but then you can also get an i5 that is only dual core?
That to me says that the i3 will be a better option because it has the HT... Can you see my issue?
i7 without HT ? - So, an i5 then?

Ok...Where did I put that KitKat that badbiddy told me to eat?
 
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Intel Mobile names are an absolute disgrace in my opinion.

i3's a dual core not HT, i5 signifies a dual core with turbo (But unless I'm mistaken you can? get some 4 core 4 threaded i5 mobile chips?) then you get i7's which should mean 4 cores, 8 threads, but some of them are dual cores too!
 
I think intel are trying to use the i3/i5/i7 monikers as an indication of the level of smugness their customers should have after buying one of their products, instead of a hard-and-fast naming convention.

For example, in the ultrabook class there is the i5-4250U and the i7-4650U (both used in the macbook air).

The i5 has 2 cores (4 threads), clocked at 1.3GHz (turbo to 2.6GHz)and 3MB L3 cache.
In stark contrast the i7 has 2 cores (4 threads), clocked at 1.7GHz (turbo to 3.3GHz) and 4MB L3 cache.

Basically, intel are happy to play fast-and-loose with their "i" naming convention so people can get the feeling they are buying a top-end CPU (when in absolute performance terms they are not).
 
In the mobile area though, the difference with the i3 and i5 in GPU terms is a lot (I assume the i3's crippled clock wise on the GPU)

I had a HD4000 in my Vivobook, but the HD4000 in my Ultrabook (i3 in the Vivo, i5 in the Ultra) there's no comparison, I assume again that the i7 has an even less gimped IGP.
 
Intels mobile CPUs really **** me off, I see so many laptops boasting i3 or i5 but infact they are "7" or "u" chips low clocked versions of the normal i3's and i5's.

The ultrabook cpu's were created for ultrabooks designed to give better battery life, The problem is manufacturers are using these chips in normal laptops and unsuspecting customers are falling for it.

Mobile I3's are dual cores, I5 dual core with turbo boost and i7's quad. All have hyper threading and its worth noting that some I7's are actually dual cores.

If the model of the CPU has QM its a quad.
If the model of the CPU has a 7 or U its an ultrabook/low power cpu (A fake one)
 
cmndr_andi said:
I think intel are trying to use the i3/i5/i7 monikers as an indication of the level of smugness their customers should have after buying one of their products, instead of a hard-and-fast naming convention.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree on the smugness.

Its absolutely why I went for my i7 ( HP DV6 )

I suppose I am greatful that it is a full 4+HT so I get to see 8 cores chugging along, but its a pathetic 1.6Ghz

Thankfully, its fast enough for my needs, I only use it to go to costa and site down and play Dawn of War or Pool Nation not really HEAVY gaming, and do some homework, but I tell you... Its on the border, while I have another Laptop, thats a dual core 2.53Ghz ( HP 6730B ), thats infinitely more responsive and far superior, but the only difference is that its got Intel graphics and is NOT capable of gaming, although it is capable of 1680x1050 rez so a brilliant display )

I have also just got rid of one Latop, an AMD APU job. ( Samsung RV ) That too was only 1.6, disgustingly slow and yet even better at gaming than the I7 was purely on the fact that its graphics were that much quicker.

Its clear to me, that whether its I3/5 or 7 means nothing.
Its also clear that the speed of said CPUs means little too.
Its no different to an old Samsung I have ( R60 ) - ( yeah, I have loads of PCs and Laptops BTW ) I bought that as a Core2Duo, but its a Pentium core... Very naughty.

I think given my failures in chosing the right laptop thus far, I am simply going to have to hold back and spend a stupid amount on a top end Dell or MSI instead of hoping that this or that does the job.

But then again, I am also hoping that I will be recovered enough that I wont need a laptop to go to costas either

( I lead a sad life if I have bought an i7 laptop just to go to costas to play dawn or war )
 
Well, if someone is just going to buy a laptop because its a i5 or an i7 they are a bit silly.

I think intels market way is quite help, an i3 is a daul core, i5 is either a daul core with HT or a 4 core without HT and the i7 is a quad-core with/without HT: so the i3 has 2 logical cores, the i5 has 4 logical core and the i7 has 8 logical cores. How hard is that to remmeber?

FOr gaming laptops though its not the CPU which is important (really) its the GPU. as you know.
 
The i3 has HT, so it's 4 threads, the i5 has 4 threads (Except it has turbo, but obviously if it's 4 cores no HT, it's going to be a crap ton better) and you can get some i7's that are dual core with HT.

It's a naff naming structure.
 
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