Which Intel processor should you buy?
i3, i5 or i7!
Or what is the difference between an Intel i5 & an i7 ?
Would i be missing something if i get the cheaper i3 ?
If you have thought about this, youre just one among many to come across this dilemma eventually.
Lets go through some details that you should probably know.
Different processor families have different characteristics that determine their levels of efficiency.
The highest clock cycles on processors available today is around 4 GHz.
But that is a number even the Pentium 4 was able to achieve.
Yet, processors of today as far more powerful than the Pentium 4.
Therefore, lets break down these concepts to understand them better.
No of Cores
Single core processors are practically extinct today and for good reason.
The core i3 range is purely dual core whereas i5 & i7 have 4 core processors.
This is why people generally assume i3 to be the lower of the series.
it’s possible for you to work just as effectively with an i3 as you would with an i7.
Like we just mentioned, a GHz number doesnt define efficiency and thus, we need to look deeper.
2.4GHz means 2,400,000,000 clock cycles.
Thus, the more the GHz the faster the processor and this is where Turbo Boost gains prominence.
Turbo Boost is not related to the clock speed as the name would suggest.
Cache Memory
The efficiency of a processor though is also dependent on its cache memory storage.
Hyper Threading
This next concept is a little more complicated and confusing as well.
A thread in computing terminology, is a set of instructions that the processor executes.
One core can execute only one thread at a time.
Hyper Threading however, divides one physical core into 2 logical cores.
Thus allowing the processor to run double the amount at the same time.
However, the confusing aspect of this concept, is that the middle layer i5 series lacks it.
Thus an i3 processor at times can end up being as useful as an i5 processor.
The Lettering
In addition, Intel also uses serial numbers on all their models.
Along with this, they also have letters that signify specialized uses.
source: www.techworm.net
