M11x R2 i3: Performance vs i5/i7?

Hi all

My first thread and post in this excellent forum. - Many thanks for the fabulous threads and your research and comments on all matters M11x, which have helped me greatly in ordering one of the last Moon Shadow M11x R2s.

Related to my order, here's a question for you who know more than I do: DELL are telling me that the M11x R2 i7 (i7 640UM 4M Cache, 1.20 GHz) which I ordered needs to be downgraded to an i3 (i3 330UM 3MB Cache, 1.2GHz). They offer me a substantial discount of nearly 20% of the overall price. The only other alternative I'm being given is to cancel the order, and place a new one on the DELL website.

As it seems, all remaining M11x R2 are now only available with i3 CPUs, according to various DELL websites worldwide.

Question: What can you do with an i3 in an M11x R2? Is an i3 still overclockable, though there doesn't seem to be a turbo boost (as I see from other threads)? What benchmarks are there? What are your experiences with an R2 i3?

I'm considering accepting their suggestion of an R2 with the i3, as there is quite a discount I'd get, and because I'm hoping there could be some tweaking to get it up to better levels. Any other new machine, R2 or R3, would be more expensive than the initial price which is already paid.

Thank you very much for your kind and knowledgeable comments, which are appreciated!

 

hello.. u can still oc on bios.. and use davygt setpll to oc further.. but hopeless on turbo boost..