Why is the m11x r3 using ULV 2nd gen i core cpu instead of the full powered cpu?

I can understand the r1 and r2 from the past using ulv core2duo and 1st gen i core but why is r3 still using the ulv versions of this weak 2nd gen SB chips when the ThinkPad X220 is using regular SB cpu and weighs less than the m11x and the battery of x220 6 cell last 8-10 hours?

Now I understand that the m11x needs to weigh more for proper cooling of the dedicated gpu but the thing that bothers me is that why use a ulv cpu when some notebooks in the 11.6-12.5" are using full powered Core I sandybridge and still manage to get 8-10 hours of battery life?

Is it because they can't combine a real i5 or i7 2nd gen chip with optimus and GT 540m? M17x r3 with gtx 460m Optimus enabled right?

So why can't m11x use let's say an i5-2410m or an i7-2620 dual core then optimus.

Need some explanation on this because the ulv 2nd gen cpu on the m11x that weighs 1.5 more lbs than the x220 with the real SB chips.

 

Interesting point. Must be the combo with the GT540M will drop battery life too much. Or it's simply a ploy to differentiate the m11x from the m14x?

 

Alienware has to work with a thermal budget which is around 40-50W. The heatsinks can handle a higher load as shown by people pinmodding, BIOS voltmodding and SetPLLing their M11x but staying under the limit means the M11x is cooler running inside and out. The Lenovo has no dedicated graphics so the CPU accounts for all the thermal budget. The R3 has higher temperatures then the R2, so maybe Dell is pushing their thermal budget already? I know their thermal budget is around 40-50W as the CPU in the R2 counts for 18W and the graphics is 25-30W. The R1 is a similar story, with a 10W CPU, 5-10W northbridge and 25-30W GPU.

It is possible to run any Intel CPU Core ix and up with Optimus, so long as integrated graphics is enabled as the output.

 

I thought sandy ULV is 4 cores? It turned out to be 2 cores 4 threads........
That means R2 and R3 CPU has small difference then

 

Magnified by the relatively low clockspeeds.

 

So basically it is about temperature right?

Makes a bit of sense, but don't you think AW could've fitted something in a 4.5lb machine that would cool and accomodate a real SB cpu + dedicated gpu then optimus + intel hd 3000? I mean we all know the real SB cpu on the X220 can last anywhere from 7-10 hours so we know that battery is not the issue here. Just thermal/temps control?

 

i would almost be sure that it is Optimus related.

the R1 vs the R2 battery life to is a perfect exmp. of this.

i also wouldnt be suprized if Dell was licenced into some contract with Intel and ULVs. which means no matter what your stuck with Optimus.

would kind of explaine the crazy refresh cycles that introduce "newest products" that produce not much more than the last gen offered.

from a engineering stand point its stupid to refresh that often. its the only other reason i can think of.

 

GPU is more important than the CPU in games.

If I had a 52W cooling allowance I would drop to a 17W CPU too so I could stick a 35W GPU in.

 

Only the non GTX cards support optimus.

Optimus hurts gaming performance so Nvidia dont like it on their higher end chips (which get hurt more).

 

Then it'll be too hot or too loud at load. It may also break compatibility with 65W adapters if it consumes more power- the M11x R1 does not support 45W adapters according to the BIOS.

It's a hardware problem.

This.

 

It uses a ULV chip because that's the way it was designed. There's a lot of factors that have to be addressed, including cost, availability, time-to-market, cannibalism of existing products, etc.