Core i3/i5 vs Core2Duo

Hi, got a question about CPUs that I couldnt get a straight answer for just by lurking around... Im currently shopping for a laptop, the one im really interested in Asus UL30VT has a SU7300 chip, pretty much everyone says its fast enough for just about everything, the main reason I like its spec is the battery life...

but then there are many faster notebooks that uses i3 or i5 CPUs, obviously these are more powerful, but the question is how much, for example Core i3-330UM vs SU7300... some say its a huge difference, while others say the advantage is not that noticeable, I've never owned neither so its hard to tell... and of course, whats the difference in terms of power consumption...

anyways i just want to find out if the extra power is worth the extra cost...


side question: im not looking to buy a super awesome $3000 laptop, but im really interested in the UL30VT, which is at ~700 right now, not exactly a new model but has everything that i need, tho with all those new models coming out like envy14/timelinex etc etc, any chance that it'll drop in price in july/aug? i dont need it in a hurry but if its ganna stay around 700, i might as well

 

The reason you get differing answers is because it depends what you're doing with the laptop. If you're just surfing and doing basic tasks, all CPUs will perform the same (they all downclock and downvolt). If you're doing something CPU intensive, then the difference between a normal voltage CPU and ULV one will be pretty significant.

 

The only thin great about the Intel Core i3/i5/i7 would be that it has a IGP thats superior to the Intel GMA 4500mhd that usually ships with the older CULV notebooks. (Unless they include a ATI or Nvidia IGP)
Il take a chance and say that you would only feel a difference if it was a CULV Core i5/7 because they are the only CPUs capable of turbo boosting.

 

The difference between the SU7300 and the new ULV Core-i processors is not all that much.

 

actually , the core i processors are 30-50% better than SU7300... although battery life is slightly less..

 

Most core 2 Duo and i3 processors preform the same-ish. High end Core 2 Duo/Extreme and i5/lower end i7's are around the same.

 

I haven't been keeping up with the new M11x-R2 threads but last time I looked around I remember people with the SU7300 posting benchmarks on the same level as the i5-520UM. Have things changed with a driver update or something?

 

The benchmarks are the same because the cpu's extra performance has little effect on game performance. That does not mean that the new Core i's aren't better in areas other than game play, because they are.

 

They are better, no one is denying that, but are there any non-gaming becnhmarks to compare them to the SU7300 yet?

 

A couple here.

 

But aren't those with the SU7300 @ 1.3GHz? When OC'd to 1.9GHz, like the SU7300 can be in the UL series, they are basically even.

 

Sure, but the Core i5s can also be overclocked in the UL series with ASUS' Turbo33 (in addition to Intel Turbo Boost), so that's not true.

 

But from the benchmarks in the M11x-R2 threads, the SU7300 @ 1.9GHz is equal to the OC'd i5-520UM.

 

Can you link those? I didn't know the M11x offered overclocking for the 520UM.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-r1-comparisons-benchmarks-2.html#post6406146

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...eta-dell-driver-discuss-here.html#post6410317

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/492051-m11x-r2-nvidia-optimus-issues.html#post6357631

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/492232-m11x-r2-benchmarks-7.html#post6363773

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/492232-m11x-r2-benchmarks-7.html#post6363736

There are a few more but you have to dig through mountains of pages to find them. These basically put the i5-520UM = SU7300 @ 1.9GHz and the i7-640UM slightly ahead.