Frequency of Core i5 vs i7

Hello everyone!

I have a question regarding the processor speed of the Intel Core i5 and i7.

I have often come across laptops with Core i7 processors that have a significantly smaller frequency rating than Core i5 processors. This can be noted, for example, in the specs here: http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=bplbQOy6w8myYSq5

My question is: would the Core i7 really have a significant advantage over a Core i5 processor even though the i5 is noted to have a higher frequency rating? I plan on using its power for playing games.

Also, I noted Core i7s with turbo boost can reach higher frequencies than i5s when needed, but would this cause overheating when playing a game for several hours?

Thanks in advance.

 

You won't notice a difference in a majority of games between either processor since most games are GPU bound. Btw, QM denotes quad cores, while M denotes dual cores.

 

To further explain, take this example.
"Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 620M/720QM Processor : 2.66 GHz - 1.6 GHz"

620M has 2 cores normally running at up to 2.66GHz.
720QM has 4 cores normally running at up to 1.6GHz.

Turbo boost should not cause overheating. If the CPU is running hot, the way I understand it is turbo boost will not up the core speed.

 

Turboboost shut's off some cores to have the remaining push it to the maximum.
It is only necessary if you have a single core application that can't take advantage of all cores. In that case you can go for an i5 since it is cheaper.

Check here the performance: Notebookcheck: Mobile Processors - Benchmarklist

 

Or check Passmark for CPU benchmarks: PassMark - CPU Benchmarks - List of Benchmarked CPUs

 

Turbo boost itself does not shut off cores. If there is headroom, all the CPUs can even Turbo boost all 4 cores.

 

if your just gaming, just stick with the i5 thats more horsepower than the ave user or game needs atm