Intel Core i7-720QM VS Intel Core i7-3520M

Hi,

I need to know which will give the best performance in everything.

1) I like to play games but here I'm only talking about processor, I do not care about the integrated graphics
2) I use mostly my computer for programming in C++/Java and to compile often the Android Open Source Project.

The oldest one is a Quad Core 1.8GHz and the newest a Dual-Core 2.9GHz

Thanks you, here are the link with detailled specs

3520M : ARK | Intel® Core
720QM : ARK | Intel® Core

What does it means a Turbo Speed? I do have a laptop with a 720QM and can't seem to go over 1800MHz frequency.

 

Turbo Speed means the maximum frequency that the CPU will reach given thermal headroom. Early versions of this (Nehalem) only used Turbo a little bit. With Sandy and Ivy Bridge (the 3520M is Ivy), the CPUs tend to operate well above the nominal frequency (though not quite at the max Turbo one) given adequate cooling.

Regarding your question: the 3520M is better at everything. It will win by a lot in single and dual threaded tasks and by less in fully multi-threaded ones, but it will always win. The 720QM is a rather pitiful thing resulting from Intel's attempt to stuff a server architecture (Nehalem) into a laptop. They managed it, but the clock speed is so low that even by the next generation, the dual-core CPUs were probably a better choice. The 3520M is three generations ahead so there is no real competition.

 

Thanks for answering

Does it mean when I will check in CPU-Z and stress test cpu, the frequency will be using the turbo in the new generation?

Are you sure it will win at everything? Could you provide me some explanation, I wish I would be able to read these page informations properly, in my head it sounds like

720QM VS 3520M
4 Cores * 1.8GHz > 2 Cores * 2.9GHz

I wish I could also understand what means the L1,L2,... Caches. How does it improve? What does the multiplier and 'Thread' are they like 'virtual' core? If yes are they as meaningful?

Thanks

 

Yes, if you use a sufficiently recent version of CPU-Z, you should see the Turbo clock speeds.

Yes, I am sure. First of all, the 720QM's base speed is not 1.8GHz, it's only 1.6GHz (it wouldn't matter even if it was 1.8GHz, but it's not). Second, here are the full Turbo specs of the two CPUs:

720QM: 1.6GHz base, 2.8/2.4/1.73/1.73 GHz with 1/2/3/4 cores active
3520M: 2.9GHz base, 3.6/3.4 GHz with 1/2 cores active

Now, if they had the same architecture, then you would be correct: in a scenario where four cores are used, the 720QM would win. However, the architectures are not the same. The 720QM is Clarksfield (the laptop version of Nehalem) while the 3520M is Ivy Bridge. Ivy is three generations newer (Arrandale, then Sandy Bridge, then Ivy) so it's hard to say exactly by how much it is better than Clarksfield, but it has to be at least 25%. This means that even with the worst possible cooling for the 3520M (i.e. no Turbo) and the best possible cooling for the 720QM (i.e. it always runs at 1.73GHz), the 3520M wins: 1.73 * 4 = 6.92 < 7.25 = 1.25 * 2.9 * 2. In reality, the advantage is significantly larger than that because Ivy tends to use Turbo more. You can see some benchmarks at this site -- just type
i7-3520M i7-720QM
into the search box, select your benchmarks, click on "or" and restrict.

Cache is a very small, but extremely fast storage used by the CPU (much faster than RAM). Each level is larger, but slower than the last (that is, L1 is faster than L2 and L2 is faster than L3). It matters mostly in server-grade applications; if you don't know what it is, it probably won't affect you. The multiplier is one of the parameters that determines the clock speed. Threads are indeed related to virtual cores. Whether they are meaningful depends on your application -- for my work, hyperthreading results in about a 30% effect, but for some people it makes no difference at all.

 

Thanks again

2 More question

The 3520 doesn't always win on this picture, what are those loss ? Anything to do with the speed?


Right now, building the Android Open Source Project it takes around 5 hours with an Intel Core i7-720QM (and yes it is working with the 4 Cores running at 100%), is it going to be much faster with the i7-3520? If this can't really be answered, by how much faster would you say this processor is then my i7 ?

Thanks
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Be careful while looking at benchmarks, those might be expressed as a score or as time. For example, wPrime returns the time it took to run the calculations so in that case, lower is better while cinebench returns a score where higher is better.

As for how much faster, it depends on the workload somewhat, but you could always take the benchmark scores as a basis and do the math, but the % will vary from benchmark to benchmark, for wPrime, 37% faster.

 

Awesome So it really win in all case :O I was scared to switch computer from a 720QM to a 3520M.

Just to confirm everything the 3520M will be faster in ALL case right?

How many times would you say it is faster? Maybe twice?

Thanks

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See my edit, it depends on what you do, but it will be faster all around, might be 20% in some cases, 50% in others, but it'll still be faster. For anything single threaded, you will definitely notice the difference. Ivy Bridge is a pretty nice boost over Clarksfield, my i7-3720qm completely destroys my i7-920xm, higher clock speed and faster clock for clock.

 

Alright! Thanks you I was lookong for a Macbook Pro 13 inch but I wish it would be a Quad Core instead


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Given Apple's track record with cooling, it would likely catch on fire in their current 13" chassis.

 

Really? I thought their macbook pro were known to not heat? :O

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They do not overheat, but that isn't to say that they don't run hot.

EDIT: I haven't seen the numbers for the latest 13", but the retina 15" runs hot and i'm still traumatized from seeing a Penryn core 2 duo run at over 80C (still well within acceptable range, but those were know to run cool) in a 13" MBP.

 

Haha I see overheating is one of the cause I will switch laptop, my Dell Studio 1558 keep overheating every 8 months because of dusts, I have to take it appart to clean the fan but it sucks because I always use it on the same desk which I clean really often :/ 720QM heats too much for a laptop

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Dust is a laptop's #1 enemy regardless of the model, they all need some measure of cleaning eventually.

 

All anyone has to do is go to youtube and enter the search terms "macbook cook egg". It doubles as a grill!

 

Yeah but some are easier to clean xD Dell Studio 1558 : Take a part the whole computer to remove the motherboard to get the fan access in the back :/

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If you plan on doing serious android work I would suggest investing in a desktop environment with an I7 or even a quad I5 if budget is an issue, and get a lightweight cheap laptop. Ssh into that sucker and compile away.

If the above situation is too much work/hassle/not feasible for whatever reason, invest in a quad core mobile I7. Compiling the entire android environment with 4 cores (8 threads) will tremendously boost your productivity. The dual core I7 will be faster than the 720qm no doubt, but for compiling large repos it will still be limited to 2 cores (4 threads).

Case in point, my sandy bridge I7 tackles aosp right under 30 minutes on a fresh compile, 10-15 minutes thereafter depending on changes. That's with make -j 8 flag and compilation directly in RAM. I can't imagine a dual core processor finishing it in under an hour. With an ivy bridge quad I7 mobile CPU I'd expect 20-30 minute compile times are very feasible.

Going back to my desktop suggestion, one of my buddies (a maintainer of evervolv) finishes a full clean make in 7 minutes with his ivy I7 3770k overclocked. You can build a legitimate system for under a grand and still have room for a $300-500 laptop.

Anyways. Good luck! Come upgrade time for myself this will be my plan

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Thanks !

Well, my 720QM Compiles it in 5h 0o It is really really long. How long (approximatively) for the 3520M Dual-Core?

How long would it be with a 3615QM (Quad) or 3720QM(Quad) ?

According to these picture, wich is the best between the 3520M and 3615QM? They both win in different tests :S



Thanks |

 

As I said above, if sole purpose is to compile aosp then you ought to get quad core. For multi-threaded tasks (ie compiling large repos as aosp) the boost is proportional to number of cores as it can do more jobs. I also answered these questions in my first post: Either of those quad ivy bridge CPUs can handle in less than 30 minutes given good setup (OS, SSD, RAM, etc). I can't imagine a dual core CPU compiling in under an hour, but I don't have hands on experience with this particular one. There is simply too many packages to build with limited to 2 cores.

For compiling small java and c++ projects, any of your listed CPUS will handle the same, as far as you will be able to tell. Meaning, they will all compile so fast you won't even know, with differences in milliseconds.

Also, if I can suggest. Stop looking at synthetic benchmarks.

Lastly, if you have not deduced my bias, quad core is simply, hands-down better if your purposes are for compiling android repo and tasks that are multi-threaded (beyond 4 threads). However, for example, I would never suggest a quad core CPU for one of my clients who just use web browser and basic productivity software (word processor, spread sheets, email, etc). And even then I would not recommend the more expensive I7 dual core. An I5 is plenty good for an overwhelming majority of the population. This is based on my personal experience through my job. I've yet to meet a client that truly requires high CPU power (outside of a couple who game, which don't apply to me as I handle their work systems).

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Hi,

Well what I mean is that my current Quad Core takes up to 5-6 hours, if I could get 2 hours instead it would be great too, I'm not expecting a 30 mins build because I do not have the money for a such great computer but I must be aiming laptop :S

Is the Ivy Bridge Dual-Core 3520 going to be better (much?) Or worse in AOSP case?

Thanks!

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Build time approximately one hour.

If you can afford to get an I7 dual core you can get a 3630qm. Usually they are same price or only $50 difference.

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One hour for the i7-3520 :O Amazing thanks

I can't choose the CPU I want, these are what Apple offers

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May I ask why it has to be a Mac? For cheaper you can get a machine with much better Linux support.

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Tired of paying a thousand dollars for a laptop that works for a year and a half. My laptop with the i7-720QM is in perfect condition (physically) and I have never dropped it anywhere or whatever and it is broken. There is not even a scratch anywhere. They are all meant to broke when it gets out of warranty, i'm pretty sure about this. (Motherboard is dead)

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Haha I wouldn't put so much thought into that conspiracy theory. Macs have their share of woes too. My company (and boss) use all Mac computers and I have to routinely do maintenance. Not as often as a PC, granted.

If you are getting consumer grade laptops then you aren't getting best parts. Dell, hp, etc are all guilty of this. Get a 3 year warranty or better, get a warranty for the length that you plan to use your machine. I owned a Dell XPS back in the day and had to swap the motherboard after one year and the HDD at the end of its life (3 years), and with the extended warranty it was all covered.

MacBook is a nice little machine though. Just don't fall for the hype that it is issue free

Lastly, you can get a plenty good quad core I7 laptop for $800-900

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Then, get a HP elitebook, Lenovo Thinkpad or a Dell Latitude/Precision if you want something durable on the Windows side.

 

This exactly

Once my Clevo has put in its time I am getting a Lenovo W series. Clevos are nice machines though with great build quality, but the fancy high-end gpus are too much power for my needs.

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In the end, it's more a matter of OS than anything else, you can get something as durable and even more durable than a mac that runs Windows too so get a good notebook with the specs/OS that meet your needs.

 

Well I don't say macbook are issues free because I would be liying but yeah I had

1 HP: Worked for 2 years
1 Acer : Died one week after its waranty of one year 0o
2 Dell : One worked for 2 years and a half and the other one 1 year and an half

Always the motherboard.. I'm really out of luck and I will definetively look on Apple side because 3 of my friends have Macbook since like 5 or 6 years ago. Yeah I should have took the waranty in all those case but I haven't because I didn't wish to pay a hundred dollars for that but now I regrets x)

Also, I need Linux/Mac/Windows and it is a pain to setup Mac and Linux on my Dell Studio 1558.

1st Graphics Card badly supported (ATI Radeon HD 5470)
2nd Wireless not supported at all in Mac (Broadcom 4313)

Thanks

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Well, if you need OS X, that pretty much settles it.

 

Yeah I guess xD

I'm just scared, do you guys think it will take longer or faster building AOSP on an Intel Core i7-3520M instead of a i7-720QM?

Thanks

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You keep repeating your question amigo. I already Answered this.

Also, linux support is poor in Macs. At least on the iMac and mbp I've woeked on.

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You said in an hour but it is pretty hard to guess for which CPU you were answering

Edit : You meant an hour for the i7-3520 Dual-Core ? Amazing !!
Can't believe the Quad Core i7-720QM get killed by 4 hours with a Dual-Core 0o I thought I had a good cpu
Thanks

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Acer is a terrible choice if you're looking for durability in a laptop, I wouldn't make any deductions on durability of PCs based on an Acer.