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    Sandy Bridge over i5/i7

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by fred2028, Jan 10, 2011.

  1. fred2028

    fred2028 Sexy member

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    What are the main benefits of Sandy Bridge over the current i5/i7 dual-/quad-cores? Apart from the usual higher clocks, cache differences, and significantly better graphics?
     
    fred2028, Jan 10, 2011
    #1
  2. Althernai

    Althernai Notebook Virtuoso

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    Battery life. The 2820QM gets 7 hours of battery browsing the web on a notebook with a 17" display and a 71Wh battery. There's simply no way you'll get even half of that out of a quad-core CPU from the previous generation, let alone such a powerful one.
     
    Althernai, Jan 10, 2011
    #2
  3. User Retired 2

    User Retired 2 Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    The SB i7 QM processors have IGPs onboard, so can do switchable/Optimus graphics. They're also 32nm tech so use less power consumption.
     
    User Retired 2, Jan 10, 2011
    #3
  4. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

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    Lower heat output (per unit of performance), higher per clock performance, better (much!) battery life and all for about the same price as comparable 'old tech' i5/i7's.

    Also keep in mind the new BIOS replacement EFI which should enable some cool things in the future (depending on the manufacturer).

    A new platform in the truest sense of the word.
     
    tilleroftheearth, Jan 10, 2011
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  5. City Pig

    City Pig Notebook Virtuoso

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    City Pig, Jan 10, 2011
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  6. jerg

    jerg Have fun. Stay alive.

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    If they worked out how to reverse-hyperthread single/double-threaded applications, then this would be a paradigm shift.
     
    jerg, Jan 10, 2011
    #6
  7. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

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    That's not up to the chip makers - that's up to the programmers.

    SB is a paradigm shift as-is (especially battery life and video transcoding-wise - not that the performance/clock/watt is too shabby either).
     
    tilleroftheearth, Jan 10, 2011
    #7
  8. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Yes the main benefits are now IGP for quad core i7s for professionals who do not need discreet graphics, as well as faster clock speeds, higher turbo (to be expected), less power, better battery life, less heat.
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Jan 10, 2011
    #8