i3 & i5 low voltage CPUs

Hi,

the last few months more and more subnotebooks have an undervolted i3 UM @ 1,2 GHz CPU, promising a long lasting battery life.
But I have no clue about the performance of these processors.

Actually I have no clue at all about processors. What are they needed for and for what task do I need a good one.
Are these UM good enough for daily usage, such as surfing, watching HD movies and office tasks? Even enough for photoshop or counter strike source?

Is there any significant difference between the i3 and i5? I heard about a turbo boost technology, only supported by the i5.
I have to choose between the i3 UM and the i5 UM, while i5 cost extra 100€.

Thank you all for helpful answers

 

the i5 UM have turbo boost which is sort of free overclock when CPU is stressed... it really helps having turbo boost in a ULV laptop especially in photoshop and gaming. However , these processors are a but underpowered. If u get a laptop with normal core i3 or i5 processor and switchable graphics or NVDIA optimus , the performance will be much better and battery life will be slightly less only. A good example will be acer timline x 4820 which has switchable graphics.. its able to get 6hrs+ on stock battery internet surfing etc... there are many more examples of laptops with similar stuff... but these are the 2 options u have.

 

I don't like Acer at all, so this is no option for me.
I'm looking for a lightweight and thin subnotebook, and it seems like most of them have this UM processors in it.

 

If you want power, don't go for an ULV laptop. Power = energy consumption, which is obvisouly not compatible with the ULV concept. Think of a car, if it has very low consumption, you know that its not very powerful. The Y, is fine for browsing and office tasks, I haven't tested HD video but what's the point on a 13,3 inch screen that doesn't even have HD resoultion (unless you're talking 720p which I'm sure it's more than capable of). If you need more power, go for the S, similar in weight and size, but a lot more powerful. BTW I think it is worth paying extra for quality. The Y has a very nice finish compared to other similar laptops I've seen / used, you know what you're paying for, it's nice and light yet feels solid. Really nice, quality feel to it. If you do decide to go for the Y I would get a preconfigured model, they tend to be cheaper. It cost me about 680 € including delivery (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD) without too much shopping around. I'm sure you could get it for less in Germany.

Regards,

 

Yeah, in my experience they last 6 months if you're lucky...

 

lol... it usually isn't the case... it depends on how u use it.. the other option the Asus UL30 series with core i5 ULV processor and G310M and NVDIA optimus... battery life is better although performance is much less...