i7-3612QM vs i7-3610QM - Is one noticeably better?

Hello,

I noticed that HP offers two versions of the i7 processors:

3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3612QM (2.1 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)

and

3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)

Now I can see the 0.2 difference in processor speed, but is the i7-3610qm going to be noticeably better/faster?

The i7-3612qm is still a quad core right?

Thanks.

 

There should be very little, if any difference between the two in terms of performance and power consumption. They are the exact same chip. I would get the one that is cheaper.

 

They are not the exact same chip. The 3610qm is 10% faster. 3612qm is a 35w quad and the 3610qm is a 45w quad. 3612qm will run better on smaller notebooks but there really is not much difference other then the 3612qm running better in smaller notebooks as it is slightly slower and just about fits into the 35w tdp category.

Also the 3612qm is a BGA I believe which means lower voltage compared to most i7 3000qm's.

BGA Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia

edit:If a 3612qm is cheaper I would go for that likewise if the 3610qm is cheaper.

 

Are you encoding? If yes then microseconds. If no then dont bother unless its super cheap.

 

A 3612 running at 3.5G vs a 3610 running at 3.5G are the EXACT SAME CHIP. You would be hard pressed to find either being pushed to the limit. Similarly, you would be hard pressed to find any noticeable difference in battery life. Like I have already said elsewhere, my 3610 takes about 30W when playing Crysis 2. Others have already said, several times, that the differences between the two chips are not noticeable. Seriously. Please stop.

Alright now go look up what a PGA means. Compared to most i7 lol. Find me an i7 that is not a grid array package.

LOL why did you argue to begin with man?

 

my point is on fully stressed one cpu will take quite a few more watts. Using your logic a basic i5 dual core is the same as a top end dual core when one has less multipliers then the other. Yes its the same ivy bridge architecture but its not the same as one runs at different clock speeds. Its like a p9700 c2d and a t9900.

 

This dude's bickering seriously needs to be dealt with. Andrew, I believe you have your answer? If not, please let us know.

 

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! GET WHICHEVER ONE IS CHEAPER!

 

Either you are trolling or have an incredibly warped sense of "same". They are NOT running at the same clock so that argument is as nonsensical as saying "an i5 and an i7 are the same chip because if the i5 had hyper threading there would be no difference". Reread your posts and see how ridiculous they sound.

 

Um no it would not. Ok wait before I start, great job on reviving a dead thread for no purpose whatsoever except to spew hatred.

Okay back to what I was saying, performance wise they are the exact same. I have yet to see more than 30W of power usage on my 3610. That would mean the chip is not pushed to the limit. The max turbo clock difference between the two is minimal. Like it has already been stated here, if OP is doing something that needs all 8 threads at 100%, then a few hundred microseconds at the MOST is what he would gain. The i5 and i7 are DIFFERENT architectures altogethers. The die sizes are different. The core counts are different. Also, IF the i5 had hyper threading? LOL. The mobile i5 DOES have hyperthreading. The DESKTOP i5s do not. I don't know most or all, but most certainly do not. LOL.

Did I said great job in reviving an old thread for absolutely NO purpose but to try to give your ego a boost?

 

Hmm, why not just use Intel's ARK DB for comparison?

Like this: ARK | Compare Intel® Products

Aside from the speed and TDP difference, there is a small notably one: VT-D for the BGA version of 3610QM. Which, if you are using Virtual Machines a lot will get you a slight advantage/speed.

I am currently researching to see whether I can find out which version of 3612QM one laptop has, *before* buying it.

 

VT-D gives you direct access to the host machine's hardware and has nothing to do with advantage/speed. It's a specialized situation, and on an 11.6" 1366x768 screen I doubt anyone will be doing any serious VM development work at the hardware level. The biggest difference is the TDP, but it really doesn't matter because heat and battery life are nearly identical between the two CPU's. There's also an i7-3632QM coming which is 2.2GHz at 35W, but that's typical as Intel usually bumps most of their chips by small margin (like 100-200MHz) mid cycle.