i5-540 vs i7-620

This is just an extension of the thread entitled: "i5-450 vs. i5-520." I can read the Intel charts as well as anyone, but I want to know about "real world" experiences.

Lately I'm noticing everyone choosing i7-6XXs over i5-540s and paying as much as $100 more, and even paying $50 more for an i7-640 vx. i7-620. Yet most everything I've read says 99% of people will never notice a speed improvement.

I am looking at several new notebooks, which offer Corei5-520/540 and Corei7-620/2\640. I know they are all dual core, with hyperthreading and tubo boost and that they go up in clock speed ranges as you go from i5-520 to i7-640. I also know the i7-6XX has a 4MB cache vs. 3MB for the i-5-5XX.

So my questions are:

1) Any other architectural/capability diffs between the upper range i5s and the i7-6XXs?

2) Will I notice any difference whether I have the lowest of the 4 vs. the highest?

3) (moot, if the answer to the above is "no.") Will I notice a significant difference by moving up from i5-540 to i7-6XX?

4) any noticeable differences in heat or battery usage?

 

Funny you should mention this. We've been discussing it over on the Acer 3820TG thread. The discussion starts at this page. http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...info-benchmarks-tweaks-mods-upgrades-296.html

Find the Hendrickson post with the Coresmark scores for his OC'd 450M. The discussion goes on for the next couple of pages between he and I.

The bottom line is that the difference in stock CPU's between the I5-540M and the I7-620M are not all that great. The I7 has an additional cache and is clocked higher.

The Acer 3820TG was made in very small quantities with a factory installed I7-620M. We have a significant database of performance and temps in the 3820TG owner's thread. The problem is that it is 3000 posts long.

On paper, the decision between the I7-620M and the I5-540M seems to come down to power vs efficiency. The I5 seems far more efficient than the I7. In application, the I7 seems to run hot. To its credit, even at temps in the mid-90C range, the CPU does not throttle. If you need the power, the I7 is the way to go, if you need efficiency, the I5-540M is the way to go.

Where the discussion gets intersting is if the CPU in your unit can be OC'd. Some of the 3820TG's have shown the ability to be OC'd with SetFSB. Unfortunately, mine does not. I have the wrong clockgen on my motherboard and I get nothing but PLL error.

Anyway, so far, we have tested I7-620M's and I5-450M's and the 450's show an incredible performance increase through OC'ing. As you can see from Hendrickson's chart of the Coresmark scores, the I7 scores 45 secs. in the benchmark, while the OC'd 450M scores 30 secs. That is a 70% increase in performance over the I7's factory clocks.

The I7's that have been OC'd do not show anywhere near the same performance gains. We're not quite shure why? It doesn't seem to be temp realted, but the I7's have a hard time remaining stable as you push up the clocks in SetFSB.

From what we're read, the I5-520M and 540M OC much like the 450M. The 540M has achieved a stable OC at 3.9ghz. We don't think the I7 can get anywhere near those OC'd speeds. So, if your going to OC, the I5-540M is clearly the way to go. It will be interesting to see how the I5-580M performs when it is released. Will it exceed 4ghz OC'd?

So profound are the performance changes, that I would be willing to swap a new motherboard in my 3820TG if I knew that it would be OC'able. I would add the I5-540M during the swap.

Bronsky

 

Wow! I never dreamed I'd get such a well informed response nor such exciting news as to the capabilities of OCing the Core i5 I did do some reading of the Acer threads, but am not clear as to why some i5-540Ms can use SetFSB and some (such as yours) cannot? I am presently buying an HP Elitebook 2740p convertible tablet so am wondering if there is a way to find out if it can be OCd with SetFSB in advance, or do you just have to try it once you have the unit and cross your fingers?

Just a couple of other questions, if you don't mind my picking your brains vs. hours reading through the thread (it does sound like the Acer 3820 is an awesome machine though, especially for the price; I happen to really want a tablet for various professional reasons). So, in no particular order:

1) any overheating problems with Core i5s clocking over 3.5Ghz?

2) could this void a warranty? Put another way, if you fried a MOBO or something, as long as you could erase all traces of SetFSB would you probably be ok? I know that's more of a legal question, so feel free to pass. Just looking to see if the brain trust of 3820 owners have opined on that

3) any noticeable effect of massive OCing on battery performance?

Again, can't thank you enough. It never ceases to amaze me how enormously helpful NBR members are to each other. (I try to as well when I can )

And, goes without saying, +1 rep for that awesome survey analaysis

 

First of all, extremely nice choice of conv. tablet. I bought the Acer to act as my ultramobile workstation. I do a fair amount of work with satelite imagery and areal photographs, securing, editing and, ultimately presenting. The Acer is a perfect unit to perform those tasks in a 3.9lb package. I also have an Acer 1410T that I was using as a travel unit, that I will be replacing with something more portable, so that I can DL PDF documents, edit them and return, in addition to more pedestrian functions like email, etc. I looked long and hard at the HP2740 and the X201T. my conclusion was that i didn't need something as fully functional as a conv. tablet because of the portabiltiy of the 3820TG, so I decided to wait for the new HP 10" Windows 7 tablet/slate with the Wacom pen. That looks like an ideal companion to my Acer.

Now your questions.

The OC'ability of a chip in SetFSB depends on the absence of trusted mode enabled (TME) in the clockgen of the motherboard. In Acers, these clockgens seem to be randomly installed, depending on the manufacturer's parts available at the factory on that day. Acer makes so many computers, they use many different manufacturer's parts. I just got one that was manufactured by a company that enabled TME on the day my unit was assembled. The only way to work around that is to do what is called a pin mod, which involves soldering a small jumper wire between 2 pins of the clockgen, to disable TME. http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...pll-pinmod-overclocking-methods-examples.html After soldering power and ground wires for my backlit KB onto a USB port in my Acer, I was sure I did not want to tackle a pin mod. One option for me is to change my motherboard and hope to get a capable clockgen. Maybe someday.

Q1. All OC'ing causes increased heat but the 3820TG has one of the best cooling systems of any 13" unit. Those of us who have been watching it since it was anounced in January all thought it would be a great OC'ing device and it has proven its worth. Even though I can't OC my CPU, I can OC my GPU to significantly increase its performance from 7500 marks in 3dmark06 to 9600 marks in 3dmark06.

Q2. Any component failure due to OC'ing could cause a tech to reject a warranty claim and it happens. They don't have to prove it, just suspect it and reject the warranty repair, then it is on your shoulders to establish no OC'ing. If you're going to OC, you have to be prepared for the eventuality that the warranty will be voided, no matter how remote. I would probably be very circumspect about trying to OC a new 2740. I paid $850 for my Acer. You will be paying nearly twice that?

Q3. None observed. I'm sure there is some but it is marginal.

BTW, thank you for the kind words. You're right about the level of discourse on this site.

Bronsky

 

accidental duplicate

 

I can well understand why you would be reluctant to do a pin mod! It seemed fairly dicey just to do the keyboard light mod, though I think that is such a worthwhile upgrade (and so frustrating that few brands still make them available - standard or optional -when they add so little to the cost ($25 is the most anyone charges at retail when it's an option) and is among the greatest shortcomings of all otherwise excellent and well priced laptops, including the 3820. Such a bummer that luck of the draw got you the TME enabled Core i5! Amazing what a difference you made with the gpu though. Did that require a special program, or just using ATI's own control panels for OCing? When you consider having a 3820 with fully OCd cpu and gpu, the result must be in league with a $3,000 Alienware or Sager - for $899?!!

Thanks again for all your helpful information. I do really love my 2740, after going through to HP TM2s and one other 2740 and demo-ing the Lenovo X201t and Sony VPCZ. I am returning my pre-built version and ordered a CTO with Core i5-540 (thanks to you!), 160GB Intel X-18 SSD and HP's 300 nit "outdoor screen" because HP recently began offering huge discounts (up to 30%) off Elitebook CTO orders, plus I have a "friend" in the order processing dept who is taking another $300 off, so I am getting the screen and SSD upgrades, worth $650, for the same price as my pre-built version. Though most reviews would suggest it to be the #3 choice (but close) in a comparison with the SONY Z or Lenovo X201, I got to "live" with each of the three I was considering and the HP is by far the most comfortable, versatile and, compared to the Lenovo, easy on the eyes . (I think the Thinkpad "look" is kind of an anachronistic status symbol. I owned one 15 years ago as an IBM product and it looked the same then, but all notebooks were chunky, ugly pieces of hardware then. Just can't "drink it pretty" enough to live with day in/day out when the 2740 is 90% or more as good as the Lenovo and so much more pleasant a machine to use every day, even beyond appearance - though it's hard to take too much away from the build quality and hardware optimization that Lenovo still leads the pack in.) Though I really wanted a tablet, I do not need one for any professional or functional reason (other than once you use one for a while, you will not want to go back), I had to take a look at the SONY Z since it seemed like such a superstar and I was getting near it's price point with my other two options. To my surprise and disappointment, the Z had a number of quirky design and performance problems and, IMO, took the "thin/light" thing to too much an extreme, making it unpleasantly light to type on other than on a desk or hard surface. It's a great engineering feat but, for my money, I would rather have your 3820 modded for the keyboard back light at less than 1/2 the price. And I really wanted the tablet. Had I been more patient, I probably would have taken your planned route and gotten a 3820 and waited for the HP Slate or one of any number of competitive products due out later this year.

Thanks again for all the help and friendly sharing of info. I'll be lurking in the 3820 threads from now on. Jeff

 

This is all standard warranty obligation rules, ie applies with anything that is modified. If you add a turbocharger to a car (aftermarket) and that turbo winds up causing your engine to blow up, then the manufacturer has the right to force you to pay for the repair. If, however, the cause of the engine failure can't be attributed to the turbo charger, then it's still covered under warranty. Just adding the turbocharger doesn't void your warranty. Things get a little bit more flaky with adding an ECU, but that's a different story - that's essentially like Bronsky's suggestion for soldering on a bypass wire on the motherboard. That's more or less going to immediately void any warranty that you have.

If the OC is what caused the system to melt down, Bronsky's right - HP can say that you have to pay out of pocket to fix it (assuming you want it fixed). If, however, it can't be attributed to the OC, then they'll fix it for you. However, as Bronsky also says, the 2740p is not a cheap laptop - I'm not sure what OCing will actually do for you. It's not a gaming laptop. It's not really meant for doing heavy crunching (it is, after all, a tiny laptop)..

 

I found a remanufactured 3820TG MOBO for $130. I'm ordering it and the I5-540M. Hopefully, I'll get the right PLL and I will be able to OC it. If not, I still have a 540M . Good stuff.

Bronsky

 

How do I find out if I have TME in my clockgen? Thanks in advance!

 

I would look for any information from owners of your particular computer and see if anyone has successfully OC'd it with SetFSB. That will tell you which Clockgen to select. Then DL the freeware version of SetFSB, and try to run it. Here's how it is done on the Acer. http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...rks-tweaks-mods-upgrades-249.html#post6523078 (look for Hendrickson's post about halfway down the page)

If you have a clockgen with TME, you will get a PLL error or your unit will freeze. If no other owner of your computer has been able to do this, you might want to email the creator of the program and ask if there is clockgen that will work with your unit.

Bronsky

 

Congrats! Fingers crossed!

 

Wow very informative: Answered most of my questions related to the difference between the two.

Now I need some help to decide, I configured this two DV7 and with the logicbuy coupon of 250 + 150 from HP I come up to the same price on both give or take 5-6dollars. Very different configurations.

My use:
I don't game on my computer, I do some video but amateur stuff, and I do edit some photos. I multi-task a lot by nature.
My wife will use a few of her engineering programs and I use my firms program to follow the stock market and my clients accounts form home.
I will use HDMI out to watch videos on my TV.
Music encoding but normal stuff.

here is conf. one:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI, VGA] - For Dual Core Processors
6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
SAVE $20! Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
17.3" diagonal HD+ High-Definition HP LED BrightView Infinity Widescreen Display (1600 x 900)
Lightscribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader [For BrightView Infinity Display]
Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
Standard Keyboard
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: August 30, 2010

and here is config. 2:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 [HDMI, VGA] - For Quad Core Processors
4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
No additional security software
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
17.3" diagonal HD+ High-Definition HP LED BrightView Infinity Widescreen Display (1600 x 900)
FREE Upgrade to Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader [For BrightView Infinity Display]
Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
Standard Keyboard
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: August 25, 2010

Coupons expires tomorrow. What do you think. One has more ram and switchable graffics with the i5 and the other has the i7 and less ram.

i5-520M vs i7-720QM

which is a better buy in the long run.