Tockl! The New Mobile Intel Core i7's are out...

...albeit only two for now, with the third mobile Core i7 and Core i5 following suit at some point soon, I guess.

This being a "tock" year, with the main architecture not changing (45nm), would a mobile Core i7 fit into where those of us with a Centrino 2-compliant (hah, that's great marketing), as well as Centrino 2's w/ vPro (was that pure marketing, too? I'm actually really asking!) can get some thermal compound, a screwdriver, and put in one of these babies? Will the BIOS likely have to be hacked?

The W710 Thinkpad "Refresh" will be out in Q2 2010, if a recent Lenovo chart is to be believed. Will that be mainly about the 32nm that Intel is so feverishly working on?

 

No, wont work. They are different architectures although built on the same manufacturing process (45nm). The core i series will require a new socket + chipset. So, upgrading with the current platform is not possible.

 

and now we wait until January for lenovo to release a new i7 system while Dell, HP and others are releasing them now.

 

Doubt Dell and HP will release their i7 business laptops until Q1 2010 either.

 

it won't work. i7s have a different chipset and socket type.

 

First-gen mobile i7 (Clarksdale, quad-core, 45nm) appears to have a pretty high TDP (45-55w). Compare that to the rev.2 Penryn, which has a TDP of 25w, or even the first stepping, at 35w.

Best to wait for the Arrandale (32nm) version, which should have a lower TDP, to avoid excess heat, and short battery life. Dual-cores rather than quad, but performance should still be quite good when compared to a Core 2 Duo. Intel doesn't have a 4-core 32nm version listed yet, though I'm sure that will be coming down the pipe eventually.

 

Arghh...I had a feeling, but not 100% sure. I was only asking, as I went from a Yonah (x86-only CPU) T2600 to a Merom T7600 (Core 2 Duo x64 processor) without a hitch on my T60p w/o any problems.

So Intel's Tick-Tock methodology doesn't help me with this, huh?

Dell has launched one i7 already, by the way, in the form of its acquired Alienware division.

Edit: @LoneWolf15: All post-i7's etc etc will have 4 cores, no? The Turbo Boost mode sounds awesome when the chip apparently gives whatever core as much or as little power so as always reach the best possible performance depending solely on what the system and apps need, so it will generate the highest performance at any given point without user interference. Is that about right? Would be nice to have for the QX9300.

 

As a matter of fact, Dell's launched 3 laptops with the core i7.

Turbo Boost takes into account the TDP of the processor and boosts the core frequency of a single core (for a dual-core processor) or one/two cores (for a quad core processor) right until the processor hits TDP.
For example, the mobile i7 820 can change from 1.73Ghz (4 cores) to 3.06Ghz (single core) if/when a single core is stressed to the max while the other 3 remain unused.

 

I'm sure we will see i7's in Thinkpads at a large premium before Xmas, unless Lenovo is asleep at the switch.

Yes, there will be a price premium, but wait a year, and they will be a lot less.

All these cores are nice, and sure, this will help with decoding/encoding audio and video, but what I would like is cheaper memory (esp. up to 8GB) and TRUE 64bit apps, so the 2GB app data barrier gets broken. Then you could see some big improvements in data intensive apps.

I like seeing the i7 in the Dells; I am tempted to switch but I the Studios are a bit hefty for my tastes. I think I will let the early adopters pay the Intel R&D tax, and get mine next year.

 

Lenovo won't update their line until Q1 2010, so you won't see i7s in them before Christmas. They require a new motherboard and won't simply fit into current models.

 

Wow, hopefully Intel will introduce i9 mobile next year.

 

I'd say the chances of that happening are almost zero. Intel's roadmap doesn't have any 32nm Nehalem quad/hex mobile chips. Plus, Gulftown based core i9 hex-core desktop processors are going to be marketed as Extreme Edition units and are expected to cost $1000+ with a massive TDP of 130W, so getting them down to 35-50W levels seems impossible with the current 'tock' process.

 

Here is where I got my information:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3647

My understanding is that Arrandale will be a 2-core i7 with Hyperthreading capabilities, though since it isn't out yet, I cannot be sure that will be Intel's final word on brainding. I suppose it could turn out to be a mobile i5, though I believe all current i5 CPUs do not have Hyperthreading like their i7 counterparts (though they do have Turbo mode).

 

Arrandale will come in i7 and i5, both will be dual core with hyperthreading and GPU (unlike the desktops, where i5s do not have hyperthreading). The difference is like previous generations - L3 cache size (3MB vs. 4MB).

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/07/15/mobile.core.i7.i5.roadmap/

 

Yes, that's exactly what I tried to convey, although your description is better than mine.

In theory, and hopefully in practice as well, this Turbo Boost technology is awesome. I chose a dual-core (T9900) over the Q9000 quad-core because without Turbo Boost, each core would have had a maximum of 2GHz, especially given the lack of software written to take advantage of all 4 cores. With Turbo Boost, all power could have been routed to 2 or a single core, and it would have gone for the Q9000 without a thought.

I looked up the QX9300, and found some info on existing technology that sorta/kinda does a similar thing. I forget what it's called, but I think it was Intel even.

In July, the T9900 came out, and since then, no new T, X, Q have been released. There may have been a P series one, I'm not sure. Is that it for Penryn? ...and Lenovo?

 

Penryn (C2D) is dead, now it's i7 time.

 

I still don't get the more cores don't do anything with current software opinion. Sure, one software won't be able to use all 4 cores, but then you get to run more softwares at the same time. The OS will distribute the tasks to each cores so everything is done faster.

Besides, the same argument can be said for clock speed. After a certain clock speed, say 2GHz, the gain is negligible. Websites aren't going to open faster on a 3GHz machine than they're on a 2GHz machine.

 

Not everything can be multithreaded. Also, while operating systems have improved, they don't always have the ability to distribute single-threaded apps as neatly as you'd think.

There is definitely a benefit to multiple cores --but in some situations much more than others. Video encoding is a very common one; usually encoding apps use multiple threads.

 

As I understand it, 2 cores are plenty for now and for a while. But the quad's are the future of course, but the benefit is rather limited for a good while.

 

expect some great black friday deals as they clear out inventory.

 

Well, I am working on instruments and programming, and I've to say the more cores the faster to get things done, depending on whether you program it in a multithreding way or not. Nevertheless, multicore programming has become much more necessary and easier than ever before in engineering and science.

I thought the mobile workstation (W-series) should be among the first to get the i7 cores. Guess I have to either wait or go to some other consumer line instead.

 

You care to elaborate on that? There're pretty much 2 OSs that people use, Windows and Linux. Are you saying both can't distribute single-threaded apps well? Both can distribute single-threaded apps really well, that it is beneficial to have more than one core. The "more-cores has not benefit" thinking has to stop because it's misleading and wrong.

 

lol, I LOOOVE how you left out mac... lol, this is funny.

 

FWIW, mobile i7 processors are way too power hungry and probably do not offer enough benefits over a mid-range high clocked dual core Arrandale. Maybe if Intel (or AMD) can get the power levels down to the 35W range (low power i7 perhaps?), I could see the benefit of using them in mobile workstations but at the moment, I think it'd be wiser to skip Clarksfield, get an Arrandale laptop and transition to mobile quad core chips once Sandy Bridge hits the scene.

EDIT: The Arrandale Core i7-620M & Core i5-540M are looking quite juicy at $332 and $257, respectively. The former with a clock speed of 3.33Ghz should be able to shut out the low end Clarksfield (i7-720 - 1.6Ghz - $364) in most tasks.

 

While I admit I'm not a fan of anything Mac, Linux/Unix/*nix derivative OS pretty much have the same scheduler design philosophy. So in terms of multi-core CPU scheduler, there're only two OSs in the mass market right now.

 

The i7 processors are as power hungry as the C2Ds for most users (not many users max out CPU load on battery, 45W TDP includes the memory controller, which means it's comparable to the 35W C2D). The only benefit Arrandale has is really the integrated GPU.

Clock speeds aren't the whole story. When Clarksfield runs at 1.6GHz, it means whatever you're doing can take advantage of all the cores/threads, hence it will definitely destroy the Arrandale even at max speed.

If not all the cores are used (say for example in a dual core optimized program), Clarksfield shuts down two cores and the lowest CPU can increase it's speed to 2.4GHz (2 cores) and 2.8GHz (1 core) while the top CPU can run at 3.06/3.2GHz for 2/1 cores respectively. Arrandale's 620M actually runs at stock 2.66GHz (2 cores) and it's Turbo Boost that can make it run at 3.33GHz (1 core), while for 2 cores don't know the boost amount but I extrapolate the value to be 2.93GHz.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=421441

At $364 for the 720QM, I would rather take that if I needed CPU power over the 620M at $332. If I were only a casual user and didn't need a powerful CPU, I'd get the 620M only because of the option of switchable graphics.

 

Core i7 + 45nm process + laptop = NO THANK YOU!!!!

 

lol iGrim. it seems like he gets banned weekly.

 

I thought I saw somewhere that isn't coming back. Must be for good this time.

 

It depends upon what you use your computer for. For scientific, engineering, rendering apps, the more cores means more work done in less time. But do not tell me 4 cores will help out some young lady who types memos and letters in HR.

 

Have to wait a lot to Lenovo to release I7. Maybe.... more the Q1 2010 :S

 

They will release it when other companies release their business line i7s. It should be near the middle to end of Q1 2010 (or else Lenovo will be behind).

 

Huh? Dell already has a Mobile Core i7 available now. Granted, it's one of the Alienware line. Will we see something above the QX9300 in the Core 2 Quad Extreme line? The T9900 is the latest Core 2 Duo, but is it the last?

Is this it for the T/X/Q CPU's of the Core 2 line, or will the next one be an i5 or i7?

Opinions, comments, rumors?

 

in fairness, not many people run OSX on a Thinkpad.

 

And secondly, who cares about MACs? I'd love to see them go out of business.
Renee

 

Dell hasn't released i7s for their business lines and neither has HP. When Arrandale comes out, they will, along with Lenovo. C2D and C2Q lines are dead, they are not making anything more for them. They are being replaced by i5s and i7s.

 

Yeah, but if you tell me a T9900 at 3GHz is going to help her out, I'll tell you that you're lying.

 

Hmm...alright, so it looks like we're not going to see new CPU's for a looong time on Lenovo. That is, if we consider mid to late Q1/2010 to be a long time.

Imma overclock my T9900 then. haha...

 

There is really no point in offering up the i7 so fast for Lenovo, as most people don't use these laptops for game or anything. Dell only would release them in their XPS and Alienware because they are more focused on pure speed and many gamers use them.

The last thing we want is a high TDP cpu in a small laptop package, as the fan would probably run non stop... and make it another T60p with its T7xxx and the FireGL GPU churning out more heat then all would like to see.

Obviously from Lenovo current design philosophy, they are more focused on usability, heat management and weight of their machine, then pure number crunching ability or gaming performance. This is all well, considering the primary market segment that Lenovo tries to sell the thinkpad laptop to around the world, which are the business people.

Most of our classmates and uni friends have not played new release games on our computer since we graduated, since our work schedules are so busy. This is a far cry from the earlier years, when we played WoW, warcraft 3 for weeks on end, and i have failed a couple of subjects due to forgetting to attend the semester final exams....

 

Thanks for the post. Yea, no kidding about the T60p heating up even when idle. lol...I didn't know that the T60p specifically with the T7xxx CPU series, and the ATI FireGL were found out to be the culprits. I had to buy a cooling contraption on which to settle the T60p on, as the internal fan was not up to snuff. At all.

I'm just trying to "feel the market out", and will likely sell the W700's I have that contain the T9900, and then go back to my T9400 system.

Thank you!