Question by Jinxess: How do the i7 cores (laptop versions) compete with the Intel Core 2 Extremes?
Is there ANY place at all the Intel Core 2 Extremes shine much brighter compared to the i7 cores, the laptop versions, even with turbo boost? Maybe multi-threading and CPU-reliant programs? Any area at all or is the i7 really a complete and whole upgrade?

Best answer:

Answer by bon-gart
Yes. The core i7 processors are better processors all around, because they are the replacements that Intel has designed.

Is it nice that the Core 2 extreme processors run at their speed all the time? Not really, when you think about it. You will get the speed you need, when you need it with the Core i7, but you won’t get the heat generation when you DON’T need it, while the Core 2 extreme processors will be throwing out more heat when it is not necessary, because they will be running far too hot when there is no demand for the speed.

Also, the core i7 processors have included hyperthreading on each core. So, a quad core i7 has 8 processing threads, where the Core 2 extreme processors only have 4. Just as the older Pentium 4 chips with hyperthreading acted like a dual core processor.

The Core 2 extreme processors only shine in desktop systems where you are able to overclock and overcool the system, to get increased performance in exchange for some serious money spent on keeping the chip cool. Then, and only then, can you make the Core 2 Extreme quad core run faster… however, you sacrifice stability to a HUGE degree… hard core gamers with overclocked systems know all the time they risk having a game crash in the middle of intense activity.

So just like the Core 2 extreme is an improvement over a core 2 duo… which is an improvement over pentium 4… the core i7 is an improvement over the Core 2 series.

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