Intel Processors: The Difference between i3, i5 and i7
Processors are the main part of your Central Processing Unit in the desktop or laptop. Intel is a brand that manufactures various business as well as high end microprocessors by the name. Though the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 have been in the market for a long time now, many of us still don't know the exact difference between them.
The cores i3, i5 and i7 are classified as low-level, mid-range and high-end performance processors. But the numbers in the name does not represent the number of cores in the processors, it is simply the indicative for their processing powers.
Intel released Nehalem Architecture in 2008, on which all of these processors are based. Common features of all Nehalem based processors include an integrated DDR3 memory controller as well as QuickPath Interconnect or PCI Express and Direct Media Interface on the processor replacing the aging quad-pumped Front Side Bus used in all earlier Core processors. All these processors have 256 KB L2 cache per core, plus up to 12 MB shared L3 cache. Because of the new I/O interconnect, chipsets and mainboards from previous generations can no longer be used with Nehalem based processors.
Core i3s are rated with three stars, i5s have four stars, and i7s have five. If you’re wondering why the ratings start with three, well they actually don’t. The entry-level Intel CPUs — Celeron and Pentium — get one and two stars respectively.
Core i3
Intel intended the Core i3 as the new low end of the performance processor line from Intel, following the retirement of the Core 2 brand. The Core i3-3xxM processors are based on Arrandale, the mobile version of the Clarkdale desktop processor. They are similar to the Core i5-4xx series but running at lower clock speeds and without Turbo Boost.According to an Intel FAQ they do not support Error Correction Code (ECC) memory.
Core i5
Core i5 processors have an 8 MB L3 cache, a DMI bus running at 2.5 GT/s and support for dual-channel DDR3-800/1066/1333 memory and have Hyper-threading disabled.New feature add Turbo Boost Technology maximizes speed for demanding application, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload- more performance when you need it the most.
Core i7
The Core i7 brand remains the high-end for Intel's desktop and mobile processors, featuring the Sandy Bridge models with the largest amount of L3 cache and the highest clock frequency. Most of these models are very similar to their smaller Core i5 siblings. The quad-core mobile Core i7-2xxxQM/XM processors follow the previous "Clarksfield" Core i7-xxxQM/XM processors, but now also include integrated graphics.
