Laptop i7 CPUs? Dual-core or quad-core?

[VirtualLarry]

Just wondering about Intel's laptop i7 lineup. Someone I know purchased a laptop with an "i7" in it (I'll have to get back to you as to which model).

I heard a rumor that some of the laptop i7 chips were in fact dual-cores, and not quad-cores. Does anyone know?

Edit: Ok, I was just lazy asking that. I went to ark.intel.com, and clicked on Mobile, then on i7 (non-extreme edition), and it lists the i7-720QM and up are all true quad-cores, with HT. Good to know, my buddy did get a true quad-core.

 

[SniperWulf]

only one. the i7-620m. It's a higher clocked dual-core with HT. I actually want one for my laptop which has a i7-720qm in it.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Why would you want to step down from a quad-core to a dual-core?

 

[Binarycow]

Why would you want to step down from a quad-core to a dual-core?

the amount of heat when all 8 threads running, possibly. I have to say the i7-720Qm is one amazing CPU. I was encoding 3 simultaneous avi to dvd movies, while watching a 720P encoded movie, running a spyware scan, having 2 different browsers open at the same time, all of these activities only use like 76% CPU. Just amazing.

 

[betasub]

Only 76percent? Why can't those apps hit 100percent? (Or moar!1!)

 

[SniperWulf]

copy/paste from my NBR thread:

A higher clocked dual with HT is really close to a true quad. My line of thinking is more (8) threads doesn't necessarily mean better for gaming, expecially when those threads are lower clocked. Technically I will lose 2MB of L2 but gain in a ton clockspeed and thermal headroom. Your also talking about a 45nm quad-core w/HT vs an 32nm dual w/HT.

Under load with 4 threads active, the default clock is 2.66Ghz on the 620m and has the potential to boost up to 3.33Ghz with a single thread.

The 720qm on the other hand has a default clock of 1.6Ghz tops with 8 threads active and can only go up to 2.8Ghz with a single thread.

Playing around with games and benchmarks on my G73, the highest freq I seem to obtain is 1.73Ghz because there are 3 or 4 threads that appear to be active.

 

[Binarycow]

Only 76percent? Why can't those apps hit 100percent? (Or moar!1!)

possibly due to my 5400 rpm hard drive.

 

[Campy]

I'd go for the 620m. It's one hell of a mobile chip

and to clear up the naming. anything with QM after the name is true quad

QM = Quad Mobile

 

[Cogman]

I'm currently using a 720qm and I love it. It is very snappy and really not all that hot. Plus turbo boost is pretty awesome.