TurboBoost
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Intel Turbo Boost is MIA on new 13-inch MacBook Pro? (update: negatory)
If you were expecting your new 13-inch MacBook Pro's Core i7 CPU to Turbo Boost its way north of that default 2.7GHz clock speed, we might suggest discontinuing your anticipation. Two separate reviews of the laptop are reporting the curious case of its Core i7-2620M processor failing to automatically overclock itself the way it should. Intel's dual-core chip is capable of a maximum speed of 3.4GHz, but reviewers weren't able to get it any higher than its stock setting while testing Apple's latest 13-incher. High temperatures were identified (north of 90C / 194F) as the likely culprit, with Notebook Journal also finding its machine throttled down to 798MHz due to heat dissipation issues. PC Pro theorizes that Apple intentionally disabled the Turbo Boost functionality on this particular MBP model in order to preserve your lap and your pride from being scalded by melting components. That would make sense to us, and hey, it's still a fast machine, just not Turbo fast. [Thanks, Markus] Update: AnandTech's findings contradict the above, with Anand asserting that "there's absolutely no funny business going on here, the dual-core 2.7 is allowed to hit its maximum frequencies." Seems like we'll need to keep digging to get to the bottom of this one. Update 2: We've confirmed with Apple that there are no specific hardware or software limits to block the Turbo Boost function, however we've also discovered, through less direct sources, that the company is providing new low level software tools to diagnose cooling issues with the 2011 batch of laptops. Ergo, the speed limits that PC Pro and Notebook Journal encountered might have been caused by inadequate heat dissipation, which arguably is no less troubling than an Apple-mandated de-Turbo-fication.
Intel Core i7-990X reviewed: best performance ever, but far from best value
As T-Pain once so wisely proclaimed, "it ain't hardcore unless it's hexacore." Intel should have no worries with its Core i7-990X, which has enough processing units to satisfy even the most demanding of hip hop moguls, but it pads out its extreme credentials anyway with an audacious 3.46GHz default speed. That can be Turbo Boosted to 3.73GHz (yes, we are talking about a CPU that can run at 3,730MHz right out of the box) and there's 12MB of L3 cache and three channels for DDR3 memory to justify the $999 price tag. Well, to partially justify it, anyhow. Tech Report and Tom's Hardware both ran this new chip through their benchmarking suites and both concluded it's the fastest consumer processor around, but neither was willing to recommend it as a terribly astute purchase decision. Then again, when has an Extreme Edition of anything ever been a good value proposition?
Intel prices fresh Core i5 and i7 mobile parts
We'd say Intel is delivering its new chips like clockwork, but then our favorite timepieces don't usually leak anywhere near as often as Chipzilla's roadmaps. The now well known 2.66GHz Core i5-580M has finally been made official, costing $266, alongside an identically clocked family mate in the Core i5-560M, which will set bulk buyers back $225 a piece. From what we know of those two, the major difference is that the 580M can Turbo Boost its way to 3.33GHz whereas the 560M maxes out at a humbler 3.2GHz. Both are overshadowed, however, by the new i7-640M colossus, which runs at 2.8GHz by default and will reach 3.4GHz when called upon -- yours for only $346. Of course, should the 35W TDPs of those chips seem too gaudy for you, Intel's wisely dropping a pair of 18W parts as well: the Core i5-560UM slinks along at 1.33GHz and asks for $250, while the Core i7-680UM raises those numbers to 1.46GHz and $317, respectively. Finally, for the perfect balance of power and efficiency, the i7-660LM couples 2.26GHz (or 3.06GHz in Turbo mode) to a 25W thermal envelope. It matches the 640M with a $346 unit price. All these CPUs sport a pair of 32nm cores alongside a 45nm integrated graphics unit and there are absolutely no Performance Upgrade Card anywhere in sight!
Intel's 3.2GHz hexacore i7-970 now shipping
Just this once, DigiTimes has turned out to be spot on with its prognostication. The six-core Core i7-970 rumor we heard earlier this month has now transmogrified into a retail product, and just as promised, it brings most of the goodies of the sublime i7-980X at a moderately more affordable $899 price point. Based on the same 32nm Gulftown architecture as its costlier brother, the 970 will run at 3.2GHz by default, though presumably it too will be able to crank up speeds using Intel's Turbo Boost. Aside from that, you get a healthy 12MB of on-chip cache and the standard triple-channel DDR3 memory controller. UK speed freaks can order one up as well now, clearly a tiny bit ahead of Intel itself making things official, so we'd advise checking with your nearest super-CPU purveyors in case they too have received some early units of this multithreaded code cruncher. [Thanks, Polytonic]
Intel Core i5-580M speeding toward a fall release at 2.66GHz?
The Core i5-540M is still quite rare on the ground, but we're hearing word that Intel is already prepping the assembly line for its successor. A new Core i5-580M has been dug up by the sleuths at Notebook Italia, who say it'll run at a default 2.66GHz and ramp up to 3.33GHz via Turbo Boost when needed. Those numbers compare favorably to the 2.53GHz and 3.06GHz of the 540M, and if Intel and company get their timing right,the 580M should be stealing some of that Core i7 thunder just in time for the back to school shopping rush. Won't hear any complaining from us if that turns out to be the case.
Acer launches Aspire Ethos line with swanky 5943G and 8943G models
Acer's aspirational laptops have a new Ethos to them now, and it clearly has something to do with entertainment. The newly revealed 18.4-inch 8943G sports a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a true 5.1 surround sound setup, meaning that somewhere within its shell reside five miniature speakers and a sub. Processor options range all the way up to the quad-core Core i7-820QM, which offers 8MB of built-in cache and a 1.73GHz clock speed that cranks all the way to 3.06GHz when required. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics and up to 1.28TB of storage (2x 640GB) complete the overkill recipe. The 5943G is basically a scaled down version, offering as it does 1366 x 768 resolution across a 15.6-inch display, a 2.1 internal speaker arrangement, and a merely adequate 640GB storage maximum. The rest of the specs are shared, including a 4,800mAh battery, which should perish quicker than you can say "desktop replacement." Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.%Gallery-88995%
Intel readies 8-core Nehalem-Ex processors for a March launch
Intel's current generation of Xeon processors already represents some of the fastest silicon you can buy, and yet the company's forthcoming Nehalem-Ex-based Xeons are being touted as the single greatest generational jump in its history. To achieve that, Intel has strapped eight cores into each CPU, with a pair of threads per core and 24MB of shared cache, along with integrated quad-channel memory controllers, Turbo Boost, and the pretty awesome ability to scale up to eight sockets -- meaning you could have 64 processing cores in the same rig. Don't even ask whether these chips can run Crysis 2, they'll probably be showing up in the machines that are making the game... and maybe yours, provided you have the cash to splash later this month.
Intel Core presser: 32nm Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs (update: video!)
Intel has just concluded its first CES press event of 2010, dedicated to "announcing" the already well known Arrandale and Clarkdale CPUs. They will be part of Intel's planned 27 total SKUs coming in 2010, including four varieties of Core i3, eight Core i5s, and five Core i7 models. We were treated to a demo showing off a Core i5 laptop CPU running a 1080p video with another video stream overlaid on top of it with a measly 10% CPU usage. Dragon Age: Origins was also used to demonstrate the graphics capabilities of the GPU (integrated into the CPU packaging with these new procs), though the jittery frame rate suggested that sticking to Bejewelled might be a better idea without discrete graphics. Mia Hamm was brought out to do a bit of exercising and to provide us with an analogy for Intel's built-in Turbo Boost tech, which is said to work as naturally and as smoothly as the human heart rate increasing when necessary. Scanning the sheet of new mobile CPUs (available after the break), we notice that the presently popular Core i5-520M ($225 when bought in bulk) and Core i3-330M (unlisted) appear to be the most affordable on deck, with the more powerful Core i7-620M (up to 3.33GHz with Turbo Boost) and ULV Core i7-640UM (up to 2.26GHz) likely to attract the most attention from those who don't like compromise. The i7-640UM fits within an 18W maximum TDP, while the majority of the line will be at 35W, with 25W low-voltage options available too. Intel was keen to remind us this includes the 10W "extra" juice consumed by the chipset and graphics which are obviated by the new integrated design. Paul Otellini has managed to keep some announcements out of Shaun Maloney's hands, we were told, which means this afternoon's keynote (7.30PM EST) from the CEO may have some stuff we've not yet seen. Not entirely likely, but we can always hope. At least now that this is over, we can start prowling the Las Vegas Convention Center and delivering you hands-on impressions of all the new gear coming out with the new 32nm CPUs. Update: we've added a video of the Core i5 vs Core 2 Duo after the break. %Gallery-81982%
Intel's desktop roadmap leaked, with faster i5 and i7, introduction of i3
Just when you thought you had enough gigahertz in your life, along come the folks at Impress to blow the doors off Intel's upcoming crop of desktop processors. In the highly detailed charts there's wild talk of a low-powered "S" version of Core i5 that lowers the chip from 95W to 82W, a new Core i3 line that strips out the Turbo Boost technology and dips into budget-priced territory, and word that at the time of this roadmap at least the Core i9 "Gulftown" chip isn't slated for until Q2 of next year. We could probably bore you all day with the details, so hit up the source link for all the sordid details before we get ourselves too worked up.
Intel's 32nm processors show off power efficiency in informal preview
Craving for some cutting edge tech to go with your croissant this morning? Intel's Clarkdale and Arrandale -- the 32nm chips that cram the GPU and memory controller inside the CPU package -- have been subjected to the discerning eye of the Hot Hardware investigators, and have shown off some significantly reduced power usage. The entire small form factor system you see above, built around a Clarkdale processor, clocked up an austere 28W when idling, and only went up to around 70W under full load, which you can just about make out on the wattmeter beside it. Limited to two processing cores due to the added complexity inside the chip, these might lack the juice to oust Core i7 rigs, but if the laptop parts reflect similar power savings, it's difficult to imagine a more desirable CPU for your next mobile computer. Hit the read link for some synthetic benchmarks and further impressions.
Intel's 1.73GHz Core i7-820 QM mobile CPU maneuvers onto test bench
The middle child of Intel's forthcoming new family of mobile performance parts, the i7-820 QM clocks in at 1.73GHz when things are relatively calm, or it can Turbo Boost its way up to an enviable 3.06GHz when your multitasking life demands it. The PC Pro crew have snatched one from Intel's presumably still warm hands, and have given it a benchmarking run to find out if it extends the Core i7 legacy of dominance into the mobile space. Their conclusion? "It's very, very fast." They couldn't avoid gushing about the dynamic overclocking and efficiency improvements relative to Intel's older generation of quad-core laptop procs, but battery life tests showed you'll still want to keep a power outlet nearby. Read link below should furnish you with more info, should you require it.
HP dm1 and dm3 ultraportables leaked, Pavilion dv8 to pack Core i7? Update: Mini 311 has ION!
Eager HP fans have been doing some digging around and have uncovered details on the company's Fall updates. Heading the pack will be the 18.4-inch dv8, set to feature a quad-core Core i7 720QM CPU, 640GB of storage and 4GB of memory. The processor formerly known as Clarksfield has 6MB of onboard cache and can be Turbo Boosted to 2.8GHz, which should do justice to the gargantuan screen size and included Blu-ray drive. If, on the other hand, you want to be able to move your laptop, there's the CULV-powered 11.6-inch dm1 or 13.3-inch dm3 (pictured). Both will come with 1366 x 768 glossy displays, while the dm3 will also offer a cheaper AMD Neo flavor. Another three models, a TM2 tablet and Mini 210 and 311 netbooks, are also known by name if not spec. While the usual pinch of salt is advisable, a Dutch website already has the new laptops listed in its price comparison engine, corroborating the specs and the expected arrival alongside Windows 7's October 22 release. Update: We've also come across the specs for the Mini 311. Apparently, it'll be an 11.6-inch NVIDIA ION machine, with the Microsoft-mandated Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD spec and a six cell battery. See it in the flesh after the break. [Via Liliputing and Notebook Spot] Read - HP Softpaq update reveals new models Read - Pavilion dv8 listing - €1,426.81 / $2,040 Read - Pavilion dm3 listing - €677.11 / $968 Read - Pavilion dm1 listing - €481.89 / $689 Read - Mini 311 specs
Intel Core i5 750 reportedly arriving September 6, bringing Core i7 friends
Presumably, Intel has been holding back its Core i5 CPUs in an effort not to cannibalize the prodigious success of its Core 2 line, but the chips had to come out of the oven at some point. If Chinese sources are to be believed, that time could be early this September. As detailed above, the i5 mainstream offerings will start at 2.66GHz (Core i5-750), alongside two additions to the Core i7 family, the 860 (2.8GHz) and 870 (2.93GHz). The new parts are highlighted by 8MB of cache and Turbo Boost -- Intel's auto-overclocking system that speeds things up when your cooling allows it. Click through for another slide detailing Clarkdale plans for 2010, which seem to agree with earlier rumors on the subject. Mmm, fresh silicon.[Via Slashgear]
