The Intel Core 7 Processor

INTEL CORE 7 Processor

The Intel® Core™ i7 processor delivers best-in-class performance for the most demanding applications. This quad-core processor features 8-way multitasking capability and additional L3 cache. With adaptive performance and built-in visual capabilities this 2nd generation processor brings more intelligence to your PC.

2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processors feature Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, enabling required security applications and protocols to run efficiently in the background without compromising productivity.

Today's more visually sophisticated communication needs will be met with Intel® HD Graphics 2000 Technology, integrated into 2nd generation Intel Core processors. This eliminates the need for a discrete graphics card, reducing power consumption and system cost.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

With 2nd generation Intel Core i7 processors, you get the following features built in:

• Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 dynamically increases the processor frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom when operating below specified limits.
• Intel HT Technology allows each core of your processor to work on two tasks at the same time.
• Intel® Smart Cache is dynamically allocated to each processor core based on workload, which significantly reduces latency and improves performance.
• Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions add hardware acceleration to AES algorithms and speeds up the execution of AES applications.

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0

Intel has optimized Intel® Turbo Boost Technology¹ to provide even more performance when needed on the latest-generation Intel® microarchitecture code name Sandy Bridge. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 automatically allows processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency if it's operating below power, current, and temperature specification limits.

Dynamically increasing performance

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 is activated when the Operating System (OS) requests the highest processor performance state (P0).

The maximum frequency of Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 is dependent on the number of active cores. The amount of time the processor spends in the Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 state depends on the workload and operating environment.

Any of the following can set the upper limit of Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 on a given workload:

• Number of active cores
• Estimated current consumption
• Estimated power consumption
• Processor temperature

When the processor is operating below these limits and the user's workload demands additional performance, the processor frequency will dynamically increase until the upper limit of frequency is reached. Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 has multiple algorithms operating in parallel to manage current, power, and temperature to maximize performance and energy efficiency. Note: Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 allows the processor to operate at a power level that is higher than its rated upper power limit (TDP) for short durations to maximize performance.

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology)

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology)¹ uses processor resources more efficiently, enabling multiple threads to run on each core. Intel® HT Technology increases processor throughput, improving overall performance on threaded software. Intel HT Technology is available on Previous Generation Intel® Core™ processors, 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor family, and Intel® Xeon® processor family.

An Intel® processor and chipset combined with an OS and BIOS supporting Intel HT Technology allows you to:

• Run demanding applications simultaneously while maintaining system responsiveness
• Keep systems more secure, efficient, and manageable while minimizing impact on productivity
• Provide headroom for future business growth and new solution capabilities

Enabling better graphics

With Intel HT Technology multimedia enthusiasts can create, edit, and encode graphically intensive files while running background applications such as virus protection software without compromising system performance.

Improving business efficiency

Processors with both Intel HT Technology and Intel® Turbo Boost Technology – or Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 (available in 2nd generation Intel Core processor family) deliver better performance and can complete tasks quicker. The combination of both technologies enables simultaneous processing of multiple threads, dynamically adapts to the workload and automatically disables inactive cores; this increases processor frequency on the busy cores giving an even greater performance boost for threaded applications.

With Intel HT Technology, businesses can:

• Improve business productivity by doing more simultaneously without slowing down
• Provide faster response times for Internet and e-commerce applications, enhancing customer experiences
• Increase the number of transactions that can be processed simultaneously
• Utilize existing 32-bit applications technologies while maintaining 64-bit future readiness