Intel has announced the first mobile processors based on Nehalem architecture, the Core i7 Mobiles. Previously codenamed “Clarksfield”, these processors are in fact simply the transposition to socket rPGA988A of the Lynnfields recently launched on the LGA1156 platform.
As with the Lynnfields, you get the 4 core Nehalem architecture with hyperthreading assisted by 8 MB of L3 cache, a double channel DDR3-1333 memory controller and a 16 lane PCI-Express 2.0 controller. The PM55 Express takes care of the same functions as a P55 Express.
For the moment Intel is bringing out 3 processors, the 920XM, the 820 QM and the 720QM with TDPs of 55, 45 and 45 watts. On the 720QM, there is only 6 MB of L3. Here are the specs in comparison to the Lynnfield processors:
As you can see, Intel has really gone for it with the Turbo on the Core i7 Mobiles, with a maximum gain of between 1.2 and 1.3 GHz with a single active core. To recap, Turbo is a technology that increases the clock of active cores within the limits of TDP.
The other thing to notice is that the Xeon L3426 does better in all respects than the Core i7-820QM (both clock and TDP), at almost half the price. In view of the energy consumption levels on the Core i7 Mobiles, they will be more at home in transportable computers than veritable mobile devices, so much so that they may well be in competition with machines using desktop components, in which case the Xeon could well eclipse them.
Although the Core i7 Mobiles have no real competition on the laptop processor market in terms of pure performance, we’ll have to wait for the Arrandale, a dual core 32 nm model, to truly respond to market needs in terms of energy consumption. It is planned for 2010, at the same time as it is rolled out for desktops under the name Clarckdale.
