Intel Core 2010: Arrandale and Clarkdale

[cbn]

Does the possibility exist a user could disable a discrete video card via windows while employing Core i3/Core i5 660?

 

[Markfw]

Does the possibility exist a user could disable a discrete video card via windows while employing Core i3/Core i5 660?

Even if there was, why would I pay extra for a CPU that had a GPU that I was just going to disable ????

 

[cbn]

Even if there was, why would I pay extra for a CPU that had a GPU that I was just going to disable ????

I would pay extra for an IGP if it meant I could momentarily disconnect the discrete graphic card(s) during 2D desktop for power consumption savings.....particularly if they were overclocked water cooled cards.

P.S. You may think dual core is too weak at the moment but I am pretty sure the upcoming Sandy Bridge will be quad core with gpu on the same die.

 

[Idontcare]

Even if there was, why would I pay extra for a CPU that had a GPU that I was just going to disable ????

Me too, unless it worked in hybrid mode like CB is speaking to in his post, making desktop stuff lower power consumption but allows a 3D discrete card to take over when need be.

 

[21stHermit]

Even if there was, why would I pay extra for a CPU that had a GPU that I was just going to disable ????

Power!!!

For most things we use a computer for: word processing, spread sheets, surfing a discrete GPU is a waste. Besides any of the new Clarkdale CPU's with IGP are cheaper than the equivalent Penryn CPU's. Also consider that the IGP chip also has an IMC which significantly boosts memory performance. Basically you're getting an IGP for free.

 

[21stHermit]

Does the possibility exist a user could disable a discrete video card via windows while employing Core i3/Core i5 660?

Better yet, why not have the CPU switch for you.

As I understand, Intel has over 1 million transistors on Westmere CPU's devoted solely to dynamic power management. Why couldn't that power management block automatically determine which graphics unit to use?

 

[Markfw]

Better yet, why not have the CPU switch for you.

As I understand, Intel has over 1 million transistors on Westmere CPU's devoted solely to dynamic power management. Why couldn't that power management block automatically determine which graphics unit to use?

Yes, but even at idle, those monster discrete cards (compared to on-board) would still take a lot of power compared to the on-board. For real savings, you would have to remove the hardware.

 

[21stHermit]

Yes, but even at idle, those monster discrete cards (compared to on-board) would still take a lot of power compared to the on-board. For real savings, you would have to remove the hardware.

Didn't know that, you can see by my sig I'll never own one. Clearly a more intelligent discrete card is in order. Since Intel is the 800-pound gorilla, they'll have to create a graphics card switch standard. With the demise of Larrabee, it's clear that the need for discrete graphics will not disappear any time soon.

 

[edplayer]

For real savings, you would have to remove the hardware.

too much work

Why not have it turn the card completely off like Nvidia's HybridPower (I believe ATi has a similar product)?


but the benefit is less appealing as newer cards idle/2D power use drops a lot.

 

[Prakash]

Just wondering when will be seeing comparison against other processors?

 

[21stHermit]

Just wondering when will be seeing comparison against other processors?

When the NDA's expire, Jan 7, 2010, . . . ~3 weeks from now.

 

[cbn]

When the NDA's expire, Jan 7, 2010, . . . ~3 weeks from now.

I wonder how many watts the IGP really uses?

According to early spec sheets floating around the internet Core i5 661 has a TDP some 14 more watts higher than Core i5 660...but the only difference is the IGP clocks.

 

[Prakash]

Thanks

Will core i3 have hyper threading ?

 

[TurtleCrusher]

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/PlasmaBomb/1926714_gta4.jpg

^click for image

I don't believe this for a second.

4MB of shared L2 cache @2.5ghz Core2 Quad is most cetainly faster than an Athlon 2 X4 @2.6ghz with 4x512kb independent caches. No doubt.

 

[IntelUser2000]

I don't believe this for a second.

4MB of shared L2 cache @2.5ghz Core2 Quad is most cetainly faster than an Athlon 2 X4 @2.6ghz with 4x512kb independent caches. No doubt.

That's like less than 5% difference there, chill.

Possible internal QPI link speeds on Clarkdale

Pentium G6950 and Core i3: 4.8GT/s
Core i5: 6.4GT/s

This will mostly be important for graphics.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Updated the front page with easier to read(hopefully) charts.

 

[21stHermit]

Updated the front page with easier to read(hopefully) charts.

From everything I've read, the Clarkdale Core i3's also have no turbo mode, only i5's have Turbo Boost. Not sure it's worth much effort to update your chart.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Man Intel has the NDA on these things locked tight . They been shipping since what the 10. Still nothing . Good going guys thats the way its suppose to be . I guess everyone wants to keep getting early hardware. Its hard I know . But nice . Only 2 weeks and Anand is going to lay it on ya . Man I can't wait to read the forums on that day . Not so much here . Because this is pretty well behaved forum compared to others. XS and a few hardcore AMDers are going to get bitched slapped so hard it may knock them out.

 

[Nemesis 1]

http://translate.google.com/transla...ficial&hs=PD1&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1

It looks like Core i3 is faster than the Core 2 quad and Athlon II X4 in GTA IV. This will suprise a lot of people.

I guess I should have looked at this review sooner , I don't see i3 review here at all

Ok now I see it. Not, What are you guys calling an i3 here. All I see is 4 core cpus. . Did they remove the i3 benchies as they should, I guess I should have looked sooner maybe .

 

[IntelUser2000]

From everything I've read, the Clarkdale Core i3's also have no turbo mode, only i5's have Turbo Boost. Not sure it's worth much effort to update your chart.

Updated, thanks. I had in mind to correct some mistakes and add more too.

These are the following improvements to the architecture Ironlake GPU has over Eaglelake GPU.
-Clipping on the EUs to a dedicated hardware
-Early Z to Hierarchial Z
-Significantly better math performance(4.5x?)
-Along with general improvements like larger caches and register files, more EUs for total of 12

Video capabilities
-Dual HD Decode with Bitstreaming

The major issue with the G45 and its derivatives and predecessors were that it performed horribly in certain games and settings.

The first 2 changes will save significant amounts of bandwidth, and the third change will improve a lot for special effects(like fog and HDR). Probably take care of special case games where G45 performed horribly.

 

[21stHermit]

Found this on Fudzilla, is G41/45 Eaglelake? and H55/Clarkdale is Ironlake? This is a 6950 IGP, you can tell by the 533MHz. This bodes well for the higher clocked GPU's on i3's and i5's. Is GF 9300 a good reference?

 

[IntelUser2000]

Yep, you are understanding the codename game alright.

The standard Clarkdale will have to turn out 20-30% faster than the 9300 to be competitive with the upcoming Geforce 210/Radeon HD 4550 based IGPs. To be on par, it'll have to do 40-50% faster.

 

[21stHermit]

The standard Clarkdale will have to turn out 20-30% faster than the 9300 to be competitive with the upcoming Geforce 210/Radeon HD 4550 based IGPs. To be on par, it'll have to do 40-50% faster.

As you well know, no one will be buying or not a Clarkdale CPU for it's IGP performance, lopri won't buy one simply because it has an IGP. Nvidia and AMD/ATI will always have faster IGP solutions . . . bully for them. Their fanboys need something to shout about.

When it comes to the CPU, Clarkdale will have no 2-core competition. Now my only concern is power, early reviews are not encouraging. But I'll wait for the many reviews next week before I judge.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Oh I don't think power will be an issue. The early H55 boards seem to have issues properly enabling low power modes.

http://translate.googleusercontent....gle.ca&usg=ALkJrhheyJvoNwqIlbJJGBUE7YSFmoYncw

There's more people than it seem that will purchase AMD systems because it can offer a decent IGP on such low price levels(After all, this is Anandtech). Most of them will proably lie with the HTPC crowd that wants low power systems. Apple switched to Nvidia's chipsets because G45 was uncompetitive.

Dual cores have big volumes, and having a competitive IGP will sway more than a few.

There's was some post, not sure if it was AT, that said a friend of theirs that ran a computer shop had hard time recommending Intel systems because of the shoddy GPUs.

Now they need to deliver.

(Oh and regarding your link, that's pretty terrible. Street Fighter 4 is not playable under 50 fps for some damned reason, and from the frame rates you can see others aren't playable either)

 

[21stHermit]

Oh I don't think power will be an issue. The early H55 boards seem to have issues properly enabling low power modes.

http://translate.googleusercontent....gle.ca&usg=ALkJrhheyJvoNwqIlbJJGBUE7YSFmoYncw

WOW!!!

I went from mildly discouraged to "It can't be that Good."

Thanks for that link, my Google searches didn't find that one.