NEW VGA TECH

There are two kinds of people who build PCs. The first kind builds PCs to play their favorite games. Building the best Battlefield 3 PC for your money is one of the hottest topics right now and we've devoted a detailed guide to it. The second kind of people is not really interested in reaching a happy medium between value and performance. Instead, their sole passion is building the fastest PC possible. These are the serious hardware enthusiasts, overclockers, and record setters. Since maximum performance is their goal, they invariably choose SLI as part of their setup. For these enthusiasts, Intel's new flagship platform is very exciting.
SLI has been very well served by Intel's existing high-end CPUs. A Nehalem based Core i7 is more than powerful enough for high-end setups such as two GeForce GTX 580s in SLI. But when three GeForce GTX 580s are put to work, the sheer graphical throughput of the GPUs begin to tax even the fastest CPU. In these cases, for the GPU to truly fly, a faster CPU is needed. Intel's new Sandy Bridge E processors do just that.
Intel's new flagship CPU is the Core i7 3960X. With six cores running at 3.3 GHz and 15MB of L3 cache, it handsomely beats its predecessor, especially in heavily threaded applications.
Compared to the Core i7 965 on X58, we found 3-way SLI performance improves almost by 30% in Mafia II, over 20% in Bulletstorm, and over 10% in Metro 2033.
In 3D Mark Vantage using the Performance Preset, 3-way GeForce GTX 580 SLI on the X79 platform scored 42,304 3DMarks, 30% higher than the fastest X58 platform.
X79 also brings full support for 4-way SLI. This allows you to connect four GeForce GTX 580s together for stupendous performance.
All major vendors will be shipping X79 based motherboards in the coming weeks including ASRock, ASUS, EVGA, Foxconn, Gigabyte, Intel, and MSI. Likewise, every boutique system builder is also refreshing their high-end offerings with X79 based systems. If you're looking to acquire a PC with equal parts class and power, the new SLI powered X79 systems from the likes of Falcon Northwest are going to be an absolute delight.
In the coming weeks we will interview the very best boutique vendors to give you an inside look at their new X79 based offerings and the thought that goes into building these highly refined machines. Stay tuned for

Intel Core i7 2649M

The Intel Core i7-2649M is power efficient LV (Low Voltage) processor for laptops. The base frequency of 2.3 GHz is relatively low, but due to Turbo Boost 2.0, the CPU may clock up to 3.2 GHz (one core loaded, 2.9 GHz with both cores loaded). However, this is depending on the cooling and power consumption of the laptop. Due to HyperThreading, the i7-2649M is able to handle 4 threads in parallel. Compared to the similar called Core i7-2620M, the 2649M is slower but also needs less power (25W versus 35W TDP).

Sandy Bridge is the evolutionary successor of the Arrandale architecture. The most noteable improvements is the improved Turbo 2.0 and the integration of the graphics card into the 32nm CPU core. 

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 clocked at 500 or 1100MHz (Turbo Boost). Due to the slower base clock rate, compared to HD Graphics 3000 in 35W and 45W processors (usually clocked at 650), the performance should be a bit lower.

The performance of the CPU should be a bit higher than a similar clocked Arrandale Core i7 LV. Therefore, the performance should a bit above the Core i3-390M if the Turbo can be used often.

The TDP of 25W (includes the integrated GPU and memory controller) allows the use of the 2649M CPU in thin notebooks.

Series	Intel Core i7
Codename	Sandy Bridge
Clock Rate	2300 - 3200 MHz
Level 1 Cache	128 KB
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	4096 KB
Number of Cores / Threads	2 / 4
Max. Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)	25 Watt
Transistor Count	624 Million
Manufacturing Technology	32 nm
Die Size	149 mm2
Max. Temperature	100 °C
Socket	BGA1023
Features	HD Graphics 3000 500-1100MHz, integrated DDR3-1333 memory controller, Virtualization, Trusted Execution, Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost 2.0
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Hardware Virtualization	VT-x
Announcement Date	01/03/2011
Product Link (external)	Intel Core i7 2649M

Intel Core i5 520M

The Intel Core i5-520M is a dual core CPU for laptops and clocks (due to the Turbo Mode) from 2.4 to 2.93 GHz. Each core is based on the Nehalem (Westmere) micro-architecture. Hyperthreading enables the Dual Core CPU to handle 4 threads at once (for a better usage of the pipeline). Compared to the faster Core i7-620M, the 520M features only 3 MB Level 3 Cache and a lower clock speed (CPU and GPU).

A feature of the new Core i5-520M is the integrated graphics card called GMA HD and memory controller. Both are on a separate die that is still manufactured in 45nm whereas the CPU die is already manufactured in the new 32nm process.

The performance of the i5 520M is on average faster than a Core 2 Duo T9500 and due to the Turbo Boost, single threaded applications run even better. Therefore, the Core i5-520M is as fast as high clocked Core 2 Duo CPUs and should handle most gaming and multimedia tasks well.

The 32nm cpu cores of the Westmere generation can also process some new instructions to accelerate AES encryptions.

The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card is known to be clocked up to 500-766 MHz and should be clearly faster than the old GMA 4500MHD. A GeForce 9400M (ION) should still be a faster (especially as Nvidia and ATI cards have a better driver support than Intel up to now). According to rumors, the GMA core will also use the Turbo Mode regulate the clock speed.

The power consumption of 35 Watt TDP (max.) counts for the whole package and therefore it is clearly better than the 35 Watt TDP of the Core 2 Duo T-series (CPU alone). Due to the Turbo Boost, the Core i5 more likely uses the TDP under load than the older Core 2 Duo CPUs. Without any load, the i5 uses noticable less power.

Series	Intel Core i5
Codename	Arrandale
Clock Rate	2400 - 2933 MHz
Front Side Bus	2500 MHz
Level 1 Cache	128 KB
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	3072 KB
Number of Cores / Threads	2 / 4
Max. Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)	35 Watt
Transistor Count	382+177 Million
Manufacturing Technology	32 nm
Die Size	81+114 mm2
Max. Temperature	105 °C
Socket	BGA1288, PGA988
Features	Turbo Boost, Hyper Threading, Enhanced Speedstep, integrierte GMA HD 733MHz,
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Hardware Virtualization	VT-x
Starting Price	$225 U.S.
Announcement Date	01/04/2010
Product Link (external)	Intel Core i5 520M

Intel Core i3 330UM

The Intel Core i3-330UM is a Ultra Low Voltage dual-core processor for small and light laptops. It is clocked with 1.2 GHz and does not feature Turbo Boost to overclock the CPU cores. Another feature missing compared to the i5 and i7 lineup is the AES function block. Each core is based on the Nehalem (Westmere) micro-architecture. Hyperthreading enables the Dual Core CPU to handle 4 threads at once (for a better usage of the pipeline). 

A feature of the new Core i3-330UM is the integrated graphics card (called Intel HD Graphics) and memory controller. Both are on a separate die that is still manufactured in 45nm whereas the CPU die is already manufactured in the new 32nm process. The also called GMA HD is able to use Turbo Boost to overclock from 133 to 500 MHz.

Due to the integrated memory controller and HyperThreading, the  Core i3-330UM is faster than a similar clocked Core 2 Duo (1.2 GHz) in all (us known) applications and benchmarks. Therefore it should beat the 1.3 GHz Pentium SU7300. Still the gaming performance will suffer from the low clock speed.

The power consumption of 18 Watt TDP (max.) counts for the whole package and therefore it is clearly better than the 17 Watt TDP of the Core 2 Duo SL-series (CPU alone).

Series	Intel Core i3
Codename	Arrandale
Clock Rate	1200 MHz
Front Side Bus	2500 MHz
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	3072 KB
Number of Cores / Threads	2 / 4
Max. Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)	18 Watt
Transistor Count	382+177 Million
Manufacturing Technology	32 nm
Die Size	81+114 mm2
Max. Temperature	105 °C
Socket	BGA1288
Features	Intel HD Graphics 166-500MHz, DDR3-800 Memory Controller, Hyper-Threading, Virtualization Technology VT-x, Intel 64, Idle States, Enhanced Speedstep, Thermal Monitoring, Fast Memory Access, Flex Memory Access, Execute Disable Bit
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Hardware Virtualization	VT-x
Announcement Date	05/24/2010
Product Link (external)	Intel Core i3 330UM

Intel Core i3 2367M

The Intel Core i3-2367M is a power efficient ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) processor for thin and light laptops. The base frequency of 1.4 GHz is relatively low and the CPU does not support Turbo Boost for automatic overclocking. Due to HyperThreading, the i7-2367M is able to handle 4 threads in parallel. Compared to similar clocked Celeron and Pentium models, the i3 features the faster HD 3000 graphics card and offers more enabled features (like Quick Sync). However, compared to the expensive i7 CPUs, the i3 lacks VT-d, Trusted Execution and VPro support.

Sandy Bridge is the evolutionary successor of the Arrandale architecture. The most notable improvements is the improved Turbo 2.0 (not used for the processing cores in the i3-2367M) and the integration of the graphics card into the 32nm CPU core.

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 clocked at 350 or 1000 MHz (Turbo Boost). Due to the slower clock rate without the Turbo, compared to HD Graphics 3000 in 35W and 45W processors (usually clocked at 650 base speed in non LV processors), the performance should be noticeable lower.

The performance of the CPU should be a bit higher than a similar clocked Arrandale Core i3 ULV and therefore faster than the 1.33 GHz Core i3-380UM. The average performance of the CPU part should therefore be similar to the AMD A4-3300M.

The TDP of 17W (includes the integrated GPU and memory controller) allows the use of the 2367M CPU in small subnotebooks.

Series	Intel Core i3
Codename	Sandy Bridge
Clock Rate	1400 MHz
Level 1 Cache	128 KB
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	3072 KB
Number of Cores / Threads	2 / 4
Max. Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)	17 Watt
Transistor Count	624 Million
Manufacturing Technology	32 nm
Die Size	149 mm2
Max. Temperature	100 °C
Socket	FCBGA1023
Features	HD Graphics 3000 (350-1000MHz), DDR3-1066/1333 Memory Controller (max 8GB), HyperThreading, AVX, Quick Sync, Virtualization
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Hardware Virtualization	VT-x
Announcement Date	06/27/2011

Intel Core i3 330M

The Intel Core i3-330M is a lower-middle class dual core CPU for laptops and clocks with 2.16 GHz. The difference to the Core i5-430M is the lacking Turbo Boost overclocking and the slower core speed. Each core is based on the Nehalem (Westmere) micro-architecture. Hyperthreading enables the Dual Core CPU to handle 4 threads at once (for a better usage of the pipeline). 

A feature of the new Core i3-330M is the integrated graphics card called Intel HD Graphics or GMA HD and a DDR3 1066 MHz memory controller. Both are on a separate die that is still manufactured in 45nm whereas the CPU die is already manufactured in the new 32nm process. 

The performance in synthetic benchmarks is mostly on par with a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo P8600 (due to the improved hyperthreading). The speed should be at least as fast as a 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo and therefore the i3-330M positions itself in the middle class (lower middle class regarding Core i CPUs). It should handle all applications well, but some demanding games could profit from a faster CPU.

The 32nm cpu cores of the Westmere generation can also process some new instructions to accelerate AES encryptions. In the i3-330M Intel has deactivated these new AES functions.

The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card is known to be clocked up to 500 MHz and should be clearly faster than the old GMA 4500MHD. The Core i5 and i7 models should still be a bit faster because of the higher max. clock speed of the GPU. A GeForce 9400M (ION) should still be a faster (especially as Nvidia and ATI cards have a better driver support than Intel up to now). According to rumors, the GMA core will also use the Turbo Mode regulate the clock speed.

The power consumption of 35 Watt TDP (max.) counts for the whole package and therefore it is clearly better than the 35 Watt TDP of the Core 2 Duo T-series (CPU alone).

Series	Intel Core i3
Codename	Arrandale
Clock Rate	2130 MHz
Front Side Bus	2500 MHz
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	3072 KB
Number of Cores / Threads	2 / 4
Max. Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)	35 Watt
Transistor Count	177+382 Million
Manufacturing Technology	32 nm
Features	0.775 - 1 V (low frequency mode) 0.8 - 1.4 V
Die Size	81+114 mm2
Max. Temperature	90 (rPGA) -100 (BGA) °C
Socket	BGA1288, PGA988
Features	Hyper Threading, Enhanced Speedstep, integrated GMA HD 500MHz, integrated DDR3 1066 memory controller
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Hardware Virtualization	VT-x
Announcement Date	01/10/2010
Product Link (external)	Intel Core i3 330M