Core i7-2657M (1.6GHz to 2.7GHz) on m11x????

While reading reviews on m11x R3, I realise that many sites are saying R3 is getting 3 different choices of CPU;

- Intel Core i5-2537M (1.4GHz to 2.3GHz),
- Core i7-2617M (1.5GHz to 2.6GHz) and
- Core i7-2657M (1.6GHz to 2.7GHz)

I don't seem to find Core i7-2657M on any options. Any ideas?

Cheers!

 

The 2657M is conveniently missing from the configuration page despite review units having them. What this means is that the reviews are showing more performance then users will be receiving in their R3s.

 

I think that Core i7-2657M will be able on the middle of May

 

Wow.

"Thud".

 

Woh, guess I should hold off for now.... Hopefully it will be available.

 

Based on what?

The R3 speculation just won't die, even after the release .

 

at May, most of the coupons will be expired by Dell... (just like the old versions of any Alienware laptops) after that, there will be a new coupons, but less discount (they won't let you get 400$ discount for a newer i7... I don't know, but that's their way to earn more money :S)

 

So speculation says it will arrive in May? Fine.

The R3 needs the 2657M so what's another month(s?) between friends anyway?

 

Everything I've experienced from Sandy Bridge CPU's is the top clock speed isn't all that important because it only peaks there for a very short time, then it runs down to 0.1 to 0.4GHz from minimum depending on the situation. For gaming, you're better off saving your money and going for the i5-2537. Chances are they are the same chip, just one binned with higher minimum clock and at similar load will perform the same. There's no added feature benefits between the two either except IGP is 900, 950, 1000MHz respectively. Even less of importance going from i7-2617 to i7-2657 since there's only 100MHz difference with both bottom and top end of the clocks.

http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=54619,54616,54615

With my i7-2720QM @ 2.2-3.3GHz, it will peak at 3.2GHz for a few seconds then run at 3.0GHz. Add a couple more threads and it will drop to 2.7-2.8GHz, four threads and 2.5-2.6Hz, and 8 threads, 2.4-2.5 GHz.

 

Do you really think the newer i7 will be significantly better than the current?

The thread you listed compares the current r2 i5 tweaked against what the standard i7 is projected to be right? So if there is little difference between those two, what makes you think there will be a significant difference between the i7s?

Not flaming, legit question

 

friends you mean?


- Core i5-2537M (1.4GHz to 2.3GHz)
VVVVVVVVVVVV Adding 200$ for:
- Core i7-2617M (1.5GHz to 2.6GHz)
VVVVVVVVVVVV Adding 100/150$ for:
- Core i7-2657M (1.6GHz to 2.7GHz)


- Core i7-2657M (1.6GHz to 2.7GHz) NOT WORTH THE MONEY!! ITS ONLY 100MHZ MORE FASTER.... THAT'S IT!!!! - Core i7-2657M (1.6GHz to 2.7GHz) AND - Core i7-2617M (1.5GHz to 2.6GHz) HAS THE SAME PERFORMANCE!! (I7-2657M 2~5% MORE POWER... NOT WORTH 100/150$!!!!)

 

It's 100mhz extra but it's definitely throttling at load. The thread I linked shows this- Sandy Bridge is 15-30% faster clock for clock in CineBench and yet it's being beaten at a supposedly similarly clocked R2 i7. The link shows a tweaked R2 i7 on the left and the R3 2657M on the right.

I can't say if there is a significant different when both are throttling- let's wait for the user reviews of the 2617M to see if there is any significant different between them.

Friends I mean everyone waiting for the R3 should each other very well by now.

You make the 2657M look like a cheaper upgrade then the 2617M and then go in the opposite direction.

 

I agree. For gaming purposes especially, not really even worth going with the i7-2617m. Granted with the current coupons ,might as well, about only way you get to the $1459 price to get the discounts unless you opt for an extravagant warranty.

 

It is cheaper, go to Intel's web site, check each CPU, and see the prices.

You are wrong, i7-2617 is better because it has more then 100 Mhz speed, and its 4M (newer, better) not like the i5 (with 3M)

 

Anyone have an idea how each chip set affects battery life?

 

The i5 is abit of a mystery but if we knock off 20% of the 2657M to get a rough idea of i5 performance then it's not pretty.

The 2657M costs more then the 2617M. You're saying it costs less.

 

No, I said, when Dell's will offer it on the laptop, between 2657M and 2617M, you will have to add 100~150$ to get the 2657M instend the 2617M.

 

Noone knows for sure. The differences in clockspeed are minor enough for it to not be noticeable.

Oh I see. The 2657M option still looks like the option for some kind of R3 superiority- the 2617M could be matched or beaten by an R2 i7 166. That is unless both CPUs throttle the same, then it's worthless.

 

What do you mean by throttle?

 

By throttle I mean they reduce the clockspeed due to heat or power. Here, both CPUs may throttle to similar clockspeeds.

 

Ah yes, I know about reducing clockspeed. But does it throttle to lower than the default speed (1.6 GHz)? Did I miss some data you provided?

 

It doesn't work that way. I can guarantee you when taxed with the same task they will perform +/- 100MHz within each other, except for single threaded app. Not sure that it will give more than a 1-2 FPS benefit in the most taxing game anyhow.

Games won't benefit from 3MB or 4MB cache either.

Plus running at 1.5 or 1.6GHz will probably consume more power (i.e. consume more battery) than 1.4GHz when "idle" or running basic desktop stuff. But at load the performance will be similar.

i5-2537m = max 2.0GHz with 2 cores active / max 2.3 GHz with 1 core active
i7-2617m = max 2.3GHz with 2 cores active / max 2.6 GHz with 1 core active
i7-2657m = max 2.4GHz with 2 cores active / max 2.7 GHz with 1 core active

Note these are max theoretical, when in reality it will spike to that speed for a couple seconds at best and then throttle down somewhere well below the max. Chances are the i5 will run closer to its max speed than the i7's. Same chip, binned with a different designator. Intel marketing at its finest.

Just trying to help people from shelling out for an unnecessary expense. Up to buyer to decide obviously, but don't think the i7 is worth $200 unless you get it for "free" like with the current promotions going with ~ $400 off with coupons.

 

I think DavyGT is referring to what I like to call Turbo throttling. The 2617 and 2657 have the same turbo TDP limit so when fully loaded, both might run at pretty much the exact same speed. The amount of turbo boost will be adjusted to keep the CPU within its TDP limit. A peak difference of 100 MHz between the 2617 and 2657 is going to be hard to notice in any real world application anyhow.

 

heres a side by side by side comparison of the three

Here are the highlighted differences (left is 2657, middle is 2617, right is 2537)

Clock Speed 1.6 GHz 1.5 GHz 1.4 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency 2.7 GHz 2.6 GHz 2.3 GHz

Cache 4 MB 4 MB 3 MB

Bus/Core Ratio 16 15 14

Tray 1ku Budgetary Price $317.00 $289.00 $250.00

Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency 1 GHz 950 MHz 900 MHz

From this I would take a stab and say that the 2657 is not going to be noticeably faster than the 2617. I would also say that if a difference exists between the three, it would be most pronounced between 2617 and 2537, since there is a 300 mhz increase in max frequency, and a 1mb increase in cache.

Whether or not that translates into practical increases in performance is yet to be completely determined. But I would say that if I were an R2 owner, or had the i5 version of the R3, I could rest easy knowing that I'm not even close to being out of the market in terms of having the top performance possible.

And yes, the main reason I got the i7 was because of the coupon. I will upgrade RAM and HD at later dates

 

Yes, according to NotebookCheck this can happen:

 

is that the optimus?

 

No, that is throttling which is the CPU slowing down.

 

Weird how it throttled the CPU down that much, must be a glitch. My machine will do that when I run on battery, but never on AC and I ran Prime overnight and furmark a few hours after I got my laptop.

 

uh... the M11X not worth it any more... now in full price (no more -350$)

 

That's not a glitch. That's the way these Core i ULV CPUs are designed- with low Turbo power limits. The harder and longer the stress, the more it throttles.

 

Not under load they don't, they have lower and upper limits that it should throttle to under load. It will only go lower if it is power constrained like on battery. There's a reason there's a minimum clock speed.

And I was referring to my 17" laptop with i7-2720QM. It has CPU range of 2.2GHz to 3.3GHz. Although at idle or on battery it will run at 800Mhz. But apply any kind of load and it will run minimum 2.2GHz.

 

There is turbo throttling where the amount of turbo boost can be reduced to zero so you are left running at the default multiplier, especially when overclocking. This is what happened in the original Ultra Low Voltage Core i mobile CPUs but I don't know if the new 2nd generation Sandy Bridge CPUs will throttle turbo boost down this much at full load.

I believe in the Notebook Check review that the high GPU temperature triggered thermal throttling. Dell uses this method in many of their laptops where a high GPU temperature can be used to trigger CPU throttling where the multiplier can drop down in steps to its minimum. The CPU ended up at its minimum of 900 MHz (9 x 100 MHz) during their stress test because of this.

 

I'm thinking it works like the R2 where Turbo is removed completely after a while. If you know the lower limits, what are they? Stock clocks, no Turbo like how it used to work?