i7 core switching

From the way I understand it the i7 will shut down unneeded cores for apps that dont support them but will it shut down cores for a multithreaded app if it would perform better with 2 cores at a higher clockspeed or is this not how it works. Say a game has reccomended cpu of dual core 2.0 (fallen earth specifically) will 4 cores at 1.6 have more processing power then 2 at 2.0??

 

If the game only makes use of 2 cores (I don't know if Fallen Earth has that limit), then yes, 2 cores at 2.0GHz each is better than 4 cores at 1.6GHz each since only 2 of those will be used. If, however, it does use all 4 cores, 4 cores at 1.6GHz each is obviously better than 2 at 2.0GHz each.

 

Well from what i know is that if the game cannot use all four then the two additional processors of an i7 will not be used. However, the i7 has also the ability of "turbo mode", which means that when fewer cores are used, they are overclocked to a higer speed.

The following picture will demonstrate what im talking about (Even though this is a different processor, it is the same principle)
http://www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk/images/stories/news/2009/09/intel-turbo.jpg

 

[ http://www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk/i...ntel-turbo.jpg]

Didn't work.

So on the topic of turbo mode.. Do you need to "turbo memory" for that to work? I thought it was just for fast startup times, kinda confusing.

 

I believe THIS is the picture in the url.

As for turbo memory, it has nothing to do with turbo mode on i7. It just has the term ''turbo'' in it You don't need turbo memory with i7.

If a game has a recommended cpu of duo 2.0ghz, there is two possibilities :
1. The game can use more than two cores, which means the i7 1.6ghz quad will obliterate the duo 2.0ghz.

2. The game is not optimized for multiple cores and will only run on 2 cores, which means the quad i7 will shut 2 cores down and boost the other two to 2.4ghz, which means the i7 still beats the duo 2.0ghz.

 

Sorry for the incorrect url That is the correct picture! If you look at other threads, you will find out more information concerning the mobile i7s and how they work!

 

The question makes it seem that you are well aware of i7's features like Turbo Mode, correct?

No it doesn't work that way. If the program can use all 4 cores it'll use all the cores(even if dual core with Turbo Mode might be faster on a particular app). It'll be quite hard to make a CPU that can make such fine grained decisions in runtime.

 

Ok so its more an issue of total processing power at any time. If a program recommends a dual core at XXX speed but actually does support 4 cores then the fact that the 4 cores are a lower clock speed doesn't reflect on the performance. Haha it used to be alot easier to figure out how processors perform based on the name of the thing itself, those days seem to be long gone.

 

i7 is faster clock for clock than Core2 anyways, should be pretty close to a 2.0Ghz Core2 clock for clock, and as the others have said, turbo mode boosts the clocks depending on how many cores are being used.

For example; my i7 at stock, 2.66Ghz, will clock to 3.0 Ghz when two cores are being used, and 3.4 Ghz when one core is being used. For that reason it ends the dual vs quad argument, there is no contest.

 

Clockspeed should not be compared equally between different CPU architectures. Clockspeed is only useful when comparing CPUs using the same architecture. Intel has brainwashed people for decades about clockspeed.