Mobile Core i3 vs i5 vs i7: Showdown In Your Laptop

While the new Core brand products in the i3, i5, and i7 brands came out for the desktop first, they are now also available in laptops. The parts which are placed into laptops are often different from the desktop parts, however.

This guide to the mobile versions of the Core i3, i5, and i7 processors breaks down the CPU lines so that you know which features each processor offers and decide on the best laptop processor for your needs.

This article has been updated to include the new second-generation "Sandy Bridge" Core i3/i5/i7 processors. That information is on the second page. Those are the latest processors available from Intel and quicker than the originals listed below, but you can still find the originals as manufacturers/retailers get through stock.

Based on the Arrandale design, which is a mobile version of the desktop Westmere products, the Core i3 500 series processors are the entry level mobile processor. They are dual core processors clocked between 2.13 and 2.26 GHz.

These processors do have hyper-threading, but they do not have Intel's Turbo Boost. They include an integrated graphics processor and 3 megabytes of L3 cache. While the Core i3 processors are entry level, they still have respectable performance.

A special processor sub-set of the Core i5, this processor has a U added to its name to indicate it is ultra-low voltage. Currently there is only one processor of this type. It is a dual core processor with a clock speed of 1.06 Ghz. It includes hyperthreading and a very aggressive variant of Turbo Boost, although OEMs using the Core i5 ultra-low voltage processors will probably put caps on how aggressive Turbo Boost can be when the laptop is on battery power.

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These processors are dual core processors with hyper-threading and Turbo Boost. The Turbo Boost feature is less aggressive on the 400 series processors. All of these processors include an integrated graphics processor and 3 megabytes of L3 cache. Performance is very good, and the higher end Core i5 processors are probably the fastest processors you'll find in sub-$1000 dollar laptops.

Like the i5 U series processor, the Core i7 600 ultra-low voltage processors fill are meant for products with long battery life. These are Arrandale processors with clock speeds from 1.06 to 1.2 Ghz.

These dual core processors include hyper-threading and Turbo Boost. Their Turbo Boost is the most aggressive of any Turbo Boost on any mobile Core processor except the Core i7 Extreme, but will probably be capped by OEMs when the laptop is on battery in order to maximize battery life. All of these processors include an integrated graphics processor.

The Core i7 600 series actually consists of two separate model types, those being low voltage and standard voltage. The low voltage products have a L attached to their model names.

Besides power draw, however, these models are basically the same. They have clock speeds ranging from 2 to 2.66 Ghz. They are dual core processors with Turbo Boost and hyper-threading. The Turbo Boost feature is just slightly more aggressive on the low voltage products than the standard voltage ones. These processors all have 4 megabytes of L3 cache. Also, all of these processors include an integrated graphics processor.

On the next page: Intel's new mobile quad-cores.