is a dual core i7 that nuch better than an same gen core i3 ?

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

As the title says , i am thinking of upgrading my laptop's proccessor from an i3 2nd gen to an dual core i7 2nd gen and I want to know if there is going to be any significant difference , btw the computer is not too slugish , but it needs an boost.

jankerson · Jul 7, 2017

i7's are 4 core, 8 thread CPU's.

So yes there will be a large improvement in performance.

Ecky · Jul 7, 2017

Mobile i7's call be doable duals or quads.

@OP, the major difference is clockspeed. Your 3rd gen i3 will be more power efficient and deliver better battery life, as well as have faster integrated graphics. It's also slightly faster per clock.

Karadjgne · Jul 7, 2017

Chances are extremely good that because it's a laptop, you won't be able to upgrade the cpu. Vast majority of laptops have soldered cpus, not sockets with changeable cpus. Usually the only laptop components user upgradable are storage and ram, occasionally the mobile gpu.

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

jankerson :

I am aware that desktop i7's are quad cores 8 threads , but on laptop's the dual core i7's are pretty common.

jankerson · Jul 7, 2017

RipStiker2 :

Never saw a Dual Core Laptop I7.

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

Ecky :

They both have the same tdp and both are 2nd gen , i was asking if there was going to be any significant difference

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

Karadjgne :

I am pretty sure my cpu is able to be switched , it uses a pga socket , not a bga which is ment to be for soldered cpu's

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

jankerson :

Neither could I believe it until i started looking for laptop cpu's , the reason why i am going for dual core btw is the lower thermal output

tsnor · Jul 7, 2017

For me, it's time for a new latop if the CPU is too slow. The cooling in the laptop is not setup for a bigger CPU, the BIOS processor support might be missing, etc.

re: "..btw the computer is not too sluggish , but it needs an boost.." First get an SSD, 240GB or larger (smaller performs poorly and is small). Second is ensure you have 8GB or more memory so Windows can prefect and cache things. Both improve PC performance. Third is start removing bloatware that has accumulated - maybe create a factory recovery image and reimage your PC.

jankerson · Jul 7, 2017

RipStiker2 :

Won't be much different than an I3 then.

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

Could someone just answer my question ? Will the difference between the dual core i7 and i3 be significant ?

jankerson · Jul 7, 2017

RipStiker2 :

I doubt it as both would be dual core.

Now a 4 core, 8 thread I7, that would make a large difference.

Not sure if your laptop could take the thermals though.

RipStiker2 · Jul 7, 2017

jankerson :

that fits my needs , picking reply reply as solution

jankerson · Jul 7, 2017

Laptops can be weird, unless it's a high end gaming machine, desktop replacement, high power machine and speced to be that way from the start.

Like one of those Alienware machines as an example.

But then those things are very pricey.

tsnor · Jul 7, 2017

Glad it solved.

Another way to get a solution is to go to notebookcheck.com who benchmarks the various CPUs and has data on the difference between the two.

Without you saying what workload you run there is no way to tell if there will be a difference.

The i7 will be faster than the i3 at the same frequency. It will also liekly run cooler at the same frequecy. The first effect is from large internal caches. The second is from using 'binned' parts that are lower leakage.

Net though is a laptop CPU swap very very rarely makes sense. For example, compare getting this complete laptop to the price of a mobile i7: $309 at best buy REFRUB Acer - 15.6" Refurbished Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M - 1TB HDD + 256GB Solid State Drive -

dudeman509 · Jul 7, 2017

Here's my experience...

Pentium -> Quad-core i7 (2670QM). HUGE improvment. One of my favorite computers I own now. The Pentium was horrid.
i5-450m -> i7-640m (2-core). Massive improvment here as well - nearly 1 GHz change in clock speeds. Made for a massively more responsive computer with web browsing and multitasking. This system already had a SSD and 8 GB of RAM, but it was laggy and often shot to 100% CPU usage when switching between tons of tabs, etc.

I say that YES - there is a significant improvment if you can pick up a high-clocked socketed 2-core i7 from the same (or next) generation and are able to change it out in your board. Mine cost me about $60 at the time - well worth the money spent to keep that laptop relevant for another year.

boosted1g · Jul 7, 2017

jankerson :

Look closer. MOST all non-gaming grade laptops are only dual core i7s. Any mobile laptop i3/i5/i7 cpu that has a U at the end is just a dual core with hyperthreading. It is the HQ ones that follow the same configuration as desktops do.

triley · Jul 7, 2017

The biggest difference between dual core mobile i3 and i7 is turbo boost, the mobile i3 doesn't have it. The i3 maxes at whatever clock speed it comes with. Are you sure you can change processors, looking at ark.intel it appears all of the dual core 2nd gen i7s are BGA socketed so they are soldered to the board.

jankerson · Jul 7, 2017

boosted1g :

jankerson :

Look closer. MOST all non-gaming grade laptops are only dual core i7s. Any mobile laptop i3/i5/i7 cpu that has a U at the end is just a dual core with hyperthreading. It is the HQ ones that follow the same configuration as desktops do.

I looked them up earlier.

Lower end machines like you said.

dudeman509 · Jul 7, 2017

triley :

Relatively few in my experience from Sandy/Ivy Bridge era laptops were soldered. Most chips that weren't a U-series came in both a BGA and PGA package. Almost every Sandy/Ivy model I've cracked open was PGA. It became much more common practice with Haswell-era chips.

Karadjgne · Jul 7, 2017

Depends on the laptop model and who built it. Looking at gaming laptops, yes you'll see a high degree of PGA sockets, same goes for any spec'd laptop from Dell etc. But almost all lower end laptops are BGA, especially the HP, Acer, Lenovo etc that are 'pull of the shelf' variety. Which is closer to 90% of what's commonly available. Op's i3 is in a bad spot because it's a low end cpu that's available in many different laptops in the budget range, so realistically could be either PGA or BGA. Without actual laptop specs, only OP will know for sure.

is a dual core i7 that nuch better than an same gen core i3 ?

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