Mobile Core i7 920XM, Clarksfield: Nehalem on-the-go
by Jarred Walton on September 23, 2009 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
Initial Thoughts
It's good to finally see an official Nehalem CPU for the mobile sector. Power gate transistors have the potential to seriously improve battery life, and we can't wait to see that sort of technology begin making its way into GPUs and chipsets as well as processors. In terms of performance, things are a little bit of a mixed bag.
Certainly the i7-920XM is a fast processor; the problem is that it's also a relatively power hungry processor, and without a larger battery users of the W87CU can expect roughly the same one hour of battery life you get with other desktop replacements. As long as you understand you're getting a desktop replacement, however, the W87CU should work fine. The real problem isn't competition from the mobile sector per se, but rather the notebooks that use desktop CPUs - specifically desktop i7 CPUs. If you don't care that much about battery life, wouldn't you rather have a desktop replacement with a $1000 Core i7-975 instead of a $1000 Core i7 920? If you're wealthy it probably doesn't matter much, but the rest of us will need to think very carefully about how much we want a faster laptop before taking the Clarksfield plunge. For CPU intensive tasks, the AVADirect D900F system can easily outperform a W87CU for about the same price (though it does weigh more).
If there's anything Clarksfield shows us, it's that we really want Arrandale - sooner rather than later. Quad-core processors simply aren't a major need for the vast majority of laptop users, and the higher prices and higher maximum TDP make them less desirable. Arrandale should do a great job at addressing both of those shortcomings, and the same goes for Clarkdale on the desktop. Lower power dual-core processors with Hyper-Threading will still have the ability to run four simultaneous threads, and they should also be able to run at higher clock speeds most of the time.
We will have additional benchmark results and discussion of the pros and cons of the various laptops tested in this article in the near future. Considering pricing is similar on all three models, however, users will need to decide what they want most. Mobile gamers will definitely want something with dual graphics capability, and content creators will prefer something similar to the D900F. The question is, who fits in the middle? Clarksfield could go either way, offering a reasonable blend of CPU performance and power requirements. It's almost inevitable that we will see Clarksfield laptops in the future that also offer dual GPUs, at which point we might be onto the next Intel "Tock". However you look at it, high-end laptop users just got some new choices, and freedom of choice is always a good thing.
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strikeback03 - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
So when are we going to see Arrandale? At these prices not so interested in Clarksfield.strikeback03 - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
Also, probably Dragon error:If you're after optimal gaming performance, obviously just kidding, the fastest CPU or the fastest GPU alone won't cut it in every situation.
bottom of page 7.
JarredWalton - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
I have no idea what I was even trying to say on that one. Hmmm.... Dragon at 8AM after working for 20 hours straight is NOT my friend! :-) Oh, wait: "just getting" without the comma should work.As for Arrandale, it's due out in Q1 2010, so not too far off. 32nm and dual-core + Hyper-Threading should be very compelling I think.
strikeback03 - Thursday, September 24, 2009 - link
yeah, just getting is what I assumed it was.So no Arrandale before Christmas? That's too bad.
TA152H - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
Finally a review conclusion I can agree with.Dual core with hyperthreading should be better. I also don't think laptops will replace desktops for gaming. Is Intel crazy? That's just such a strange prediction, I don't know why they would think it's even remotely possible.
I think they should have waited for 32nm before releasing a Nehalem for mobile. Really, they have no competition from AMD worth speaking about, and 32nm could have been done right - with an integrated IGP if desired, and low enough power use that it's not one hour and out.
A micro-ATX setup with a handle, a Bloomfield and a real video card would probably be better for the vast majority of gamers than this one. You don't get true portability, but with only one hour of life, you don't really get it with this either.
The gloom and doom for desktops is always overstated. For one, laptops are really only comfortable for women and weak, pencil-necked men. If you have any size, the keyboard is a nightmare, and none come with the natural keyboard which men's shoulder width really begs for.
On top of this, mouse movement is a pain in the neck with that replacement. A mouse is just more comfortable. Then you have to worry about power, which kind of ruins a lot of the fun with computers - just kind of doing what you feel like and relaxing. Who wants to worry about power? Then, you're limited by screens. Of course, you can dock these things, and use them as desktops, in which case they only have disadvantages (although not as many) in this role, and no advantages.
So, I think desktops will always be around, and always be the preferred tool even if you have both.
I think one reason laptops sell pretty well is, ironically, because they are unreliable, and need replacement much more often. They are also more difficult to upgrade, also necessitating replacement rather than upgrade. So, the reasons aren't all good.
Penti - Saturday, September 26, 2009 - link
To be fair it's a desktop replacement cpu, like their many released before. Yes it will replace desktops for gaming but only for some. DTR cpus are also used for high-end mobile workstations. It's not for everybody get your grip together. They don't do everything because competition from AMD.goinginstyle - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
The cut and paste king is at it again."A micro-ATX setup with a handle, a Bloomfield and a real video card would probably be better for the vast majority of gamers than this one. "
You have to be kidding, Lynnfield offers far superior power management and consumption plus better overall performance than Bloomfield. Something you would actually want in a micro-ATX setup, instead of a heat generator like Bloomfield. Even the Phenom/Athlon II would make for a better micro-ATX gaming platform than the energy sucking Bloomfield.
Before you get on your high horse about Bloomfield and overclocking, it's not going to make any difference in a micro-ATX system compared to Lynnfield, except to make the temperatures unbearable.
How is that next cut and paste article coming along for Toms? Are you going to do the history of lawnmowers on this one?
TA152H - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
Dude, are you gay or something? What is your obsession with me?Wouldn't your current boyfriend be upset if he saw your obsession.
Micro-Atx would, naturally, be plugged in. What kind of an idiot are you? Battery life wouldn't matter in this context. The micro-ATX would be for easy movement from one place to another. Some of them are really small, light (so even you could move it), and easily transported. I wasn't implying you'd want to use it from a battery.
Didn't you understand that within the context? Clearly, you're a moron. And a gay, obsessive one. Get a life. You need attention, clearly, but not from me. Find someone else.
goinginstyle - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
What is your obsession with posting negative comments to every article at AT? They have proven you wrong every step of the way. Why they even wasted their time is beyond me but I have to hand it to them for even paying attention to you.You obviously do not make these sames posts at Toms? I just read through the comments on the last six or seven articles. Especially the cpu related ones and you did not make a single comment even though their conclusion, test methods, and information is nearly the same at ATs when comparing Lynnfield vs Bloomfield. Why is that?
You brought up the Bloomfield micro-ATX setup and I was just replying to one not so bright idea of yours about Bloomfield once again being superior. The last thing you want in a micro-ATX system you will be lugging around to LAN parties is a Bloomfield cpu and X58 chipset. Heat is thy enemy and this platform has ridiculous power consumption compared to Lynnfield or Phenom II. Considering the alternatives available I would say Bloomfield should be one of the last ones to suggest.
TA152H - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - link
You're really not that stupid, are you?My post wasn't negative. I agreed with the author. I don't agree with Intel, and neither did he. What is your problem, besides liking me?
They didn't prove anything, at all. You're just too stupid to see through the weird benchmarking. Maybe I stopped reading before they posted their 'proof'. But, really, Anand's apple to apple benches proved my point. In their first article, they were saying they were the same or better. Then, all of the sudden, the Bloomfield is 3.5% faster, normalized! Sometimes almost 10%, on real world benchmarks. Fancy that! Although, this time they screwed up by making the Bloomfield uncore faster, so it's not 100% accurate.
Tom's also showed a lot of advantages of the Bloomfield. This site just rubbed me the wrong way because they were doing whatever they could to make the Lynnfield look better than it really is. Is 3% a big deal? Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. That's a matter of perspective. But, when I see 0%, or -1%, and I know it's just not so, that's where someone has to say something. If they were arguing 3% isn't so important, then, so be it. But, show the 3%, instead of hiding it behind bogus setups that hide it.
You wouldn't understand because you're simple. But, life isn't simple. Very few things are good or bad, completely.
By the way, why would power matter more for micro-ATX than for anything else? The Bloomfield is king of the hill. I'm not crazy about the power use, really, I'm not, but, for a gaming platform, I'd want the best. I'd put up with the additional power use.
For a computer I'd put in the kitchen and would only surf on, I'd probably be much more inclined to look at power. Of course, even then I wouldn't consider the Lynnfield. I'd get a Core 2 or Pentium, a G45, and get all the performance I needed.
Also, you probably didn't notice, because Gary hid it, that the voltage needed to overclock the Lynnfield was considerably higher than the Bloomfield. That makes me a little nervous. But, still, I agree completely the x58 needs to go on a diet. I wish Intel would move it down to 45nm. It's a high end platform, it deserves it.
So, it's not the size, it's the application. Hmmmm, that could have a different context, but, remember we're talking about computers here.