I3 processor how many cores

Hence, on power efficient laptops like ultrabooks, processors with lower TDP are generally used. They have fewer cores in comparison and have lower clock speeds. Desktop processors have a high TDP and they also have a high clock speed since cooling is not that big of an issue as compared to the compact chassis of a laptop. When choosing a laptop you can tell by the suffix designation of an Intel processor whether it is power efficient or high performance.

Basically, the answer to this lies on the processor generation, model, and the platform you are looking into. Desktop-based Intel Core i3 processors of both 9th and 8th generation offer 4 cores. However, the 7th generation desktop-based i3 only offers dual core. When it comes to laptops, you can find both dual and quad core if you choose to go for the 8th generation. If you go for the 7th generation i3 processor for your laptop, you will be limited to 2 cores across all models. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.

Let us now look at how many cores in i3 Processors in detail. In the following analysis below, note that the processor belong to three platforms. Intel Core i3 9th Generation. Intel Core i3 8th Generation. As far as laptops go, 8th is the currently on-going generation. Key Notes The 8th generation of Intel processors brought major changes to the core configuration. Intel Core i3 7th Generation. A core can be thought of as in individual processor.

A dual-core processor, therefore has two internal processors, a quad-core model has four. More cores are useful for multi-tasking; for example, you can run two applications at the same time, each one having access to its own dedicated processor. More cores are also useful for multi-threaded applications, such as video editing. With these types of applications they can use multiple cores to improve performance.

Single-threaded applications can only use a single core leaving any others idle. Some Core i7 Extreme processors have six or eight cores. Generally speaking, we find that most applications can't take full advantage of six or eight cores, so the performance boost from extra cores isn't as great. Hyper-Threading is Intel's technology for creating two logical cores in each physical core.

In other words, to your operating system it appears as though your CPU has double the number of cores than it really does. In terms of performance, Hyper-Threading speeds up multi-tasking and multi-threaded applications.

It's not as fast or as efficient as extra 'real' cores, but it's an improvement over a single Core. Core i3 and i7 processors have this technology, Core i5 processors do not. The faster the clock speed in MHz, the faster each core can run. This can create some variances in performance. For example, a Core i Haswell processor runs at 3. It would be faster running a single-threaded application, which can only use one core, than a Core i, which only has a clock speed of 3.

However, running a multi-threaded application, the Core i5 would most likely be quicker, as its four real cores are better than the Core i3's two cores and Hyper-Threading. Turbo Boost is Intel's technology for automatically overclocking a processor, boosting its clock speed higher than the default setting. When looking at what sort of processor a computer has, be sure to check the full specification sheet to see the precise processor model. This makes a big difference to how powerful your PC will be.

The trend applies to i3 and i7 chips, too. Note the different four-digit number and the trailing letter or the Y in one case.

Tech tips you can trust - get our free Tech newsletter for advice, news, deals and the stuff the manuals don't tell you. The first digit after the dash tells you which generation your processor is from. The higher the number, the newer it is. As of , the latest generation is 8th gen. Optane works out which files and programs you use most and moves them to an ultra-fast SSD for better performance. You don't have to manage this yourself; it's done completely automatically and doesn't affect where you'll find your files on your PC.

In , Intel introduced the Core i9 product lines. The company also introduced i9 chips to laptops in Again, these are reserved to powerful laptops designed for high-end work such as video editing. Now you know all about processors, use our expert laptop reviews to help you choose the best model for your budget. Test score.