I want you to go a little back in your childhood, where every teenager’s dream was to get a “Proud” Dual Core or Quad Core PC. I myself was hell nostalgic about a Dual-core desktop system, and even I got it on my birthday. But with the arrival of the Core series, sadly, my “Premium” system got old. Well, the topic is not to exaggerate my sad story.
Yet, the point is, after the dual and quad-core game, people are still confused about knowing the difference between i3, i5, and i7 Processors. So i5 or i7 or maybe an i3? Which one suits your needs? What is the recipe behind these tech chips? Is i5 or i7 better? i5 vs. i7 laptop? I am going to answer all these queries here with a bit of technical yet simplified aspects.
People seek i3, i5, and i7 chips in terms of laptops. Yet, the main point is to get an idea of which processor has what capabilities. The tussle between i3 vs. i5 processor and i5 or i7 has created so much fuss in the market.
The core series has the same legacy of multiple cores in a single hardware chip. But today, what matters the most and look fancy or technical are Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost, etc. Factually, Turbo is something that has somehow and somewhat has made its space in the general public.
But still, the Hyper-threading is an unsolved equation for some non-tech geeks. So, let’s shed some light on Hyper-Threading. But before diving into this technical ballgame, let’s discuss Core numbers, which is more important to understand.
You may have been tricked by the naming of Core series like Core i3 for 3 cores, i5 for 5, and similarly i7 for 7 Cores. But the story is a little different here. As we are experiencing Intel’s 11th generation chips, users usually go from quad-core to Octa-core processors.
Core number is a directly linked factor for system performance as a single core handles a single thread at one time. This means more cores results in multiple thread processing at one time. Hence, faster processing will be your treat.
Currently, the core numbers vary from model to model. For mobile or fanless versions like M and Y series, you get low scores for better battery life and heat reduction. For desktop and gaming needs like K and H series, the count straightly goes from Quad-core to Hexa-core to Octa-Core.
So, mostly which CPU gets what numbers of cores?
Core i3 now mostly gets quad-core chips. While, depending on the model, the i5 ranges from Quad-core to Hexa core. Lastly, the i7 finds itself in the league of Quad-core to Octa Cores.
Along with this, Hyper-threading also plays a vital role in system performance for various conditions. Let’s solve the Hyper-threading mystery.
Technically, Hyper-Threading is a complex topic to understand. However, to make it very simple, bear this in mind; it is somewhat a performance Booster (Conditionally).
How? ……..
Supposedly, you have an 8th generation core i7 chip implanted in your system. You know it’s a quad-core processor, but mysteriously, your system’s task manager shows 8 cores. Maybe, it will be a tough nut for you to crack.
But, keep your mind at peace; this magic happens due to hyperthreading. With this mechanism, it adds virtual cores to handle multiple threads on a single CPU. Let’s say you have 4 Cores processor. By Hyper-Threading means, your 4 cores are 8 cores, in fact.
If we breakdown this term more, a thread is a computing term representing a pack of information the CPU receives for processing. So considering this type of Math, A single core can handle one thread at one time. Right?
Hyper-threading tricks the operating system to consider the virtual cores as physical cores. So, one actual physical core with the help of a logical or virtual core helps you to attain multiple thread processing in a single time. Thus, you see a significant performance boost.
Ding-Ding! But we were on the verge of finding a difference between i3, i5, and i7 processors?
The difference lies here with the availability and unavailability of Hyper-threading. As Intel has always been tweaking its core series with Hyper-threading feature, it makes a performance difference between i5 and i7 and somewhat i3, too.
Now, it’s not like that Hyper-Threading has only good reasons when it comes to performance boost. Some technical reasons conditionally affect CPU performance. So, that’s why Intel always has tweaked its CPUs with the Hyper-threading feature.
But which CPUs hold Hyper-Threading, and which one comes without this controversial feature?
Initially, starting with the Pentium series, Intel broke through in the market with this feature. But as the current trend is the Core series, Intel Core i3 and i7 CPUs were the major gainers of Hyper-threading. Yes, i5 wasn’t the boy with this curriculum.
But why such a move?
Ideally, Core i3 represents the beginner’s lot, i5 as a professional or midrange user and i7 is for power users. As per my understanding, removing hyper-threading was more a marketing and economic stunt rather than technical reasoning. Intel was wiser to make a performance difference between i5 and i7.
At first, Hyper-threading was a fancy term, mostly catching the emotional audience. So, removing hyper-threading was working well. But you know, the newer 10th generation core i5 does have hyper-threading and now is happily in the category of hyper-threaded chips.
So the question is, which is the faster one, i5 or i7 or i3?
This long story about hyper-threading is not the only performance difference between CPUs. Some other factors also make a CPU faster like the Core Number, Turbo Boost Speed, Cache, Etc.
I have some more stories to tell you about the difference between i3. I5 and i7 processors. However, if you want me to make a short conclusion here is i5 or i7 better, or which side you should pick in i3 vs. i5 processor fight?
The answer is simple,
I know I am slightly missing out on some points like the turbo boost, Cache Size, processor power consumption, etc. Yet, the points discussed are the most important ones to steer you through the gully of difference between i3, i5, and i7 processors.
Does i5 have hyper-threading?
At first, Intel didn’t fuse the hyper-threading in i5 chips, but with the addition of the newer 10th generation, core i5 does have hyper-threading capabilities.
How many threads can a quad-core processor handle at once?
The answer isn’t pretty straightforward. It depends! Firstly, the conditions apply to model and multi-threading features. As the basic understanding, the quad-core processor can handle 4 threads at once. However, in the case of hyper-threading, it can smoothly go to 8 threads.
Do I need an i7 processor?
It also depends on your usage and needs. If you need faster processing and a higher number of cores, you definitely need to get an i7 processor. Otherwise, as I mentioned, i5 is a real value for money in terms of mid-range performance.
Is i5 or i7 better?
Many factors, like cache size, hyper-threading, core numbers, model, and clock speed, combine to make a conditional and logical answer. The main thing is the model and SKU. Let say, i56600K shows more promising results and is faster than the Core i7-6700. Similarly, many other conditions will make you understand; whether it be an i5 or i7, it’s way conditional on judging which one is better.
What is the Difference between i7 and i9?
I7 used to be a higher-end chip by the processor giant until i9 makes its way for aggressive content creators, gamers, and power audiences. The core and clock speed is the main difference, but if you want to take an overall look, i9 is slightly above on performance, budget, and specs marks. So, the main difference between i7 and i9 is the class.
i3 vs. i5 processor – What is the Difference between i3 and i5 Processor?
The whole idea again lies flat upon the model, core numbers, and specs. As i5 have some dual-core and some quad-core models, and i3 also majorly poses Quad-core models; it depends which spec model you are going to shop against your need. Supposedly, the higher-end Core-i3 model would be faster and aggressive than the low-end core-i5 chip. So, one can’t answer in one line.