Intel Core i7-3517U vs Intel Core i7-7567U vs Intel Core i7-3740QM

Intel Core i7-3517U

The Intel Core i7-3517U is a fast ULV-processor for laptops based on the Ivy Bridge architecture released in Q2 2012. Due to Hyperthreading, the two cores can handle up to four threads in parallel leading to better utilization of the CPU. Each core offers a base speed of 1.9 GHz but can dynamically increase clock rates with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz (for 2 active cores) and 3.0 GHz (for 1 active core). As its Sandy-Bridge-based predecessors, it offers a 4 MB L3-Cache.

Ivy Bridge is an enhanced die shrink of the Sandy Bridge architecture with improvements on both GPU and CPU performance. The CPUs are produced in 22nm (versus 32nm Sandy Bridge CPUs) and are the first to introduce 3D transistors for increased energy efficiency when compared to similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processors. Other new features are integrated PCI Express 3.0 and  DDR3(L)-1600 support.

The performance of the Core i7-3517U is slightly above a similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processor due to the architectural improvements. Therefore, and because of the higher clock speed, the older Core i7-2677M is easily outperformed.

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 offers 16 Execution Units (EUs) clocked at 350 MHz up to 1150 MHz with Turbo Boost, delivering a performance comparable with an AMD Radeon HD 6620G.

The ULV-CPUs are rated at a TDP of 17 W including graphics card and memory controller.  Therefore, the CPU is suited for small laptops and ultrabooks.

Intel Core i7-7567U

The Intel Core i7-7567U is a fast dual-core SoC for notebooks based on the Kaby Lake architecture and was announced in January 2017. The CPU has two processor cores clocked at 3.5-4 GHz (two cores up to 3.9 GHz). The processor can execute up to four threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper Threading. It is also equipped with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 GPU with 64 MB eDRAM, a dual-channel memory controller (DDR4) as well as VP9 and H.265 video decoding as well as encoding. The chip is still manufactured in a 14nm process with FinFET transistors.

Compared to the Core i7-7560, the 7567U has a higher TDP of 28 vs. 15 Watts as well as higher clocks.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Skylake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

Thanks to the high clocks pf up to 4 GHz and 64 MB eDRAM (can also be used as L4 cache by the CPU), the Core i7-7567U is the fastest dual-core for notebooks in the beginning of 2017. It competes with lower clocked quad-core models and can convince by the excellent single-thread performance. Some games might require a real quad-core though and could not run perfectly on the dual-core, despite Hyper Threading.

Graphics

The integrated Intel Iris Plus 650 Graphics is the GT3e model of the Kaby Lake GPU (Intel Gen. 9.5). It has 48 Execution Units running at 300-1100 MHz and the performance is comparable to a GeForce 920MX thanks to fast eDRAM cache. However, there aren't any significant improvements compared to the old Iris Pro 550, so modern games can often not be played smoothly or only at the lowest or medium settings, respectively.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency even further. Intel specifies the TDP with 28 Watts, which can be reduced to 23 Watts (cTDP Down) depending on the usage scenario. The TDP is pretty high compared to the common 15-Watt TDP for dual-core processors, but allows a better utilization of CPU and GPU Turbo.

Intel Core i7-3740QM

The Intel Core i7-3740QM is a fast quad-core processor for laptops based on the Ivy Bridge architecture and successor of the i7-3720QM. Due to Hyperthreading, the four cores can handle up to eight threads in parallel leading to better utilization of the CPU. Each core offers a base speed of 2.7 GHz but can dynamically increase clock rates with Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz (for 4 active cores), 3.6 GHz (for 2 active cores) and 3.7 GHz (for 1 active core).

Ivy Bridge is an enhanced die shrink of the Sandy Bridge architecture with improvements on both GPU and CPU performance. The CPUs are produced in 22nm (versus 32nm Sandy Bridge CPUs) and are the first to introduce 3D transistors for increased energy efficiency when compared to similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processors. Other new features are integrated PCI Express 3.0 and  DDR3(L)-1600 support.

The performance of the Core i7-3740QM should be slightly above a similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processor due to slight architectural improvements. As a result, overall performance should be above the Core i7-2960XM.

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 offers 16 Execution Units (EUs) clocked at 650 MHz up to 1300 MHz with Turbo Boost, making it one of the faster variants.

As with most quad-core Ivy Bridge models, the Core i7-3740QM is specified at a TDP of 45 Watts including graphics card and memory controller. Therefore, the CPU is well-suited for laptops 15-inches or greater.