Difference between the Quad i5 and Quad i7

[FrankySavvy]

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Okay some I am debating buying a new 27 iMac 3.1 ghz core i5 model....my question is, in respect to the quad core i5 and i7 sandy bridge processors, are the only differences in the clock speed?

And are these the same sandy bridge quad core processors in the new MBP's?

By the way I am a Graphic Designer would I really benefit from the i7 BTO option for the 27?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Then I would get the i7 model, just due to 8 threads instead of 4. But it may not be that much faster than an i5, maybe look for benchmarks comparing the i5 (Intel® Core™ i5-2400 Processor ) and i7 (Intel® Core™ i7-2600 Processor).
Example: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sandy-bridge-core-i7-2600k-core-i5-2500k,2833.html

The ix CPUs used in the iMacs are also desktop CPUs.

 

[CaptainChunk]

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Okay some I am debating buying a new 27 iMac 3.1 ghz core i5 model....my question is, in respect to the quad core i5 and i7 sandy bridge processors, are the only differences in the clock speed?

And are these the same sandy bridge quad core processors in the new MBP's?

By the way I am a Graphic Designer would I really benefit from the i7 BTO option for the 27?

The iMacs use desktop SB processors instead of mobile.

The SB i7s support HyperThreading, while the SB i5s do not. So, it's 8 logical cores versus 4.

 

[henrikrox]

You wont have 8 logical cores no, thats a typo.

4 physical cores, 4 logical

Also you have a bigger cache on the i7, and a higher turbo boost.

However the difference is small if you dont do cpu intensive work, encoding and stuff like that.