Intel Announces 14 New Ivy Bridge CPUs

Intel's third-generation Core (aka "Ivy Bridge") processing platform has brought with it a number of new technologies to desktop and laptop computers. But many of the changes, which stress security and power usage, have made ultrabooks a prime target for its innovations. Intel reinforces its commitment to that market today with the announcement of 14 new Ivy Bridge processors, of which four (dubbed "Mobile Ultra") are intended specifically for the rapidly expanding ultrabook market.

These CPUs join the 14 laptop and desktop chips Intel introduced when it .

The new "Mobile Ultra" processors expand on the ultrabook concept Intel established last year with its second-generation Core ("Sandy Bridge") releases.  Whereas ultrabooks had to have security readiness, last longer than five hours on battery, resume from sleep in less than seven seconds, and be designed in sleek and stylish ways, Intel is now also recommending built-in security and eight hours or more of battery life.

Security technologies included as part of Ivy Bridge include Anti-Theft (which renders the ultrabook unusable if it's stolen) and Identity Protection (a special two-factor authentication system).  Intel Smart Connect, another Ivy Bridge recommendation, makes it possible for content to be continuously updated on a laptop even while it's asleep.

Mobile Ultra CPUs are divided between the two higher-performing categories of Intel's Core processing family: Core i5 and Core i7, though they all share some qualities.  All have two physical cores that can become four processing threads thanks to Hyper-Threading, all support 1,600MHz DDR3 and DDR3L memory and PCI Express (PCIe) version 3.0, all use Intel HD Graphics 4000 (the more powerful of the two Sandy Bridge integrated video systems) running at a base frequency of 350MHz, and all can take advantage of Intel Secure Key, OS Guard, and Virtualization technologies.

Both of the new Core i5 chips have 3MB of L3 cache.  The Core i5-3371U runs at a base clock frequency of 1.7GHz and can, through application of Turbo Boost, raise to as much as 2.4GHz (for one core) or 2.6GHz (for two cores); its maximum graphics dynamic frequency is 1,050MHz.  Slightly stronger is the Core i5-3427U, which has a base CPU frequency of 1.8GHz that can raise to 2.6GHz or 2.8GHz with Turbo Boost, its maximum graphics dynamic frequency is 1,100MHz, and it supports AES, TXT, and vPro, which the Core i5-3317U does not.

More powerful still are the two new Core i7 CPUs, which both have 4MB of L3 cache and a maximum graphics frequency of 1,150MHz.  The Core i7-3517U has a base frequency of 1.9GHz and Turbo Boost maximums of 2.8GHz and 3GHz; the Core i7-3667U can turbo up to 3GHz or 3.2GHz from its base frequency of 2GHz and, like the Core i5-3427U, supports the AES, TXT, and vPro technologies its Core i7 sibling does not.

In addition to these ultrabook-aimed processors, Intel is also announcing four more mobile chips and six more desktop chips.  The standard-voltage Core i7-3520M is the only other new Core i7 laptop chip, and it's joined on the Core i5 side by the Core i5-3360M, the Core i5-3320M, and the Core i5-3210M.  The new desktop processors are all in the Core i5 family: the Core i5-3570, i5-3570S, Core i5-3475S, Core i5-3470, Core i5-3470T, and Core i5-3470S.

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