1st Generation vs 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 Processors | 1st Generation and 2nd Generation i5
1st generation Core i5 processors were introduced in 2010. 1st generation Core i5 processors were based on the Nehalem architecture. 2nd generation Core i5 processors were introduced on 2011 and they were based on the Sandy Bridge architecture. There were twelve Core i5 processors introduced in this series, where four of them were mobile processors. Core i5 processors are positioned between the Core i3 processors and high end Core i7 processors.
First generation Intel Core i5 processors
First generation Core i5 processors were introduced in 2010 and they were based on the Intel’s Nehalem architecture. The first Core i5, which was brand named Core i5-7xx was a Lynnfield processor with four cores, 8 MB L3 cache and supported dual channel DDR3 memory. Core i5-5xxM mobile processor was an Arrandale processor with two cores and a 3 MB L3 cache. Core i5 processers are considered as the processors that lie in the middle between low cost core i3 processors and high-end core i7 processors. In the 1st generation Core i5 desktop processors, only dual core versions supported the Turbo Boost Technology, Hyper-Threading and Intel HD Graphics. Quad core desktop versions supported Turbo Boost Technology but did not support Hyper-Threading and Intel HD Graphics. 1st generation Core i5 mobile processors were dual core processors and they supported Hyper-Threading, Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology and Intel HD graphics. These processors were especially suitable for graphic intensive applications.
2nd Generation Intel Core i5 Processors
2nd generation Core i5 processors were introduced in 2011 and these are based on the Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture, which is 32nm microarchitecture. These are the first Core i5 processors to integrate the processor, memory controller and graphics on the same die, making the package comparatively smaller. 2nd generation Core i5 family includes eight desktop processors and four mobile processor. 2nd generation Core i5 processors include several new features to enhance graphics performance. Intel Quick Sync Video enables faster video transcoding by performing encoding in hardware. Intel InTru 3D / Clear Video HD allow playing stereoscopic 3D and HD content on a TV using HDMI. WiDi 2.0 enables streaming of full HD with the 2nd generation processors. Additionally, 2nd generation Core i5 processors include Intel® Smart Cache, where the cache is dynamically allocated to each processor core depending on the workload. This gives a significant reduction in latency and improves performance.
What is the difference between 1st Generation and 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 Processors?
Intel introduced the 1st generation Core i5 processors in 2010 and the 2nd generation Core i5 processors in 2011. The 2nd generation Core i5 processors are built on the Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture, which is 32nm microarchitecture, while 1st generation Core i5 processors were built on Intel’s Nehalem architecture. Additionally, 2nd generation Core i5 processors include new features for improving the graphics performance of the processors such as Intel Quick Sync Video, Intel InTru 3D / Clear Video HD and WiDi 2.0 that were not available in 1st generation Core i5 processors.