Difference Between 1st Generation and 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors

Intel 1st generation processors were introduced in 2010. Intel 1st generation processor family includes four varieties of Core i3 processors, eight Core i5 processors and five Core i7 models. Intel 2nd generation processors were introduced in 2011 and this family contains 29 new mobile and desktop processors, which are based on the Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture.

1st Generation Intel Core Processors

Intel’s first generation family of processors were introduced in 2010 and it includes three types of Core i series 1st generation processors. 1st generation Core i3 processor is considered to be the cheapest low end processor in the family. Both mobile and desktop versions of this processor are available with dual cores and support the Intel’s hyper-threading technology. But Core i3 processors do not support the Intel’s Turbo Boost technology, which allows the processor to dynamically increase CPU clock speed when needed. When it comes to Core i5 processors, desktop processor comes in both dual core and quad core versions. Core i5 two core version processors support Turbo Boost Technology, Hyper-Threading and Intel HD Graphics. Core i5 mobile processors only come with two cores and they support Turbo Boost Technology, Hyper-Threading and Intel HD Graphics. Core i7 processors are considered as the most powerful processor of the family. The desktop processor of Core i7 features four cores and supports Intel’s Turbo Boost technology and Hyper-Threading technology. Core i7 mobile processors come with dual cores and quad cores. Core i7 is the most expensive processor of the family but it is the most suitable one for power hungry applications.

2nd Generation Intel Core Processors

2nd Generation Intel Core Processors were introduced on 2011 and it contains 29 desktop and mobile processors built on Sandy Bridge architecture. The 2nd generation family of processors is based on the Intel’s 32nm microarchitecture, which are the first processors to integrate the processor, memory controller and graphics on the same die. Also, these processors use Intel’s improved Turbo Boost and Hyper-threading technologies that improve the CPU performance. This family contains one Core i7 Extreme Edition processor, twelve Core i7 processors, twelve Core i5 processors and four Core i3 processors. 2nd generation 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.

What is the difference between 1st Generation and 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors?

Intel introduced the 1st generation processors in 2010 and the 2nd generation processors in 2011. The 2nd generation processors are built on the Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture, which is 32nm microarchitecture. Additionally, 2nd generation 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 processors.