Intel's new i3, i5, i7 naming scheme

[Coogie]

I'm in the market for a laptop and I guess the CPU namings have changed since the last time I was building my desktop. At that time it used to be the single core cpu's, Dual and Quad cores. Is the name naming pretty much the same where i3 is the single, i5 is the Dual, and i7 is the quad cores each with their own respective clock speeds?

[Peacock]

Don't you wish it was that easy!

Each family has processors for laptop and desktop.

All the laptop processors have the M designation behind them, all the familys have dual core processors, only the i7 has a quad core for laptops.

See the specs for each here:
Intel Core i3 Performance Specifications
Intel Core i5 Processor Details
Intel Core i7 Processor Details

Have fun!

[Coogie]

lol then what's the difference between the i5 and the i3??

[Peacock]

Intel Turbo Boost Technology which gives the i5 variable CPU speeds, where the i3 does not support, their processor speed is locked at what it is rated...

[Coogie]

Ah thanks...I miss the old days when intel's naming schemes were easy to understand...or was it...(thinking back to how the 386DX had a 32bit bus but a 386sx did not...and 486DX had a floating point unit and 486SX did not)