Intel Core i7-620M Mobiler SLBTQ 2.66GHz 2 Kern 4MB L3 PGA988A

The Intel Core i7-620M is a two-core processor for notebooks and clocks at 2.66 - 3.33 GHz thanks to Turbo. The two cores are based on the Nehalem (Westmere) micro-architecture and can process 4 threads simultaneously thanks to hyperthreading.

A special feature of the new dual-core CPUs from Intel is the integration of the memory controller and an integrated graphics card (GMA HD) into the package. The CPU is already manufactured in 32nm, but the die for the memory controller and the graphics card is still manufactured in 45nm.

The performance of the Core i7-620M is in most benchmarks above the old dual-core top performer of the Core 2 Duo X9100 / T9900. Only the single core Cinebench R10 test achieved lower results in our test sample. In most applications, the 620M can even get ahead of the lower clocked Core i7-720QM Quad Core processor. Only applications that fully utilise the 4 cores of the 720QM can outperform the 620M.

The 32 nm processor cores of the Westmere generation also process some new instructions that are supposed to accelerate AES encryption. However, applications must explicitly support these commands. The latest version of PCMark Vantage does this and was able to achieve a significant increase in the Communications Suite subtest.

The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card will be clocked at 500-733 MHz (thanks to Turbo Boost), making it significantly faster than the old GMA 4500MHD. However, a GeForce 9400M (ION) will still be minimally faster (with better driver support for games).

With a TDP of 35 watts, the power consumption is just as high as with the T models of the Core 2 Duo series, but with the Core i7 the TDP also includes the graphics card and the memory controller (with the Core 2 Duo these were still in the chipset). As a result, the power consumption of the entire system is probably lower.

The Core i7-620M should not be confused with the much slower Core i7-620UM (ULV power-saving processor with 1.2 - 2.26 GHz at 18 Watt TDP) and Core i7-640LM (LV power-saving processor with 2.13 - 2.93 GHz at 25 Watt TDP).