X220t - Core i5 vs Core i7

[DUTCHvanAtlanta]

Will the 2.7 GHz Core i7 generate more heat and use more power - i.e. shorten battery time - than the 2.5 GHz Core i5?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor · Accepted solution]

yes it will, but only by a small margin. Performance difference between these two machines aren't big either.

[DUTCHvanAtlanta]

Thanks.  Price diff is US$190.00.  If the performance diff is not that big, I think I'll just save that $190 for something else.  Thanks again.

[jyeah]

Yeah. The performance difference is barely noticeable. You're pretty much paying the premium for the "best" you can get.

[enisoc]

What do you think about i3 vs i5 then? Other than clock speed, I think i3 lacks Turbo Boost. Is that really worth it?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

Apart from the lack of turbo boost, the i5 also has more chipset instructions then the i3 cpu, mainly lacking the Intel's vPro technology virtualizaton and AES encryption acceleration technology.

So whether it is worth or not depends on your usage.