Intel Core i5-480M Processor
| Feature | Core i5-480M |
| Core Frequency | 2.66 GHz |
| No. Of Cores | 2 (4 Hyperthreads) |
| Cache Organization | 512KB L2 + 3MB L3 |
| Turbo Frequency | 2.93 GHz |
| TDP Rating | 35 Watts |
| 64 Bit Support | Y |
| Lithography | 32 nm |
| Integrated Memory Controller | DDR3-1066 |
| Integrated Graphics | Yes, Base 500 MHz, Turbo 766 MHz |
Table : Core i5-480M Benchmarking
| Benchmarks | Core i5-480M |
| PassMark Score | 2765 |
| Super Pi 2M (Lower in better) | 36 seconds |
| 3D Mark 06 CPU | 2950 |
| Windows 7 Experience Score | 6.9 |
Intel Core i5-480M is a dual core processor from Intel clocked nominally at 2.66 GHz. Here are some quick features of the Intel Core i5-480M processor
- Dual Core
- 2.66 GHz nominal clock frequency
- Supports Turbo Boost – so the max frequency can be 2.93 GHz
- 3 MB Intel Smart Cache ( L3 Cache)
- Integrated Memory Controller.
- Hyperthreading supported
Belonging to the Westmere family, the Intel core i5-480M is formed with two dies. The first die, of course has a pair of the core CPU and the second die has the graphics controller and the integrated memory controller.
The turbo boost feature makes this CPU more powerful than the core i3 processors. The turbo boost feature simulates the real life computing scenario.
In turbo boost, the processing frequency of the processor temporarily increases to cater for the increased demand in the processing power. This increases the performance of system in real life computing scenario.
The Cache architecture consists of dedicated L1 and L2 Cache by the two cores. The L3 Cache is shared by the two cores – that Intel calls Smart Cache. The Hyperthreading is supported in the core i5-480M which means that there could be 4 threads running in parallel in the core i5-480M.
The communication with the Chipset is using fast differential DMI Bus.
The Intel Core i5-480M bumps up the frequency of the core i5-460M ( a 2.53 GHz processor) by 133 MHz or about 5.2%. We should therefore expect a performance improvement of the order of 5% in Core i5-480M as compared to the core i5-460M.
The integrated graphics unit in the Core i5-480M is good for entry level gaming at low resolution. Do not expect any great performance here. It does serve to reduce the overall system cost in case gaming is not required as in case of home and office computing. If you are looking for decent gaming performance, you may like to take a look at Sandy Bridge based processors.
We have started seeing the Intel core i5-480M in large number of notebooks launched recently. This includes Dell Studio XPS 15, a 15.4″ notebook. HP Promo 4520S is another notebook powered by i5-480M. All these notebooks have price range in the vicinity of $700 to $800. You can expect decent performance with this processor.
Resources :
1. The detailed specification can be found at Intel’s site at http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=52952
2. Some other benchmarking results can be found at notebookcheck website http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i5-480M-Notebook-Processor.41730.0.html
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