Intel Clarkdale dual-core Westmere system at 27.6W system power
This mini-ITX system based on Intel’s next generation Clarkdale dual-core “Westmere” 32nm CPU with a 45nm GPU and memory controller on the same CPU package has a system idle power consumption of 27.6 watts. That seems pretty outrageously efficient for a system that performs about as well as a quad-core Q9600 2.66 GHz processor. This is probably the first x86 CPU with a built in graphics controller and it is using a 32nm Westmere core which is a die shrunk Nehalem core with some modest architectural enhancements.
Now if we had switcheable graphics support on the desktop, then we’d have a gaming system that could idle at 27.6 watts compared to a normal gaming system that idles at 110 watts because the GPU can’t be turned off. It would probably be the most energy efficient gaming system in the world.
While this is pretty cool and a vast improvement over previous Intel GPUs I never once seen this compared with the performance of an nVidia or even an ATI gpu. This leaves me a bit wanting. While idle power is impressive and performance isn’t as horrible as previous versions of the CPU, where does it actually stack up against a gaming rig?
Unless I see this thing driving Crysis or something better, I don’t think I want to consider it. On a positive note, now Intel has a GPU that can handle Aero.
@nucrash
The idea that George mentioned wasn’t to have the low-power GPU drive the game, but a way to switch on-the-fly between a low-power, every day usage GPU and a high-powered gaming GPU. It’s a good idea. Personally, while I can appreciate that some users really need that GPU, the fact is, the graphics card I bought 3 years ago as a “mid-range” is more than ample to run Aero and dual monitors at full HD resolutions… that’s more power than the vast majority of users need! Indeed, in the PC I built this weekend, the graphics card (a year old, low mid range ATI card, like a 2600 XT or something) was the *only* part I reused, because I simply do not play games, and when I do, they are not grpahics intense (think Civ 4).
J.Ja
@nucrash
People are missing the point of an integrated processor. The whole point of an IGP is that it is BASELINE performance at minimal cost and minimal power consumption in the case of mobile. We’re talking $3 of additional silicon for an IGP chip. The IGP should provide GOOD ENOUGH performance for most tasks such as HD video playback and normal 2D applications and maybe some bare minimum gaming capability. For people who really want to game, no IGP is good enough and you have to go to discrete graphics anyways. That being the case, spending too much money and power usage on IGP is a waste when the IGP is simply a companion baseline chip.
Now you can still buy products without an IGP in 4-core configurations with the Lynnfield i5 or i7 chip and of course the original i7-9xx series and the upcoming 6-core Westmere 32nm chips. But these products aren’t for the mainstream desktop. The Clarkdale chip is the for the mainstream desktop and office computer.