Atom 330 vs Core i7-2720QM

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1650	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i7	Intel Atom
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Diamondville (2008−2009)
Release date	3 January 2011 (13 years ago)	22 September 2008 (15 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$378	$43
Current price	$476 (1.3x MSRP)	$306 (7.1x MSRP)

Detailed specifications

Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	8	4
Base clock speed	2.2 GHz	1.6 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.3 GHz	1.6 GHz
Bus support	no data	533 MHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	112 KB
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1 MB
L3 cache	6 MB (shared)	0 KB
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Die size	216 mm2	52 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	85 °C
Number of transistors	1,160 million	94 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	No
VID voltage range	no data	0.9V-1.1625V

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCBGA1224,FCPGA988,PPGA988	PBGA437
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	8 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE2, Intel® SSE3, Intel® SSSE3
AES-NI	+	no data
FMA	+	no data
AVX	+	no data
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	-
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	-
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
FSB parity	no data	-
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+
Identity Protection	+	no data
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330 are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	no data
VT-d	+	-
VT-x	+	-
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600	no data
Maximum memory size	32 GB	8 GB
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 3000	-
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	-
Graphics max frequency	1.3 GHz	-
InTru 3D	+	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	2	-
eDP	+	-
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
SDVO	+	-
CRT	+	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330.

PCIe version	2.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	16	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Pros & cons summary

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Recency	3 January 2011	22 September 2008
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Cost	$378	$43
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	8 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2720QM and Atom 330, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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