Core 2 Duo E6420 vs Core i7-720QM

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	2324	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7	no data
Architecture codename	Clarksfield (2009−2010)	Conroe (2006−2007)
Release date	23 September 2009 (14 years ago)	April 2007 (17 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$546	no data
Current price	$418 (0.8x MSRP)	$47

Detailed specifications

Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420 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	2
Base clock speed	1.6 GHz	2.13 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.8 GHz	2.13 GHz
Bus support	2500 MHz	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	4 MB
L3 cache	6 MB (shared)	0 KB
Chip lithography	45 nm	65 nm
Die size	296 mm2	111 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	60 °C
Number of transistors	774 million	167 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	No
VID voltage range	no data	0.85V-1.5V

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420 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
Socket	FCPGA988,PGA988	PLGA775
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	no data
AES-NI	-	-
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
PAE	36 Bit	no data
FSB parity	no data	-
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333	DDR1, DDR2, DDR3
Maximum memory size	8 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

None

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420.

PCIe version	2	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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Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	2
Chip lithography	45 nm	65 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	65 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-720QM and Core 2 Duo E6420, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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