3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo vs 2.66GHz Intel Core i7

Hi. A month back when i was configuring the notebook on Apple's website i saw '3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo’ and now when i was about to purchase i saw the old processor is no more and now i found '2.66GHz Intel Core i7'.

If I'm not wrong the 'Core i7' should be faster then the 'Core 2 Duo'. My question is how much faster it is? I read on the Apple's website about the Boosting performance of the new 'Core i7' from '2.66GHz' all the way up to '3.33GHz'.

Another question, why the new 'Ghz' name is 2.66, while the old is 3.06. The numbers should be increasing right?

Thanks in advance for your answers.
-Amstos

The new Core i7 has 4 cores while the older one has 2. More cores = faster.

This may help you understand it a little better.
Intel Core i7 vs Intel Core 2 Duo | Pathik Shah
Intel® Core™ i7 Mobile Processor Overview

Thanks for your replies guys. I got the answers for my first question.

Can somebody answer "Another question, why the new 'Ghz' name is 2.66, while the old is 3.06. The numbers should be increasing right?"

2.66GHz is the base speed of the i7 (GHz = gigahertz = billion cycles per second), which can then ramp up as needed. It can accelerate both cores to 3.06, then one core up to 3.33. Understand that i7 is substantially faster even at the same speed of a C2D, thanks to improvements in architecture.

The nomenclature of the CPUs can be confusing. The mobile i7 processors have both dual core and quad core designs. In the case of the MacBook Pro, it is the dual core 620. http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43560

CrimsonRequiem said:

The new Core i7 has 4 cores while the older one has 2. More cores = faster.

Click to expand...

No the i7-620M for the MBP is a dual core.

Okay guys, you mean to say that we shouldn't worry about the confused naming between the new "2.66GHz" vs the old "3.06GHz". Even though Ghz naming vise the new one is lesser, speed vise it is much faster, am i right?

nepenthe said:

The mobile i7 processors have both dual core and quad core designs. In the case of the MacBook Pro, it is the dual core 620.

Click to expand...

CrimsonRequiem said:

The new Core i7 has 4 cores while the older one has 2. More cores = faster.

Click to expand...

Regarding the number of Cores, as there is a confusion going on, can anyone confirm how many physical cores does the new MacBookPro "2.66GHz Intel Core i7" HAS?????????

The new Macbook Pro's intel i7-620M Processor has TWO (2) Cores. Not Four (4).

mobproctor said:

The new Macbook Pro's intel i7-620M Processor has TWO (2) Cores. Not Four (4).

Click to expand...

This is correct.

However the Core i7 has a few benefits like HyperThreading and Turbo Boost that the Core 2 Duo wouldn't have. The performance and efficiency of the Core i7 make it a winner over the C2D. Not to mention it is a 32 nm instead of a 45 nm.

one other thing, the new MacBookPro is a 64 bit architecture, right. That means, i can run Windows 64bit operating system under Bootcamp.

Correctimundo.

iLaw said:

the Core i7 has a few benefits like HyperThreading and Turbo Boost that the Core 2 Duo wouldn't have. The performance and efficiency of the Core i7 make it a winner over the C2D. Not to mention it is a 32 nm instead of a 45 nm.

Click to expand...

Yes. The last generation of Intel Core 2 Duos processors had 2 physical cores with 2-way processing (each core doing one thing). The new generation of Intel processors that have 2 physical cores and Hyperthreading feature 4-way processing that allows each core to do two things. It's virtually like having 4 cores when running multi threaded apps.

mobproctor said:

Yes. The last generation of Intel Core 2 Duos processors had 2 physical cores with 2-way processing (each core doing one thing). The new generation of Intel processors that have 2 physical cores and Hyperthreading feature 4-way processing that allows each core to do two things. It's virtually like having 4 cores when running multi threaded apps.

Click to expand...

Actually my question is "one other thing, the new MacBookPro is a 64 bit architecture, right. That means, i can run Windows 64bit operating system under Bootcamp."

And "True Bassist" what do you mean by "Correctimundo".

Correctimundo meant yes to your question ...you can run Windows 64bit operating system under Bootcamp.

Thanks 6string. That was good to hear.