Generations of Intel chips on the market today

Intel is considered a leading giant in the technology industry today with its famous CPU chip lines. Although we have heard a lot about Intel, not everyone clearly understands the Intel chip generations and how to distinguish them. For that reason, the article below TipsMake will provide all useful information about Intel chip generations. Invite you to consult.

Intel chip lines on the market today

Up to now, Intel has developed three main chip lines, including Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium and Intel Core i.

1. Intel Celeron

Intel Celeron was introduced to the public by the company in 1998. At first, this product was considered by the technology world to be a shortened version of Pentium II. Until then, the next generations of Celeron will continue to be designed based on the architecture of Intel Pentium III, IV and Intel Core i. However, Intel Celeron will have fewer transistors and cache memory for the purpose of reducing product costs.

The price of Celeron will be lower than the original Pentium. However, that comes with quite low performance, the number of transistors as well as cache memory will be less than Pentium. At the same time, Celeron will not integrate advanced technologies such as Hyper Threading or Turbo Boost. 

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Thus, Intel Celeron is manufactured to serve the basic task processing needs of students and office workers such as: Surfing the web, studying, emailing, typing, entertainment. 

Currently, it is not difficult for you to find a line of cheap, affordable study-office computers that use Celeron chips. In general, Intel Celeron and Pentium can handle common tasks quite equivalently (in the case of the same core count and clock speed). 

However, for programs, software or applications that require a more powerful processor such as graphic design, playing games or watching movies, the Pentium will be superior to the Celeron when it comes to speed. 1.5 - 2 times faster.

Up to now, Celeron has been upgraded to a new generation of the ULV energy saving line, TDP 15W - Haswell generation. In general, this generation can be used stably on today's cheap laptops and ultrabooks. 

2. Intel Pentium

Intel Pentium was officially launched to the public in 1994 and has gone through many different generations such as Pentium II, Pentium III. Entering 2000, Intel Pentium IV was born with clock speeds of up to 1.4GHz - 1.5GHz , this was a milestone marking the outstanding development of mid-range chips at that time. However, by 2015, the Intel Pentium chip line was discontinued by Intel.

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Intel Pentium is a line of chips commonly found in mid-range PCs and laptops today. Overall, this chip line has quite stable performance at an affordable price. When producing Intel Pentium, for the purpose of saving costs and lowering prices, Intel did not support hyper-threading or Turbo Boost technology for this chip line. 

Intel Pentium usually has 2 - 4 cores with clock speeds ranging from 1.1 - 3.5 GHz . Pentium has stable performance, smooth operation, some lines also have the ability to save battery (Haswell generation) and the price is very affordable.

This product is suitable for those who need to use basic office tasks, while also helping users have great entertainment moments such as watching movies, listening to music or playing low-capacity games. .

3. Intel Core i

Intel Core i is the most widely used and popular today, can be distributed in laptops and PC lines from mid-range to high-end segments. Up to now (updated September 2022), Intel Core i lines being distributed by Intel will include: i3, i5, i7, i9 and X-series (for PC only).

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Intel Core i is integrated with Hyper Threading and Turbo Boost technology. With hyper-threading technology, this technology allows the computer to process more information in a short time, and will not be interrupted even if there are many background tasks running. Turbo Boost will help improve performance, increase processing speed and extend laptop battery life.

The first versions of Intel Core i are Core Solo and Core Duo, which were launched on the market in early 2006. Up to now, the Intel Core chip line has gone through 12 generations, with each generation being a complete upgrade. better. 

Specifically, each Intel Core i line will have the following unique features:

1. Intel Core i3: This is a processor dedicated to the popular segment. This product supports laptops with AI integration with Wifi 6 and next-generation graphics.

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1. Intel Core i5: This processor is classified in the mid-range segment. With AI integration with Wifi, the product will bring users extremely vivid experiences and support flexible content creation.

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1. Intel Core i7: This processor is integrated with AI with Wifi 6, providing a great user experience. Currently, Intel Core i7 is usually only found in high-end laptops or gaming laptops with huge configurations, modern technology and extremely powerful performance.

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1. Intel Core i9: Intel Core i9 is the chip line with the most powerful processing capabilities of Intel Core i. This processor delivers the ultimate entertainment and gaming experience with 4K Ultra HD technology and seamless 360 video.

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1. Intel Core X-Series: Intel Core X-Series is a chip line specialized for high-end desktop products. This product has powerful performance that allows users to play games, entertain and handle design and graphics tasks smoothly.

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How to read Intel CPU names and distinguish Core i CPU lines

When reading Intel CPU names, you will read according to the following available conventions:

Processor name = Brand (Intel) + CPU family name – Generation number + SKU + Product specification character (suffix)

For example: Intel Core i7 – 1165G7

In there:

1. Intel Core : Brand.
2. i7 : CPU user name.
3. 11 : Generation number.
4. 65 : SKU model number.
5. G7 : Suffix.

1. Brand name

Intel will name the product starting with the brand name, followed by the brand of the main product suite for which the processor is made. For example: Intel Core, Intel Xeon, Intel Pentium, Intel Celeron.

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2. CPU series

Depending on the user segment that the company targets, each type of chip will have many different product lines. For example, Intel Core i has 4 lines: Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, Intel Core i9 (performance arranged in order from low to high), or Intel Xeon will include: Xeon E, Xeon D , Xeon W, Xeon Platinum,…

3. CPU generation number

To date, Intel has released 12 generations. Each generation is a time when Intel perfects and upgrades each product, releasing a new version with features, technology, performance and design that are all superior to the old version. 

4. Product number (SKU)

SKU is the product symbol number. SKU will represent the product's performance when compared to products of the same line and generation through the clock speed of the processor. For example: Core i5-760 will be stronger than Core i5-760.

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5. Suffix (Product characteristics)

The suffixes of Laptop and PC will be specified differently, specifically:

For Laptops

1. G1-G7 (Graphics level) : Integrated new generation graphics processor.
2. G (Graphics on package) : Comes with a discrete graphics card.
3. H (High performance graphics) : High performance.
4. Q (Quad-Core) : Quad core.
5. U (Ultra-low power) : Saves battery life, generates less heat.

For PC

1. F (Requires discrete graphics) : Not equipped with graphics card (GPU), if you want to output images, you need to equip VGA.
2. K (Unlocked) : Unlock clock speed, support overclocking, increase performance.
3. HK (High performance optimized for mobile, unlocked) : High performance, clock unlocked, overclocking support, increased performance.
4. M (Mobile) : Chip for phones, modern, thin and light business laptops.
5. Q (Quad-Core) : Quad core.
6. HQ (High performance optimized for mobile, quad core) : High performance, has 4 real cores.
7. MQ (Mobile, Quad-Core) : Quad-core mobile chip.
8. E (Embedded) : Dual core saves electricity.
9. S (Special (Performance-optimized lifestyle) : Special version (Performance-optimized lifestyle)
10. T (Power-optimized lifestyle) : Optimize power consumption.
11. X/XE (Extreme edition – Unlocked, High End) : Many cores, high clock speed, hyper-threading, overclocking support.

Generations of Intel Chips from past to present

To date, Intel chips have gone through 12 generations. Through each generation, Intel will have certain improvements, specifically presented here:

1. Nehalem (First generation)

Nehalem is the first generation of Intel chips. Here, the Nehalem architecture is manufactured on the 32nm process to replace the old Core 2 architecture. With this generation, Intel has integrated Hyper Threading technology with Turbo Boost technology on the same chip to increase optimal performance compared to previous generations.

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2. Sandy Bridge (2nd Generation)

Coming to the 2nd generation, Sandy Bridge is considered the successor version of Nehalem architecture. In this generation, Sandy Bridge is still manufactured on the 32nm process, but if compared with the old version, Nehalem, Sandy Bridge's GPU and CPU (ie the graphics processing core and central processor) ) are located together in the same cache. Since then, this product has a design that optimizes the area and enhances the ability to save electricity.

In addition, thanks to the Intel Quick Sync Video feature , Sandy Bridge also has enhanced video encoding/decoding capabilities. At the same time, Turbo technology was also upgraded to version 2.0.

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3. Ivy Bridge (3rd Generation)

Ivy Bridge is the 3rd generation of Intel chips. This product is more improved than its predecessor Sandy Bridge when applying a completely new 22nm manufacturing process. Along with that, the product is equipped with 3D Tri Gate semiconductor technology to help reduce the base area, while increasing the number of transistors on the CPU.

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In addition, the 3rd version of Ivy Bridge is also integrated with DirectX 11 graphics chip such as HD 4000, providing the ability to play super-resolution videos smoothly and support 3D content processing.

4. Haswell (4th Generation)

Intel 's 4th generation - Haswell was born with the main target audience being thin and light '2 in 1' ultrabook devices - that is, devices that are hybrids between a laptop and a tablet. This product is designed to minimize the size of the processor, combined with a thermal management chip to help ultrabook models run cooler and smoother. 

In particular, Haswell made a big splash in the technology world at that time when it was announced by the company to be able to save 20 times more electricity than its predecessor, Sandy Bridge, in standby mode.

Along with that, the graphics performance of this generation also surprises users when upgrading from the Intel HD 4000 graphics chip line to the superior graphics chip line, Iris/Iris Pro - a product for chipsets. high-class.

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5. Broadwell (5th generation)

In the 5th generation - Broadwell is considered a miniature version of its predecessor, Haswell. This product is manufactured on a 14nm process, only nearly 1/2 of Haswell and 1/5 of the oldest version. Not only that, this version can also optimize power savings up to 30% but provide higher performance at the same heat pulse speed.

Broadwell's special feature comes from the combination of Intel Quick Sync, VP8 and new GPUs including Iris 6100, Iris Pro 6200/6300P and Intel HD Graphics Series. Along with that is the Intel Core M chip line with a completely new SoC design, created specifically to serve thin and light tablets or Ultrabooks. 

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Since the release of Broadwell information, it has created a lot of expectations for the technology lover community. With outstanding advantages, including enhanced performance, battery saving, energy saving. Broadwell promises to create a new revolution for Intel in particular and CPU technology in general.

6. Skylake (6th generation)

Intel's 6th generation is Skylake . Like the Broadwell generation, Skylake is built on the 14nm process. However, this product possesses many outstanding new features, including LGA1151 socket, support for DDR4 RAM memory, HDMI 2.0 output standard and 4K 60Hz resolution.

Thus, the appearance of LGA1151 also means that this new generation will no longer be compatible with the LGA1150 type found in Intel 4th and 5th generations. Along with that, DDR3 RAM is almost out of date. However, Intel still supports DDR3 in Skylake CPUs, but it will be DDR3L instead. 

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In the new generation, Skylake is 10%, 20% and 30% higher than Core i7-4790K, Core i7-4770K and i7-3770K respectively. Overall, compared to the 5th generation Haswell, Skylake is not significantly faster, but it is a big gap when put on the scale with the 3rd generation Ivy Bridge.

In addition, Intel chip generations, specifically the 6th generation, will not be compatible with Windows 7 operating systems and below. If you want, you can still install it, but errors often occur when running and stability is not guaranteed. 

In addition, Skylake is also compatible with Thunderbolt 3.0 connection port, providing faster data transfer speeds. At the same time, Intel has equipped the 6th version with a separate graphics dock to improve the ability to handle heavy tasks such as gaming, graphic design.

7. Kabylake (7th generation)

Intel's 7th generation is Kabylake , manufactured on 14nm technology with many new improvements to improve graphics processing performance while still being able to optimize power savings. At the same time, this generation can be applied to supermodel laptop models or tablet lines with a thickness of less than 7mm.

According to the company's announcement, Kabylake will focus mainly on graphics processing, especially for 360-degree videos, virtual reality videos or 4K resolution videos. Not only that, Intel's 7th generation application processing performance will increase by 12% and web browsing performance will increase by 19% compared to the 6th generation.

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Overall, Kabylake will be a great choice for gamers looking for a powerful chip to immerse themselves in the endless gaming world. Specifically, Kabylake has extremely powerful graphics processing capabilities, 5 times larger than PCs released 5 years ago. 

Along with that, the support of 4 Thunderbolt 3.0 ports helps thin and light laptop models easily connect to discrete graphics cards. From there, the product will bring extremely realistic display images, supporting 4K resolution with virtual reality technology for you to freely fight with your terrible games.

8. Coffee Lake (8th generation)

When Coffee Lake - Intel's 8th generation was launched, many technology experts were excited and likened this CPU line to a 'monster'. 

With this generation, Intel has adjusted and slightly reduced the thermal pulse rate. However, this does not affect or reduce the quality of the product. On the contrary, thanks to the addition of processing cores, Coffee Lake CPUs have had a significant improvement in performance and operating capacity.

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Specifically, a desktop launched at that time could contain up to 6 Intel Coffee Lake processors. The most powerful is the Core i7-8700K with up to 25% superior performance compared to the i7-7700K. 

At the same time, this generation also has the ability to handle multitasking, allowing users to both experience peak gaming moments and handle streaming graphics with 45% higher performance than the previous generation. than.

9. Coffee Lake Refresh (9th generation)

With the 9th generation, this is generally an improved version of the 8th generation Coffee Lake. Coffee Lake Refresh is still manufactured using the 14nm++ process with a few small improvements compared to its predecessor.

10. Ice Lake (10th generation)

In the 10th generation, Ice Lake still includes 3 main versions: i3, i5 and i7 with clock speeds up to 4.1GHz (when Turbo Boost technology is enabled). In this generation, Intel CPUs will be integrated with Intel DL Boost technology to improve artificial intelligence processing performance up to 2.5 times higher, while minimizing possible latency when processing data. .

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11. Tiger Lake (11th generation)

Tiger Lake belongs to the 11th generation, an Intel chip line manufactured on the superior 10nm process, along with Intel XE graphics that will bring great experiences to users in the real world. 

As usual, the 11th generation includes 3 Core i3, i5, i7 lines, through the 10nm SuperFun process, which will improve the performance and response speed of the product. At the same time, Tiger Lake is also equipped with a new integrated graphics core, Iris Xe, capable of improving the laptop's graphics processing speed. Accordingly, image processing speed increases 2.7 times, gaming speed is 2 times faster and supports 8K HDR and 4K HDR screen output at the same time.

In particular, in this 11th generation, the maximum graphics clock of the Intel chip can be up to 1.35 GHz and reach 4.8GHz with Turbo Boost.

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12. Alder Lake (12th generation)

Intel's 12th generation launched on October 27, 2021. This product has been optimized by Intel for size and features to fit a current laptop. In addition, Alder Lake also possesses a completely new Hybrid architecture. This is a combination of performance core P with average performance core E to adjust performance just enough for the device to handle from basic to advanced tasks. 

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Alder Lake operates on the advanced 10nm SuperFin process , providing extremely effective performance improvements. In particular, the 12th generation Intel CPU also resonates with its ability to reduce power consumption by up to 50% while still ensuring high performance when operating. 

The hardware of this new generation also changes when supporting DDR4 and DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 4.0 and 5.0. In addition, Alder Lake is also equipped with up to 16 cores while the old generation only had 8 cores. Along with that, the 12th generation CPU speed can reach 1.8GHz, the clock speed can increase to 4.0GHz and reach 5.0GHz

Epilogue

Above are the Intel chip generations and some information related to this chip that you can refer to. In general, with each generation, Intel will have new improvements in quality, technology, design and performance to enhance user experience. Understanding Intel chip generations will help you choose the generation that best suits your needs.

David Pac

Update 03 October 2023