Core 2 Extreme Notebook Processor (CPU)

Note - You should use the possibility to drive your processor with overspeed with care. Intel also does not exclude consequences on the system stability, data integrity, and lifetime of processor and system components.

"Warning: Altering clock frequency and/or voltage may: (i) reduce system stability and useful life of the system, processor and other system components; (ii) cause the processor and other system components to fail; (iii) cause reductions in system performance; (iv) cause additional heat or other damage; and (v) affect system data integrity. Intel has not tested, and does not warranty, the operation of the processor beyond its specifications. Intel has not tested, and does not warranty, the operation of other system components beyond their industry standard specifications. Intel assumes no responsibility that the processor and other system components, including if used with altered clock frequencies and/or voltages, will be fit for any particular purpose." (Source: Intel)

• No bus ratio locks
• Intel Virtualization Technology
• Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
• Intel Execute Disable Bit Technology
• Intel 64 architecture

The various Intel Core 2 Extreme processors are validated for different platforms:

• X9100: GL960, PM45
• X9000: GL960, GM965, PM965
• X7900, X7800: PM965

The performance of the Core 2 Extreme processors is about comparable to equally clocked Core 2 Duo processors. Thereby, the Penryn update improved the performance of the processors while the TDP (thermal dissipation power) stayed the same. Penryn processors are produced in 45 nm technology (the predecessors in 65nm) and have a bigger Level 2 Cache. Furthermore, the Penryn processors got a faster division unit and 47 new SSE instructions (called SSE4). Due to the new production process Intel could increase the clock rate while the energy demand stayed the same. Further information is available in our Intel Core 2 Duo 'Penryn' CPU comparision test and in our Mobile Processors - Benchmark List.

We do unfortunately not have own performance measurements of the new quad-core processor,  the QX9300, yet. Compared to the previous top mobile Core 2 Extreme processor model, the X9100, it has four instead of only two cores, 12 MB cache instead of 6 MB, but a lower clock frequency of only 2.53 GHz instead of 3.06 GHz. The front side bus works equally fast in both processors. According to Intel the performance of the QX9300 is up to 50 percent faster when encoding or editing videos than the X9100. Thereby, the performance of encoding videos was measured with TMPGEncoder* Xpress* 4.4, and of editing videos with Adobe Premiere Pro* CS3. Details are available at Intel's web site.

So far some notebooks were also equipped with Core 2 Extreme Desktop processors. E.g., the QX6850 was used in the Nexoc Odin E805, the Cyber System Q17, and the Schenker mySN D901C (Clevo D901C) (only available in German) notebook, which we reviewed. If you assume that the QX9300 is about 50% faster (see above) than the X9100, you can expect that it is about as powerful than than the QX6850. Anyway, the mobile processor has, with 45 Watt, a much lower TDP than the QX6850 (TDP: 130 Watt). So, it is to be expected that notebooks with mobile QX9300 perform better in the noise and heat emissions than notebooks with desktop Core 2 Extreme CPU. The performance advantage on a higher clocked dual core CPU is only used, if the software (like encoding software) can make use of the additional 2 cores. Current games do not profit of the additional cores as much as from more clock speed. Therefore, the X9100 dual core is faster in many games than the QX9300 quad-core (because of the clock speed advantage of the X9100).