Processor Number The Intel processor number is just one of several factors—along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks—to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs. Read more about interpreting Intel® processor numbers or Intel® processor numbers for the Data Center.

Lithography Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

# of Cores Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

# of Threads A Thread, or thread of execution, is a software term for the basic ordered sequence of instructions that can be passed through or processed by a single CPU core.

Processor Base Frequency Processor Base Frequency describes the rate at which the processor's transistors open and close. The processor base frequency is the operating point where TDP is defined. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

Cache CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

Bus Speed A bus is a subsystem that transfers data between computer components or between computers. Types include front-side bus (FSB), which carries data between the CPU and memory controller hub; direct media interface (DMI), which is a point-to-point interconnection between an Intel integrated memory controller and an Intel I/O controller hub on the computer’s motherboard; and Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), which is a point-to-point interconnect between the CPU and the integrated memory controller.

FSB Parity FSB parity provides error checking on data sent on the FSB (Front Side Bus).

TDP Thermal Design Power (TDP) represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload. Refer to Datasheet for thermal solution requirements.

VID Voltage Range VID Voltage Range is an indicator of the minimum and maximum voltage values at which the processor is designed to operate. The processor communicates VID to the VRM (Voltage Regulator Module), which in turn delivers that correct voltage to the processor.

Embedded Options Available Embedded Options Available indicates products that offer extended purchase availability for intelligent systems and embedded solutions. Product certification and use condition applications can be found in the Production Release Qualification (PRQ) report. See your Intel representative for details.

Sockets Supported The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

T CASE Case Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS).

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ‡ Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ‡ Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ‡ Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) ‡ Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Intel® 64 ‡ Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Instruction Set An instruction set refers to the basic set of commands and instructions that a microprocessor understands and can carry out. The value shown represents which Intel’s instruction set this processor is compatible with.

Idle States Idle States (C-states) are used to save power when the processor is idle. C0 is the operational state, meaning that the CPU is doing useful work. C1 is the first idle state, C2 the second, and so on, where more power saving actions are taken for numerically higher C-states.

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Intel® Demand Based Switching Intel® Demand Based Switching is a power-management technology in which the applied voltage and clock speed of a microprocessor are kept at the minimum necessary levels until more processing power is required. This technology was introduced as Intel SpeedStep® Technology in the server marketplace.

Thermal Monitoring Technologies Thermal Monitoring Technologies protect the processor package and the system from thermal failure through several thermal management features. An on-die Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) detects the core's temperature, and the thermal management features reduce package power consumption and thereby temperature when required in order to remain within normal operating limits.

Intel® AES New Instructions Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡ Intel® Trusted Execution Technology for safer computing is a versatile set of hardware extensions to Intel® processors and chipsets that enhance the digital office platform with security capabilities such as measured launch and protected execution. It enables an environment where applications can run within their own space, protected from all other software on the system.