# A Core i7 laptop at 47K, so why desktops are costlier?



## BhargavJ (Oct 19, 2013)

These two laptops have an i7 processor, and yet they are priced below 70k:

47K:
Asus K55VM-SX086D Laptop (3rd Gen Ci7/ 8GB/ 1TB/ DOS/ 2GB Graph) - Asus: Flipkart.com

64K:
Samsung NP550P5C-S05IN Laptop (3rd Gen Ci7/ 8GB/ 1TB/ Win8/ 2GB Graph) - Samsung: Flipkart.com

If we were to assemble an i7 desktop without a graphics card, it would still be very costly. So why are the laptops so cheap?


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## CommanderShawnzer (Oct 19, 2013)

^Mobile Hardware is cheaper to manufacture i guess.


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## ico (Oct 19, 2013)

Manufacturing cost is same. Everything comes out of the same wafer. One huge waffer containing the same repeating die.

Then chips are binned, they become i5 desktop when Hyper Threading is disabled, i7 desktop if everything is fine, and if some i7 desktops are surprisingly running at good (low) power consumption at low frequencies, they become i7-QM laptop.

i3 desktop, i3 laptop, i5 laptop and i7 non-quad laptop also come out of the same waffer.


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## harshilsharma63 (Oct 19, 2013)

Mobile hardware is in 99% cases the stripped down version of the same desktop hardware.


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## BhargavJ (Oct 19, 2013)

... I still don't understand. What is the meaning of stripped down version of the same hardware? Would it perform the same? If yes, then it would be better to have the laptop, with the advantage of mobility as well. Of course, you can't add components later, like an HDD or graphics card.


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## ico (Oct 19, 2013)

BhargavJ said:


> ... I still don't understand. What is the meaning of stripped down version of the same hardware? Would it perform the same? If yes, then it would be better to have the laptop, with the advantage of mobility as well. Of course, you can't add components later, like an HDD or graphics card.


Clockspeed and thermal headroom.

My desktop i5 will still run circles around this. You can't use a laptop on full load for an extended period of time.


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## BhargavJ (Oct 19, 2013)

Okay, so there will be a performance difference...

This guy is telling me about an i7 at 38K, and at the bottom he says prices include shipping and everything. Does PCPartPicker ship to India?

*www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1847038/core-laptop-47k-desktops-costlier.html#11751034


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## Techguy (Oct 23, 2013)

It may be a mobile i7, but in reality (assuming its a dual core), it will probably perform a bit faster than a desktop i3.

Yes, Intel bins all its chips.. so any good performing die.. which runs at lower voltages goes for mobile.. plus mobile chips are always more expensive.. And the mobile i7 may probably have a bigger L3 cache, but will run at lower clocks.. Also, mobile dies are much more expensive.. a mobile i5 dual core chip retails for around $300.. thats the price of a desktop i7.. but the mobile i3 will run at much lower voltages and consume much less power.. A mobile i5 consumes around 15-35W and runs at 0.6V .. but a desktop i3 consumes around 60W.. and runs at 0.9V

Naturally, if you get a good die, which will be needed for mobile, Intel sells it at a higher price.. so your typical mobile i7 ~ desktop i3.. only the i7 will be a bit faster
This creates an illusion that you are getting i7 class performance on a laptop .. the XM & QM editions.. the very high end i7's for mobile.. those are almost as good as desktop i5's and i7's.. only they use 45W.. desktop chips use 77W-95W.. so that is binning again.. plus in order to save power the mobile chip runs at lower clock speeds.. because of lower thermal headroom


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## CommanderShawnzer (Oct 23, 2013)

Techguy said:


> It may be a mobile i7, but in reality (assuming its a dual core), it will probably perform a bit faster than a desktop i3.
> 
> Yes, Intel bins all its chips.. so any good performing die.. which runs at lower voltages goes for mobile.. plus mobile chips are always more expensive.. And the mobile i7 may probably have a bigger L3 cache, but will run at lower clocks.. Also, mobile dies are much more expensive.. a mobile i5 dual core chip retails for around $300.. thats the price of a desktop i7.. but the mobile i3 will run at much lower voltages and consume much less power.. A mobile i5 consumes around 15-35W and runs at 0.6V .. but a desktop i3 consumes around 60W.. and runs at 0.9V
> 
> ...


mobile i7's are quad-core afaik


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## rijinpk1 (Oct 23, 2013)

CommanderShawnzer said:


> mobile i7's are quad-core afaik



there are dual cores with hyper threading also.


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## Techguy (Oct 25, 2013)

No, Mobile i7's are dual cores with hyper-threading.. although there are some quad core parts too


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## Hrishi (Oct 25, 2013)

CommanderShawnzer said:


> mobile i7's are quad-core afaik



Not necessarily.There are Dual Core variants of the same. Although , the Core I5s are dual-core with HyperThreading acting as Quad-Core.

The best thing you can use to figure out what is better , whether a Dual-Core Desktop I3 or Quad-core Laptop I7 , use benchmarks and real-wrold applications processing time.
Compare the processing time taken for various applications on th'm.

Although , a Desktop Core i7 will dance circles around a Laptop's I7 because of higher clock rates and TDP.
-----------------------------------------
A Core i7 3610Qm should give performance similiar to i5-2500k , a bit on the upper side. And a bit performance lower than I7-2600.


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