Processor N97 vs i7-870S

Place in the ranking	2025	1543
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Power efficiency	2.00	27.24
Architecture codename	Lynnfield (2009−2010)	Alder Lake-N (2023)
Release date	19 July 2010 (14 years ago)	3 January 2023 (1 year ago)

Detailed specifications

Core i7-870S and Processor N97 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	8	4
Base clock speed	2.66 GHz	2 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
Bus rate	2.5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	96 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	2 MB (shared)
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	6 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	45 nm	10 nm
Die size	296 mm²	no data
Maximum core temperature	no data	105 °C
Number of transistors	774 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-870S and Processor N97 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1156,LGA1156	Intel BGA 1264
Power consumption (TDP)	82 Watt	12 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-870S and Processor N97. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	no data
AES-NI	-	+
AVX	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
PAE	36 Bit	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-870S and Processor N97 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-870S and Processor N97 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-870S and Processor N97. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4, DDR5 4800 MHz Single-channel
Maximum memory size	16 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

Intel UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N)

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-870S and Processor N97.

PCIe version	2.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	16	9

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	1.77	3.52
Recency	19 July 2010	3 January 2023
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	45 nm	10 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	82 Watt	12 Watt

i7-870S has 100% more threads.

Processor N97, on the other hand, has a 98.9% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 12 years, a 350% more advanced lithography process, and 583.3% lower power consumption.

The Processor N97 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-870S in performance tests.

Note that Core i7-870S is a desktop processor while Processor N97 is a notebook one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-870S and Processor N97, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.