Intel Core i7 Power Plays

In our initial article about the Core i7, codename Nehalem, we were stunned by the power efficiency of Intel’s new CPU, particularly, as we stated, since the measured processor power consumption also comprised that of the memory controller – a saving on the system level of somewhere in the order of 15-20W under load. In the course of numerous discussions, it became obvious that the numbers we measured did not quite add up to the thermal load. After the embargo on the Core i7 was lifted, data sheets became available proving our assumptions wrong, in that the memory controller was NOT part of the power we measured through the VRMs. At the same time, CanardPC and several other websites like HardTecs4U posted additional information regarding the overall power configuration of the Nehalem CPU, which is somewhat different from what we have come to know in the past from CPUs offered by Intel or AMD.