The evolution of CPU cores in computers has been continuous over the years. It started with single-core CPUs, which then progressed to multithreading and eventually led to the introduction of multi-core setups, beginning with dual-core designs and expanding to quad-core, octa-core, and beyond.
Intel’s 12th-Gen CPUs, followed by the 13th-Gen, surprised us with an intriguing development: the inclusion of two different types of cores in a single CPU package called E-Cores and P-Cores.
But what exactly are Intel E-cores and P-cores, and why should they matter to you?
The Reason Behind Intel CPUs Having Different Cores Now: In the x86 computer landscape, cores within a CPU were traditionally uniform, with each core possessing the same processing capacity and clock speed, accounting for minor variations. This design made sense since multi-core setups aimed to distribute tasks among all cores for faster processing.
However, things took a different turn when British semiconductor developer Arm introduced what is known as the big.LITTLE architecture. Arm’s architecture employs two sets of cores that serve different purposes. The larger, performance-focused cores handle demanding tasks, while the smaller, power-efficient cores handle background tasks while consuming significantly less energy. This combination allowed Arm to enhance chip performance while maintaining low power consumption.
This is precisely what Intel is implementing with its latest approach. They have incorporated two sets of cores with distinct functionalities. Intel initially experimented with this concept in its mobile Lakefield chips, namely the Intel Core i5-L16G7 and the Core i3-L13G4. These chips featured one P-core and four E-cores. While the initial implementation had mixed performance results, Intel repeated the approach in their primary lineup of chips, starting with Alder Lake and continuing with its successor, Raptor Lake, which received widespread acclaim.
There are rumors that AMD will also adopt this design for its Ryzen chips in the near future, although the company has not officially announced such plans. However, Hardware Times reported on an alleged AMD CPU that utilizes the big.LITTLE design, which was first noticed by InstLax64 on Twitter.
Intel’s configuration of E-cores and P-cores closely mirrors Arm’s long-standing big.LITTLE concept. So far, it has proven to be a significant improvement over other x86 core layouts.
Now, let’s delve into the specifics of an Intel P-core.
A P-core, or performance core, is the stronger type of core in Intel’s dual core layouts. These cores consume more power, operate at higher clock speeds, and excel in executing instructions and tasks. P-cores are the primary workhorses of the chip, handling demanding workloads and shouldering the heavier computational burden. In Intel’s latest CPUs, P-cores are based on either the Golden Cove microarchitecture (for 12th-Gen CPUs) or the Raptor Cove microarchitecture (for 13th-Gen CPUs), succeeding the older Cypress Cove cores used in Rocket Lake (11th-Gen) chips.
P-cores are typically responsible for intensive tasks like gaming, complex processing workloads, and other operations that benefit from strong single-core performance. In the past, when Intel cores were uniform, all instructions were distributed equally among all cores. Additionally, P-cores also feature hyperthreading, allowing each core to handle two processing threads simultaneously, enhancing their multitasking capabilities.
Let’s dive into the details of an Intel E-core
While P-cores have been around for years and are familiar to us, the real innovation lies in the Intel E-cores, also known as efficiency cores, which are the true stars of this CPU design. While P-cores attract the headlines and attention, E-cores step back to handle various everyday tasks.
E-cores are smaller and less powerful than P-cores, but they consume less power as well. Their main focus is on power efficiency and achieving optimal performance per watt. So, what exactly do E-cores do? In conjunction with the P-core configuration, they handle multi-core workloads and other background tasks, allowing the P-cores to remain largely unoccupied for heavier workloads.
On both Intel’s 12th-Gen and 13th-Gen chips, E-cores are based on Intel’s Gracemont microarchitecture, which succeeds Tremont, the architecture used in certain Pentium Gold and Celeron laptop chips. As you can imagine, E-cores are primarily low-power cores operating at lower clock speeds (as low as 700MHz in some mobile chips). Despite being low-power cores, Intel proudly showcases their performance compared to cores from previous generations.
Now, let’s explore how P-cores and E-cores work together
In a nutshell, they complement each other quite well. According to Intel, the P-cores in 12th-Gen chips deliver 19% better performance than the cores in Intel’s 11th-Gen chips, with further improvements in 13th-Gen chips. Meanwhile, Intel E-cores are no slouch either. They offer 40% better performance at the same power consumption as Skylake chips. The Skylake architecture was introduced in 2015 and is still prevalent in some older gaming computers today. So, considering that E-cores are designed to be low-power, their performance is quite impressive.
With this new hybrid core layout, Intel has positioned itself at the forefront of CPU performance. These CPUs excel not only in gaming but also in productivity tasks, thanks in part to the combination of E-cores and P-cores. It’s not just about “performance cores vs. efficiency cores,” but rather how effectively the performance and efficiency cores work together to enhance overall performance.
The new Intel chips have showcased remarkable single-core performance and impressive multi-core scores on benchmarks, demonstrating their newfound versatility. In the past, Intel chips were renowned for their exceptional single-core performance but often fell behind AMD in multi-core performance. However, this has changed with Intel’s new core layout.
Recognizing the success of this approach, AMD is rumored to adopt a similar hybrid CPU architecture for their upcoming Ryzen 8000 chips, following the all-identical Zen 4 core layout of the Ryzen 7000 series.
Hybrid CPU layouts, although not new to the tech world, are a fresh concept within the x86 architecture, and Intel is witnessing remarkable results. This advancement has led to increased core counts on their chips, resulting in improved performance.
These hybrid CPU layouts represent one of the most significant developments in PCs in recent years, even in their initial implementation, and we are eager to witness further advancements and enhancements in the future.