Intel i Series Processors

With such rapidly evolving technology as Central Processing Units (CPU), it can be difficult to understand and select the best performance for your application. Combined with the added complexity and fast changing pace of IP based video for security and surveillance, comparing technical specifications of hardware can be a daunting task. For example, when you see a specification for a video client workstation that says i3, i5 or i7 processor what does that actually mean?
Let’s look at the speed of evolution and range complexity for Intel desktop CPU’s. In 2017 Intel released their 7th Generation Kaby Lake processors and now in 2023 the range is the 13th Generation Alder Lake processors. Making the situation more complex is the different versions of these processors for specific applications such as laptops, edge devices and embedded products which are completely different to the desktop variants. At the time of writing the 13th gen i7 has 26 variations of which 5 of them are for desktop use.

Generally, Intel will release two generations of processors per platform architecture. This architecture will be used by other companies to manufacture primarily motherboards for computers but also other products in which the processor will be connected to make a working system. This means is that if you have a motherboard compatible with an 8th Gen Intel i8-8700 CPU, you can generally rely on this working with the 9th Gen Intel 9700 CPU later on. This is the same for the 10th & 11th gen which can share a compatible platform as well as 12th and 13th gen processors. It is unusual for motherboards to have compatibility for longer than 2 generations, this is because the technology advances whilst keeping compatibility would restrict these advances. It is also unusual for a processor to be upgraded in the commercial sector, they are usually purchased, used and then disposed of.

This upgrade path is not linear. The increase in performance varies between generations and architecture, meaning that some generation jumps are significant and some are minor improvements that are paving the way for future technology. The table below shows 7th to 12th generation products and their relative performance benchmark increase.
Figure 1 – CPU Benchmark scores over generations – source: cpubenchmark.net
When comparing CPU performance, it’s important to know which generation of CPU you are working with. For example, a 7th Gen i7-7700 is easily outperformed by the 13th Gen i3-13100 even though the first is an i7 and the second is an i3. It’s not just about benchmark score, CPU core count or clock speed either. Increases in the on-board Intel GPU performance, memory bandwidth as well as more optimised supporting chipsets all play a huge role in the overall performance of the chip.
It’s important to remember that the above is just about CPUs. If you want to optimise a video client machine you will need to have a deep understanding of the Video Management Software (VMS) in order to take advantage of video offloading. Does the software use offloading engines like Intel Quicksync or the NV Decode chips on certain GPUs or something else? How this all interacts for performance in a given application will vary between software and along with this it must be reliable for 24/7 use. When it comes to designing the best solution there is no secret sauce, just lots of testing combined with an intricate knowledge of the technology involved.
If a specification asked for an i series processor, it is important to find out what version of this processor is actually being asked for. From the chart above, a 9th generation i7 processor will be out performed by a 13th generation i3 processor. To ensure cost optimization the performance needs to be reviewed as opposed to just the series number. To ensure future operability, and the ability to use more advanced software as it is developed a more modern equivalent processor should be selected.