Home / Intel Core i7 / Intel Core i7-2675QM: Performance and Specs

Intel Core i7-2675QM

Intel Core i7-2675QM in 2025: Is This Processor Worth Considering?

Architecture, Performance, Use Cases, and Practical Advice

Introduction

The Intel Core i7-2675QM processor, released in 2011, belongs to the Sandy Bridge era—Intel's second generation of Core architecture. Despite its age, some laptops featuring this CPU are still available on the market (often in the refurbished category). In 2025, its relevance raises questions. Let's explore who might find it useful and what compromises will need to be accepted.

Architecture and Fabrication Process

The Heart of Sandy Bridge

The i7-2675QM is built on a 32nm process and includes:

- 4 cores / 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base frequency: 2.2 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz (for a single core).

- L3 Cache: 6 MB.

- Integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000 (12 EUs, 650–1200 MHz).

Key Architectural Features:

- Improved IPC (instructions per cycle) by 10–15% compared to the previous Nehalem generation.

- Support for AVX—an instruction set for accelerating computations in multimedia tasks.

- Integrated memory controller for DDR3-1333/1600.

iGPU HD 3000:

- Can run older games at low settings (for example, CS:GO at 720p provides about 30–40 FPS).

- Support for DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.1—this is already insufficient for modern projects.

Power Consumption and TDP

- TDP: 45 W — a typical figure for mid-range mobile CPUs from the early 2010s.

- In idle mode, power consumption drops to 10–15 W thanks to Enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology.

- For comparison: modern Intel 13th generation processors (e.g., i7-1360P) with a TDP of 28 W demonstrate 3–4 times higher performance.

Heating Issues:

In compact bodies (e.g., ultrabooks from 2012–2015), the i7-2675QM could overheat under load, leading to throttling. The solution is regular thermal paste replacement and cleaning of the cooling system.

Performance in Real Tasks

Geekbench 6:

- Single-Core: 494

- Multi-Core: 1591

Office Work and Web Browsing

- Launching a browser with 10–15 tabs, office applications (Word, Excel)—the processor handles it, but there may be lags when dealing with large PDFs or online presentations.

- Tip: Use lightweight OS (Linux Mint) or Windows 10 LTSC for optimization.

Multimedia

- Video conversion in HandBrake (1080p → 720p): ~30–40 minutes for a 1 GB file.

- Viewing 4K video: possible only through hardware acceleration in supported players (e.g., VLC).

Gaming

- Older titles: Skyrim (2011) on medium settings — 40–50 FPS.

- Modern games: even Fortnite on minimal settings at 720p will yield no more than 20–25 FPS.

Turbo Boost in Action:

Under load on 1–2 cores, the frequency climbs to 3.1 GHz, providing a boost in single-threaded tasks (such as archiving). However, in multi-threaded scenarios (rendering), Turbo is less effective due to TDP limitations.

Use Cases

Who Might Find the i7-2675QM Relevant in 2025?

1. Budget Users: Laptops with this CPU can be found on the secondary market for $100–$200. Suitable for:

- Document work.

- Watching YouTube (1080p).

- Running older software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop CS6).

2. Retro Tech Enthusiasts: For collectors or those looking to "revive" old technology.

3. Specialized Tasks:

- Running legacy software that doesn’t work on modern OS.

- Test benches for studying Intel architectures.

Who It’s Not Suitable For:

- Gamers.

- Designers and video editors.

- Users requiring long battery life.

Battery Life

- Laptops with the i7-2675QM were equipped with 40–60 Wh batteries. By 2025, their capacity has likely dropped to 50–70% of the original.

- Under light load (web browsing), battery life is 2–3 hours.

- Power Saving Technologies:

- SpeedStep—dynamic frequency adjustment.

- C-States—disabling unused cores.

- Intel QuickSync (for accelerated video encoding).

Tip: Replacing an HDD with an SSD and increasing RAM to 8–16 GB will slightly improve system responsiveness and reduce CPU load.

Comparison with Competitors

AMD

- A10-4600M (2012, 4 cores, TDP 35 W):

- Better graphics (Radeon HD 7660G), but weaker in multi-threaded tasks.

- Geekbench 6 Multi-Core: ~1200.

Apple

- MacBook Pro 2012 with Intel Core i7-3615QM:

- Higher clock speed (2.3–3.3 GHz), but similar performance.

- In 2025, these models are valued for their build quality, but not for performance.

Modern Alternatives

- Intel Core i3-1215U (2022):

- Single-Core: 1800, Multi-Core: 4200 (Geekbench 6).

- TDP 15 W, supports DDR5 and PCIe 4.0.

- Apple M1 (2020):

- Single-Core: 2300, Multi-Core: 8300.

- Four times more energy-efficient.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Reliability and a time-tested architecture.

- Support for multi-threading.

- Low cost on the secondary market.

Weaknesses:

- High power consumption.

- Lack of support for modern standards (USB 3.1, NVMe, Wi-Fi 6).

- Weak graphics.

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

If you decide to buy a device with the i7-2675QM in 2025:

1. Type of Device:

- Workstation (e.g., Dell Precision M4600)—repairability and upgradeability.

- Business Laptops (Lenovo ThinkPad T520)—durable chassis and keyboard.

2. What to Pay Attention to:

- Cooling: Check for throttling under load.

- Screen: IPS panels are preferable to TN.

- Memory and Storage: Minimum of 8 GB of RAM and SSD.

3. Prices: No new devices with this CPU are being produced. Refurbished models range from $150 to $300.

Final Conclusion

In 2025, the Intel Core i7-2675QM is an option for:

- Budget constraints.

- Undemanding tasks (office work, movies, old games).

- Specific scenarios (legacy software, experimentation).

Key Benefits:

- Minimal investment.

- Sufficient performance for basic needs.

However, for serious work, gaming, or mobility, it is better to consider modern processors (Intel 12th–13th generations, AMD Ryzen 6000/7000, Apple M-series). Technology is progressing, and even budget-friendly newcomers of 2025 will leave Sandy Bridge far behind.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

October 2011

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i7-2675QM

Code Name

Sandy Bridge

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.10 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.10 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1224

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

32 nm

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100 C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

2.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8 2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3 1066/1333

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

16 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

21.3 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 3000

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

650 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.20 GHz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/SDVO/CRT

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Instruction Set Extensions

Intel® AVX

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

494

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1591

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

535

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1976

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1320

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3919

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Athlon X4 880K

569 +15.2%

3015e

530 +7.3%

Core i7-2675QM

494

A10-5800B

457 -7.5%

Xeon E5-2407

423 -14.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E7-8867 v3

1914 +20.3%

Core i5-3330S

1752 +10.1%

Core i7-2675QM

1591

Core i5-2500

1459 -8.3%

Athlon 300U

1273 -20%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-2620

572 +6.9%

A10-6700

553 +3.4%

Core i7-2675QM

535

Xeon E5-2698 v4

521 -2.6%

FX-4130

505 -5.6%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Pentium Gold G6605

2284 +15.6%

Core i5-3450S

2116 +7.1%

Core i7-2675QM

1976

FX-8100

1858 -6%

Core i5-6267U

1710 -13.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

A8-7650K

1398 +5.9%

Core M-5Y51

1364 +3.3%

Core i7-2675QM

1320

Xeon E5-2640 v2

1269 -3.9%

Celeron J4025

1209 -8.4%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i3-1110G4

4390 +12%

Ryzen Embedded R1606G

4144 +5.7%

Core i7-2675QM

3919

Pentium Gold G5400

3725 -5%

Core i3-4340

3545 -9.5%