CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

companies use code names to keep track of different variations within models
(see Figure 3-20). As a tech, you need to know both the models and code
names to be able to make proper recommendations for your clients. One
example illustrates the need: the Intel Core i7.
Figure 3-20 Same branding, but different capabilities
Intel released the first Core i7 in the summer of 2008. By spring of 2012,
the original microarchitecture—code named Nehalem—had gone through
five variations, none of which worked on motherboards designed for one of
the other variations. Plus, in 2011, Intel introduced the Sandy Bridge version
of the Core i7 that eventually had two desktop versions and a mobile version,
all of which used still other sockets. Just about every year since then has seen
a new Core i7 based on improved architectures with different code names
such as Ivy Bridge, Haswell, Broadwell, and so on. (And I’m simplifying the
variations here.)
NOTE The processor number helps a lot when comparing processors once
you decode the meanings. We need to cover more about modern processors
before introducing processor numbers. Look for more information in the
upcoming section, “Deciphering Processor Numbers.”