About Intel CPU P-Cores and E-Cores

The P-cores and E-cores of Intel CPUs are a new architecture introduced from the 12th generation (Alder Lake). P-cores have high processing power, while E-cores handle light tasks efficiently with low power consumption.

With these two types of processor cores, it is possible to achieve both high performance and power saving, resulting in more efficient work productivity.

Basic knowledge such as how to read CPU manufacturers and model numbers, performance indicators, and how to choose CPUs from the perspective of performance and compatibility are also explained.

≫ Related article: How to Choose a Custom PC CPU [Performance / Features / Compatibility]

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What Are Intel CPU P-cores and E-cores?

P-cores and E-cores are two types of processor cores with different roles, introduced as a new architecture from the 12th generation (Alder Lake) of Intel CPUs.

P-cores (Performance Cores) are designed for high processing power, quickly handling heavy tasks like gaming, video editing, and complex calculations.

They have high single-thread performance, making them suitable for running games and heavy applications, and operate at high clock frequencies.

On the other hand, E-cores (Efficiency Cores) operate efficiently with low power consumption and handle light tasks and background processing.

E-cores can process many threads simultaneously, improve power efficiency, save energy, and help extend battery life in laptops.

By combining P-cores and E-cores, Intel CPUs achieve optimal operation in various situations, balancing performance and efficiency.

Differences and Performance Gap Between P-cores and E-cores

This section explains the differences in roles and features between P-cores and E-cores.

P-cores: High Performance Processing / Handles Heavy Tasks

P-cores are designed for high processing power, quickly handling heavy tasks like gaming, video editing, and complex calculations.

They have high single-thread performance, making them suitable for running games and heavy applications, and operate at high clock frequencies.

The features of P-cores are as follows:

• Cores focused on high performance
• High performance per single thread
• High operating clock due to complex architecture design
• Handles heavy tasks by utilizing high performance
• Supports Hyper-Threading (2 threads per core)
• Tends to have higher power consumption and heat generation

Cores Focused on High Performance

P-cores are designed to deliver high processing power with single or few threads.

This allows for high performance even in complex or real-time tasks.

High Performance Per Single Thread

P-cores are characterized by excellent single-thread performance.

Therefore, they are highly effective for applications where thread parallelization is limited, such as games, video editing software, and 3D rendering.

High Operating Clock Due to Complex Architecture Design

P-cores generally have high base and boost clocks, with some high-end models exceeding 5GHz.

To achieve high operating clocks, microarchitecture features such as multi-stage pipelines and improved branch prediction accuracy are implemented.

As a result, clock frequencies can be increased even under heavy loads, and sufficient processing speed can be achieved for high-load tasks that require single-thread performance.

Handles Heavy Tasks by Utilizing High Performance

P-cores, with their high clock frequencies, handle heavy tasks.

For example, tasks that require a lot of resources, such as gaming, 3D rendering, 3D modeling, video editing, encoding, CAD, office software (large data spreadsheets or macros), and programming, can be smoothly processed by assigning them to P-cores.

Supports Hyper-Threading (2 Threads Per Core)

P-cores support Hyper-Threading (Simultaneous Multi-Threading / SMT), allowing each core to execute 2 threads in parallel.

This can double the number of logical threads compared to physical cores, further improving processing efficiency in some cases.

Tends to Have Higher Power Consumption and Heat Generation

Due to high operating clocks and complex circuits, P-cores tend to have higher power consumption and heat generation compared to E-cores.

Therefore, high-performance coolers are often required, and the number of P-cores may be limited in laptops or low-power PCs.

E-cores: Efficient Processing / Handles Light and Background Tasks

E-cores operate efficiently with low power consumption and handle light tasks and background processing.

Background tasks are those executed while the user is not directly operating the system, such as email synchronization, system updates, and cloud storage synchronization.

The features of E-cores are as follows:

• Cores focused on efficiency and power saving
• High power efficiency due to simple architecture design
• Handles light apps like browsers and email, and background tasks
• No Hyper-Threading support (simplified design)
• Exhibits high power saving during idle or light loads
• Can be equipped in large numbers to improve multi-thread performance

Cores Focused on Efficiency and Power Saving

E-cores are designed to minimize power consumption while handling necessary processing, with the main feature being the ability to operate while suppressing power consumption and heat generation.

High Power Efficiency Due to Simple Architecture Design

Compared to P-cores, E-cores have a simpler structure and do not have deep pipelines or complex control logic.

Therefore, even at the same clock frequency, power consumption tends to be lower.

This simplicity enables high power efficiency.

Handles Light Apps Like Browsers and Email, and Background Tasks

E-cores focus on efficiency rather than single-thread performance, making them suitable for light daily apps (such as browsers and email clients) and OS background processing.

As a result, high-performance tasks are left to P-cores, while E-cores handle basic system tasks with low power consumption, contributing to overall energy savings.

Also, by having E-cores handle light background processing, P-cores can reserve resources exclusively for heavy tasks.

As a result, heavy processing where P-cores excel is less likely to be interrupted, making it easier to achieve higher performance.

No Hyper-Threading Support (Simplified Design)

E-cores are specialized for executing only one thread per core and do not have the complex control required for Hyper-Threading.

This further simplifies the circuit configuration, providing cost and power advantages.

Exhibits High Power Saving During Idle or Light Loads

When the entire system does not require full performance, E-cores mainly operate, handling necessary tasks while reducing power consumption.

Their high power-saving performance during idle is especially beneficial for battery-powered laptops.

Can Be Equipped in Large Numbers to Improve Multi-Thread Performance

Due to their simple structure and low power consumption, many E-cores can be installed on a chip.

Compared to using only P-cores, more cores can be placed within the same TDP range, making it efficient to improve performance in situations where many light multitasks are processed simultaneously.

Differences in Clock Frequency

P-cores generally have high base and boost clocks, with some high-end models exceeding 5GHz.

This allows for sufficient processing speed even for high-load tasks that require single-thread performance.

On the other hand, E-cores have a simple architecture focused on power efficiency, so their base and boost clocks are lower than P-cores.

They often operate at a maximum of around the high 3GHz to about 4GHz, and are designed to greatly reduce power consumption by not increasing frequency more than necessary.

These differences in clock frequency greatly affect the division of roles between P-cores and E-cores.

Assigning fast P-cores to heavy tasks and power-efficient E-cores to light tasks makes it possible to balance overall system performance and power saving.

Differences in Number of Threads

P-cores generally support Hyper-Threading (HT), allowing each core to process two threads simultaneously.

On the other hand, E-cores do not support HT, so each core processes only one thread.

For example, in a CPU with 8 P-cores and 8 E-cores, the P-cores will have double the number of threads, so 8 cores × 2 threads = 16 threads.

Combined with the 8 threads from the E-cores, a total of 24 threads can be used.

These differences in thread count mean that, even with the same number of physical cores, having more P-cores increases the total number of threads, which is one factor affecting multi-thread performance.

Load Management by Intel Thread Director

Intel Thread Director is an important technology for efficiently managing the load between P-cores and E-cores.

Especially in processors that use hybrid architecture (*), it plays a key role in providing a smooth user experience.

This is built into Intel CPUs and shows its effects especially with compatible OSs like Windows 11.

*Hybrid architecture refers to a design that combines two or more types of CPU cores with different characteristics, such as processors with both P-cores and E-cores.

P-cores are suitable for processing high-performance tasks, while E-cores efficiently handle light tasks with low power consumption.

Thread Director optimizes overall system performance by assigning appropriate tasks to these cores.

It analyzes the characteristics of tasks in real time and determines which core can process each task most efficiently.

For example, applications that require heavy computation are assigned to P-cores, while light tasks running in the background are sent to E-cores.

This enables balanced operation between performance and power efficiency.

This technology works in conjunction with the OS, analyzing task characteristics in real time.

Thread Director considers task priority, power consumption, and core load status, and proposes optimal scheduling to the OS.

As a result, users can enjoy a smoother computing experience.

Reasons for Separating into P-cores and E-cores

Until now, Intel CPUs have pursued high performance with a single type of processor core, but here are the purposes and reasons for adopting the hybrid architecture of P-cores and E-cores from the 12th generation.

Achieving Both High Performance and Power Saving

Until now, “high performance = high power consumption and high heat generation” was the norm.

However, in recent years, there has been a strong demand for “maintaining high performance while also valuing battery life and power consumption“.

By adopting the hybrid architecture of P-cores and E-cores, both high performance and power saving are achieved.

P-cores are designed to pursue high performance and quickly handle complex processing, while E-cores focus on power saving and efficiently process daily tasks.

By combining these two types of cores, it is possible to switch between high performance and power saving as needed, achieving efficient operation overall.

This allows users to reduce power consumption without sacrificing performance.

Especially for laptops, improved efficiency and power saving lead to longer battery life.

Optimization in Multitasking Environments

It is common to use a PC while playing videos, opening a browser, syncing with the cloud in the background, and running virus checks—all at the same time.

Even if the main use is 3D gaming or video editing, it is likely that a browser will be opened to look up guides while gaming, or image software and browsers will be used to search for how-tos while editing videos.

Also, the OS often performs background processing without the user knowing, so it is common to run multiple applications simultaneously.

To efficiently handle tasks with different loads, the hybrid architecture of P-cores and E-cores was adopted.

By offloading light tasks to E-cores and concentrating heavy tasks on high-performance P-cores, the system as a whole can process smoothly.

Competing with Other Companies’ CPUs

In ARM-based smartphone CPUs, hybrid architectures with “high-performance cores + power-saving cores” have long been mainstream.

Recently, Apple’s M1 and M2 chips have also adopted this “high-performance core + power-saving core” approach.

As mobile devices like smartphones and laptops have become more widespread, the demand has shifted from just “high performance” to “high performance and power saving” for better battery life.

As a result of responding to competition and recent needs, Intel CPUs have also adopted the hybrid architecture of P-cores and E-cores.

Power Consumption and Heat Management

When multiple high-performance cores operate, power consumption increases and heat generation becomes significant.

This makes system cooling a challenge, and thermal throttling, where CPU performance temporarily drops due to high temperatures, is more likely to occur.

By introducing power-saving E-cores, the operation of P-cores can be minimized during daily tasks, reducing power consumption and heat generation, making it easier to maintain overall PC performance.

By combining P-cores and E-cores, it is possible to keep overall power consumption low while delivering high performance when needed.

As a result, devices such as PCs and smartphones can run on battery for longer periods, and the burden on cooling systems is also reduced.

Summary: P-cores for Heavy Loads, E-cores for Light Loads!

This article explained the roles and features of P-cores and E-cores installed in Intel CPUs.

By adopting a hybrid architecture, both high performance and power saving are achieved to meet the needs of the times.

Here is a summary of the key points.

P-cores are designed to quickly handle heavy tasks and complex calculations, making them suitable for heavy applications such as gaming and video editing.

On the other hand, E-cores can efficiently handle light tasks and background processing with low power consumption, helping to extend battery life.

By combining these cores, Intel CPUs achieve optimal operation in various situations, balancing performance and efficiency.

Basic knowledge such as how to read CPU manufacturers and model numbers, performance indicators, and how to choose CPUs from the perspective of performance and compatibility are also explained.

≫ Related article: How to Choose a Custom PC CPU [Performance / Features / Compatibility]

あわせて読みたい

PC Parts Estimation & Compatibility Check Tool

Automatically checks each component you need when selecting parts for a custom-built PC—perfect for beginners.