The Intel Core i7-3612QE is a mobile processor with 4 cores, launched in April 2012. It is part of the Core i7 lineup, using the Ivy Bridge architecture with BGA 1023. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 8 threads. Core i7-3612QE has 6 MB of L3 cache and operates at 2.1 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.1 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Core i7-3612QE on a 22 nm production node using 1,400 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Core i7-3612QE, which limits its overclocking potential.
With a TDP of 35 W, the Core i7-3612QE consumes only little energy. This processor features the Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics solution.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i7-3612QE, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Additionally, IOMMU virtualization (PCI passthrough) is supported, so that guest virtual machines may directly use host hardware. Programs using Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) can run on this processor, boosting performance for calculation-heavy applications.