How to Choose a Laptop CPU in 2021
Should get you get a Core i3 or a Ryzen 9? Need maps to navigate “Tiger Lake” and “Ice Lake”? Little more than a vague impression of “Cezanne”? Here’s how to make sense of the dizzying mix of mobile processors on the market and get the most powerful laptop for your money.
At the heart of every laptop is a central processing unit (CPU) that is responsible for nearly everything that goes on inside. The CPUs (also commonly called “processors”) you see in laptops are made by AMD, Apple, Intel, and Qualcomm. The options may seem endless, and their names, byzantine. But choosing one is easier than you think, once you know a few CPU ground rules.
This guide will help you decrypt the technical jargon that haunts every laptop specification sheet—from core count to gigahertz, from ARM to x86, and from TDP to cache amounts—to help you pick the one that best suits you. With very few exceptions, a laptop processor chip can’t be changed out or upgraded later, so it’s essential to make the right choice from the start.
First Up: Some Basic CPU Concepts
The CPU is responsible for the primary logic operations in the computer. It has a hand in everything: mouse clicks, the smoothness of streaming video, responding to your commands in games, encoding your family’s home video, and more. It’s a critically important piece of hardware.
Before we get into specific CPU recommendations, let’s build an understanding of what differentiates one from another by focusing on the central traits that all laptop processors have in common.
Processor Architecture: The Silicon Underpinnings
Every processor is based on an underlying design called an instruction-set architecture. This blueprint determines how the processor understands computer code. Since software applications can be written to work more efficiently on a given architecture or, in a worst-case scenario, to work only on a certain architecture, it can be the most important decision point for your next processor.
In the broadest sense, laptop processors are based on ARM or x86 architectures. AMD and Intel are the only two companies that compete in the vastly more popular x86 space, the architecture that Intel created more than 40 years ago. ARM-based chips, on the other hand, are produced by many companies under license from ARM. (ARM is currently under scrutiny by the FTC for a planned acquisition by Nvidia; the current owner is Softbank.) ARM chips had been seen only in niche Windows 10 laptops (based on Qualcomm CPUs) and some Chromebooks until Apple’s switch at the end of last year to its own ARM-design M1 chips. (See our review of the late 2020 Apple MacBook Air.) Apple’s switchover is a leading reason that ARM chips are seeing wider acceptance as an alternative to x86 for mainstream computing.
Your architecture choice is preordained if you are an Apple user (essentially boiling down to pre-M1 Intel-based Macs and the new M1 models). But Microsoft Windows, Chromebooks (more accurately, Chrome OS), and many Linux operating systems are compatible with both ARM and x86. Based on our review of the Microsoft Surface Pro X, a tablet powered by a Microsoft- and Qualcomm-designed ARM CPU, x86 remains our recommended architecture for Windows until more apps are written to run natively on ARM.
Apps written for x86 can still operate on ARM chips through software emulation, but the app will be slower than if it had been written to run on ARM in the first place. We also prefer x86 processors for Chromebooks for their responsiveness, especially in premium models like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. The occasional ARM CPUs (notably, from MediaTek) that you may see in some budget Chromebooks are the sign of a low-end, cost-saving silicon solution.
Core and Thread Count: Firing on All (CPU) Cylinders
Today’s laptop CPUs are composed, in part, of two or more physical cores. A core is essentially a logic brain on the processor. Having more cores, all else being equal, is better, although there is a ceiling to how many you can take advantage of in any given situation. A (much) simplified analogy is to the number of cylinders in a car engine, and their effect on horsepower.
For basic use, including internet surfing, office productivity, social media, and video streaming, a dual-core processor is the bare minimum; it’s also the least you’ll find in a modern laptop CPU. (Single-core processors are no longer used in laptops.) Multitaskers will be far better off with a quad-core chip, and these have become common even in some budget notebooks. For gaming, video editing, and other intense use, look for a six- or eight-core processor. They are typically found only in larger notebooks, since they require extra cooling. (They also tend to be a higher tier of CPU; more about that stratification in a bit, when we talk about Intel and AMD chip specifics.)
Then you have the issue of thread count. We’re not talking about linens and sheets here, but processing threads. Thread count is also related to core count.
A thread is essentially a task, or a portion of a task, for the computer to perform. Computers routinely juggle hundreds or thousands of them even under ordinary circumstances, though the processor can work on only so many threads simultaneously. That number is represented by its thread count, which is (sometimes) a 2x multiple of its core count.
In a bygone era, one core could process only one thread at a time, but today’s CPUs often (but not always) have thread-doubling technology that allows one core to work on two threads simultaneously. A quad-core processor with thread doubling, for example, would be able to process eight threads. This technology is variously called Hyper-Threading (by Intel) or symmetric multiprocessing (SMP, a more generic term).
At the minimum, look for a processor that can process four threads. Users working on heavy media-creation and -conversion tasks should be looking for the ability to handle eight or more. Core count trumps thread count; all else being equal, a quad-core processor without thread doubling will generally perform better than a dual-core processor with thread doubling. Of course, in the CPU world, all else is seldom equal; that’s why so many varieties of chips exist, and the next item, clock speed, is the way in which they vary the most.
Clock Speed and Frequency: The CPU Stopwatch
Measured in gigahertz (GHz), clock speed is synonymous with “frequency.” Clock speed is a driver of how many instructions (basic operations) a processor can crunch through per second. Higher is generally better, though the waters get muddy when comparing clock speeds alone among different processor brands, or even between models within the same brand. That’s because some processors are more efficient than others, able to process just as many instructions as another in a given slice of time while operating at a lower clock speed. Still, clock speed can be telling when comparing chips within a narrow family line from a single chip maker.
Processors commonly have two rated clock speeds: a base clock, and a boost clock. The base clock is the minimum clock speed. It’s typically between 1GHz and 2GHz for laptop chips, though it can be higher depending on the processor’s rated wattage. (More on that variable soon.) The boost clock varies more from model to model, ranging from about 3.5GHz to just over 5GHz.
Some low-end processors lack a boost clock altogether, greatly limiting their performance under pressure. They should be avoided if what you do on your laptop is performance-minded. With a boost clock, a processor can quickly increase its clock speed to handle a task, then reduce it just as swiftly to save on energy and heat. It makes the processor more responsive for any kind of usage.
Surprisingly, laptop-processor boost clocks often parallel those of desktop processors, but laptop chips tend to be unable to sustain their boost clock rates for as long before ramping down, due to power and/or thermal limitations. This concept is called throttling, a safety measure built into the processor to keep it running within its rated specifications.
Thermal Design Power (TDP) Rating: This Is Watt’s Up
Just as important as clock speed in determining a processor’s overall performance is its thermal design power (TDP) rating. This number, measured in watts, is often misinterpreted as power consumption. Instead, it tells computer designers how much thermal energy the cooling solution they pair with the processor must be able to dissipate for the processor to operate effectively. Nonetheless, the correlation between TDP and power consumption is there; the higher the TDP rating, the more power the processor is expected to consume and, consequently, the heat that it will produce.
Dissipating heat from the confines of a notebook chassis is challenging. Sticking a desktop chip into such a space is a recipe for overheating, which is why laptop CPUs are a class of their own, distinct from desktop ones. CPU makers produce special chips with TDP ratings that are appropriate for a laptop environment. Laptop TDP ratings range from just a few watts for ultra-compact laptops to 55 watts for desktop-like performance. For reference, desktop CPUs commonly start at 65 watts. (See our picks for top desktop processors.) You won’t shop for a laptop or a laptop CPU strictly by TDP, but it’s good to know what the number signifies about the class of chip you are looking at.
Most laptop CPUs are rated for 15 watts. They have a low enough thermal profile to work in slim notebook designs, yet sufficient power to reach desktop-like boost clocks for at least a short period. Notebooks with these chips almost always require active cooling—that is, the presence of a small fan or two.
In contrast, passively cooled notebooks are restricted to processors rated for just a few watts. Such low TDP ratings severely constrain the processor’s clock speed and thus its performance. These chips are suitable for day-to-day usage but ill-matched for demanding tasks, such as photo or video editing.
At the top of the TDP roster, gaming notebooks, mobile workstations, and desktop-replacement laptops are routinely equipped with processors rated between 45 and 55 watts. They offer the most desktop-like performance that is available in laptop form. High-end gaming, video editing, and intense multitasking are all within their reach. These chips are dubbed “H”-series by both AMD and Intel; more about that in a bit.
Note that a few huge outlier laptops (the Alienware Area-51m line, and some models from the likes of Eurocom and other specialists) actually use socketed desktop-class chips, cooling them in a big, thick chassis. These are the rare laptop exceptions that may allow you to swap out their CPUs down the line. They are very pricey specialty items, though, and resolutely not portable, usually requiring giant, or even multiple, power bricks.
Cache: You’ve Probably Got Enough
A processor’s cache is a small memory pool (usually a few megabytes in size) that is separate from the computer’s main memory (RAM). It helps the processor manage its workflow by providing a lightning-fast way to retrieve data. Higher amounts are better, but this specification is largely ignorable; gone are the days when processors were sent out into the world with too little cache to perform effectively. We’re just explaining it because you will see it referenced, once you dig into a particular CPU’s specs.
Integrated Graphics: The GPU on the Chip
Laptop CPUs include integrated, or on-chip, silicon designed for graphics acceleration, dubbed an integrated graphics processor (IGP). At the most basic level, this silicon handles the display of the image on the laptop’s screen. That’s true even if the laptop also has a dedicated graphics chip from AMD (Radeon RX) or Nvidia (GeForce or Quadro).
An IGP’s performance can make a difference for 3D tasks, and it may even handle some light PC gaming depending on its performance level. (Intel, especially, has shown some significant leaps forward in the quality of its IGPs in its most recent mobile chip generations.) The Integrated Graphics Performance section in this guide, coming up, discusses whether and how much the integrated graphics should factor into your CPU choice.
Which Way to Go: An AMD or an Intel Mobile CPU?
With the basics covered, let’s start on specific processor brands and their underlying features. This section will focus on x86 processors from AMD and Intel, since Apple’s MacBook laptops are, here in early 2021, primarily available with the company’s own ARM chips. (Intel-based MacBook models remain on sale in the 16-Inch MacBook Pro and as an option with the 13-inch model, but we expect the whole lot to be based on Apple Silicon before long.)
AMD and Intel laptop processors are both competitive in the laptop space as of this early 2021 writing. This was not the case for most of the 2010s, when Intel dominated the market with its overall better-performing and more power-efficient processors. For most of that decade, AMD laptop chips were relegated to a subset of low-cost “value” laptops.
But AMD has turned the tables with its last few generations of mobile Ryzen silicon, making the underdog CPU maker competitive once again in laptops. (For the latest iterations, see our feature detailing our initial Ryzen 5000 Mobile benchmarks, and our deep dive with Ryzen 4000 “Renoir” versus Intel Tiger Lake.) That aside, Intel-based laptops continue to enjoy a greater variety of designs and adoption by notebook makers, which can force your processor choice depending on the laptop.
The following sections deep-dive into laptop-specific AMD and Intel processors. For the TL;DR version, skip to the last subhead on the dropdown table of contents, “Summing It Up.”
The ABCs of the Main Brands: Pentium and Core, Ryzen and More
AMD and Intel differentiate their laptop processors according to all of the basic concepts discussed earlier, but their top-level branding is more visible to shoppers. Here are their basic product lines by intended market. (We’ll explain the U and H series stuff in a bit.)
In laptop chips, Intel’s most popular mainstream consumer brand is Core, while AMD’s is Ryzen. They compete at every level—AMD’s Ryzen 3 competes with Intel’s Core i3, Ryzen 5 with Core i5, and Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 with Core i7 and Core i9.
Meanwhile, AMD’s Athlon line vies with Intel’s Celeron and Pentium lines for space in laptops and Chromebooks retailing for just a few hundred dollars. AMD has no direct alternative to Intel’s workstation-grade Xeon, though its Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processors can offer similar performance. The Xeon laptop chips are essentially Core i7 or Core i9 chips with extra features, on a platform designed to work with error-correcting (ECC) memory and to guarantee smooth operation with specific professional applications.
Most shoppers will find that the middle citizens in the Core and Ryzen lineups offer the ideal mix of performance and value. The Ryzen 5 and the Core i5 are particularly well-rounded. Supporting multi-threading across the board in their latest generations, they are more powerful than the Ryzen 3 and the Core i3 but less expensive than the Ryzen 7 and the Core i7. Power users and gamers will usually want to jump to a Core i7 or a Ryzen 7. Those with extra cash to burn, or for whom media-rendering or data processing wait time means money, can spring for a Core i9 or a Ryzen 9.
Generations and Codenames: Yeah, You’ll Need a Decoder Ring
AMD and Intel differentiate their CPUs by generation much like car companies go by model years. In its latest chips, Intel represents the generation in its CPU models as a two-digit number after the brand identifier (Core) and family number (i3, i5, i7, or i9). For example, the “11” immediately following “Core i5” in the commonly seen Intel Core i5–1135G7 processor signifies its 11th generation status. (There are exceptions; see Special Intel Naming Conventions, below.)
Meanwhile, AMD’s generation identifier is the first number in the model name following the brand and the family number (3, 5, 7, or 9). For example, the “5” in Ryzen 7 5800H means it’s a Ryzen 5000 series chip.
AMD and Intel also employ codenames behind their generations while those chips are in development, such as “ Tiger Lake “ for Intel’s 11th Generation Core processors and “Cezanne” for AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series mobile chips, its latest as of early 2021. These codenames are internal and industry lingo more than consumer marketing terms, but they get used aplenty even after a chip is released. Confusingly, at times Intel processors of a single given numeric generation can have different codenames depending on their features. (For example, “Comet Lake” and “Ice Lake” codenames covered different subsets of 10th Generation Intel mobile CPUs.)
(Tip: Intel lists the processor’s generation and codename on its ARK site after releasing info on a CPU. We often reference the major AMD and Intel codenames before the chips are released, and sometimes after; you can easily find our coverage by searching our site for a given codename.)
Knowing a CPU’s generation and/or codename is helpful to determine when it was released and to locate specific performance data on it. AMD and Intel typically refresh their processors every 12 to 18 months. Unless there is some financial incentive to getting a laptop with an older chip, we advise buying the most recent generation to ensure you’re getting the newest features and the most longevity from your purchase. We’ve got more on codenames and chip lines in detail later on in this guide, but here’s a cheat sheet to the laptop-CPU codenames of the last five years…
H Series and U Series: Where TDP and Clock Speed Intersect
As mentioned earlier on, AMD and Intel processors further segment their processors by TDP rating, identifiable by the suffix at the end of the product name. (Again, see Special Intel Naming Conventions, below, for exceptions.) Fortunately, both companies—at least until recently!—have used the same suffixes to differentiate their two main classes of laptop CPU. A suffix of “U” denotes a low-power chip, usually a chip with a TDP of 15 watts, as in the Core i5–10210U or the Ryzen 5 5600U.
The U-class chips are by far the most popular chips in consumer and business laptops, widely used in all types of designs. Laptop manufacturers can customize some chips with an even lower TDP (usually 10 watts) to minimize heat for ultra-compact or fanless models. (With its 10th and 11th Generation mainstream laptop chips, alas, Intel has mostly stopped using the U suffix, though these are still U-series chips; this class of chips often now ends in a “G” plus a number.)
The most powerful laptop chips have a suffix of “H,” such as the Core i7–10750H and the Ryzen 7 5800H. Most of these are rated for 45 watts and are mainly found in larger laptops (with 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch screens) because of their steeper cooling requirements. AMD also has an “HX” suffix for its laptop chips with a TDP over 45 watts, and an “HS” suffix for its special 35-watt TDP chips, such as the Ryzen 9 5900HS. Intel, confusingly, also uses an H-suffix for its 35-watt chips, like the Core i7–11375H.
CPU clock speed is largely a product of TDP. The U-class chips have the lowest base clocks (usually between 1GHz and 2GHz) to minimize power consumption, while the H-class chips have the highest base clocks (usually in the 2GHz range). The boost clocks are similar between the two classes, though the H-class can maintain its boosts for much longer; the thinner-laptop cooling solutions that tend to be paired with the U-series chips are inadequate to dissipate the heat the CPU generates while running at its boost clock for quite as long. But for short tasks (a few seconds), a U- and an H-class chip can perform almost identically—again, all else being equal.
Cores and Thread Count: Breaking It Out by Line
The core and thread counts of Intel and AMD CPUs vary by product line and TDP rating. Intel’s Core i7, Core i9, and Xeon lines, and AMD’s Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 lines, have the highest, while Intel’s Celeron and Pentium, and AMD’s Athlon line, have the lowest. As the following table shows, some brands have models with different core counts; this can vary by generation, as well. We’ve mapped it out here for CPUs released from 2019 onward.
Core counts generally increase with TDP rating. Intel’s U-series chips range from two to six cores while AMD’s go up to eight cores, though both brands commonly offer them with four cores. Thread count varies, too; Intel’s laptop Core line fully supports thread-doubling technology as of its 10th Generation chips, as does AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series. Celerons and some earlier Ryzen 3s do not, however. You’ll want to look at any given chip’s specifics to verify whether it can handle twice as many threads as it has cores.
Special Intel Naming Conventions
Intel occasionally introduces different naming conventions for new features or special processors. Its Lakefield CPUs, such as the Core i5-L16G7 in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, forego the two-digit generation number after the brand identifier since they are a hybrid of different generations. Fortunately, Intel’s most popular processors stick to its traditional naming conventions.
As mentioned above, most late-model mainstream Intel processors now end with a “G”-plus-number-suffix, with the higher the G-number indicating a better-performing integrated graphics solution. (See the next section.) Last, some Intel processors have no suffix, such as the Pentium Gold 7505, leaving you no indication of their TDP rating without looking up the processor on Intel’s site. C’est la (CPU) vie.
Integrated Graphics Performance
Laptop processors include an integrated graphics solution built right into the chip. Most laptops rely on it as their sole means of video output. Gaming and workstation notebooks also include a dedicated, separate high-performance AMD or Nvidia graphics chip of their own, though they can usually switch to the CPU’s integrated graphics to conserve power when maximum 3D performance is not required. (The laptop automatically handles this switchover without interrupting you.)
Until very recently, most Intel laptop processors included its UHD Graphics integrated solutions. Sometimes that was appended with a number (often “UHD Graphics 620” or “UHD Graphics 600”) or later, simply called “UHD Graphics.” A UHD Graphics implementation provides enough performance for desktop display connectivity, smooth onscreen animations, video streaming, and browser-based gaming, though it falls far short of the oomph required for modern 3D gaming. Even Fortnite is a stretch.
But graphics solutions aren’t just about gaming. They can also improve performance for photo and video editing and live streaming. AMD and Intel recently introduced better-performing integrated solutions that are capable of all of that and even some 720p gaming on the side. On Intel’s side, its latest integrated solutions are the Iris Xe and Iris Xe Max, the latter technically a discrete-GPU implementation. On AMD, the moniker AMD Radeon Graphics indicates a form of its latest integrated silicon.
AMD’s latest Ryzen 4000 and 5000 series processors include AMD Radeon integrated graphics that perform much better than Intel UHD integrated graphics. (See, for example, the benchmarks in our HP Envy x360 13 (2020) review, where we compare the laptop against several Intel UHD Graphics notebooks.) Intel’s answer to that challenge is its Iris Xe solution, found in its 11th Generation Core laptop processors. As noted, Intel now uses a “G”-suffix, as in the Core i7–1185G7, on its latest 11th Generation Tiger Lake chips: The G7 indicates Iris Xe, while a G4 would indicate UHD Graphics. The number after G represents its relative performance level; the base model is G4, while G7 has higher performance. Our Lenovo Yoga 9i review shows the G7 solution performing similar to or even better than AMD Radeon Graphics.
That said, AMD notebooks with integrated AMD Radeon Graphics tend to be lower priced than Intel notebooks with Iris Xe. This can be a major point in favor of opting for an AMD CPU in your next notebook.
Business Considerations (Intel vPro and AMD Pro)
Home users can skip this section, but business buyers should read on. AMD and Intel offer remote management technologies—AMD Pro and Intel vPro—to help business IT personnel manage their computer fleets, including remote updates, repairs, and enhanced security features. The mixtures of services on offer differ with each, and sometimes evolve with a new generation; check out the details at the links preceding.
AMD indicates a CPU has AMD Pro by simply including it in the product name; the Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U is one sample. Oddly, Intel is subtle about vPro support, not obviously incorporating it into its product naming. Instead, it’s listed as a supported technology on Intel’s CPU product page. (See, for example, the Core i7–1180G7, or this summary and filter page on Intel’s invaluable ARK chip database site.)
Laptop CPU Overclocking
Most laptop CPUs are incapable of overclocking—that is, they do not allow users to increase their clock speeds beyond factory ratings. Intel’s uncommon laptop Core processors with a “K” suffix are exceptions.
The K means that the processor has unlocked multipliers, which can be used to modify the clock speed. (See our feature: How to Overclock Your Intel CPU for an idea of how to do this on a desktop; the process is much the same, but with less thermal leeway on a laptop.) The Core i9–10980HK is Intel’s only recent K-series chip, though we would expect one at the top end of the Tiger Lake-H laptop CPU line when it launches.
Why not widely allow laptop CPU overclocking? The chief reason is that laptops are designed around strict thermal controls. Increasing the CPU clock speed consequently increases power draw and generates more heat, which can cause overheating and instability, or at least counterproductive throttling. All told, laptop CPU overclocking is a novelty only on the most bleeding-edge gaming models with an Intel K-series chip and sufficient cooling.
Summing It All Up: Which Processor Should You Get?
The good news for consumers is that now, even despite the well-publicized silicon shortages, is an excellent time to buy a laptop of any kind. Though an ultra-budget laptop might use a sluggish CPU, nearly all mid-priced (around $500) models will include a responsive CPU for everyday usage. There’s no shortage of power on the gaming, creative-pro, and workstation side of things, either; Apple, AMD, and Intel all have competitive offerings. (One note: Check out our guide to gaming laptops for much more on picking a CPU for a gaming laptop, and the complex interactions among gaming performance, the CPU, and the GPU.)
The choice for you, if you’re an Apple laptop buyer, is already made since the company started the switch to its in-house ARM-based chips in late 2020, unless you need to stick with a legacy Intel MacBook for specific software reasons. At the minimum, they’re competitive with AMD and Intel CPUs offered in similarly sized notebooks. And for specialized applications, they can be even faster. (See our latest tests of the M1 here and around the latest Photoshop build.)
Windows-laptop and Chromebook shoppers have a much greater choice with CPUs from AMD, Intel, and even a few ARM-based chips thrown into the mix. Chromebooks generally deliver a smooth computing experience on any of those chips, though our recommendation for Windows laptops remains AMD and Intel, since many apps are not yet optimized for the ARM architecture. If you go AMD in a Chromebook, opt for one of the company’s recent Ryzen C Chromebook-specific CPUs rather than one of its now-creaky A-series Chromebook chips. And an Intel Core CPU will serve you better than a Pentium or Celeron in a Chromebook if you tend to keep lots and lots of tabs open at the same time.
AMD’s Ryzen 4000 and 5000 lines, and Intel’s 10th and 11th Generation Core processors, are the mainstays of the Windows consumer and business laptop market. They’re highly competitive on features and low power consumption, though AMD usually delivers superior raw CPU performance, scoring higher in our benchmark tests than comparable Intel chips with programs that tend to gobble up all the cores and threads they can use, like content-creation applications. (That said, Ryzen Mobile CPUs tend to be seen in far fewer laptops, all told.) Their AMD Radeon integrated graphics also provide better 3D performance than Intel’s UHD Graphics solutions, though Intel’s Iris Xe in its 11th Generation Core chips is roughly on par.
Outside of specific usage scenarios and benchmarks, however, like-priced Intel and AMD laptops will offer a similar user experience for everyday tasks. Video streaming, word processing, and other everyday tasks are well within the reach of almost any Intel and AMD chip. Even gamers can choose either brand; a Ryzen 7 and a Core i7 chip will be competitive (though the Intel Core chips will be found in a lot more machines). All this is helpful for laptop shoppers since it gives you the freedom to focus on the laptop’s design and features first and on the CPU second. (Again, specific usage scenarios can dictate doing things the other way around.)
Down and Dirty: A Look at the Very Latest CPUs
We haven’t tested all of the laptop CPUs on market; likely no one outside of Intel or AMD has, and perhaps not even them! But with our general advice behind us, let’s wrap up with our more specific laptop processor recommendations for various usage scenarios, starting with a general specification guide.
The above should give you an idea of the processor families you should be targeting on either side of the x86 CPU aisle. Then you can get more granular.
To that end, the last two tables here are cheat sheets for the most common current-generation laptop CPUs from AMD and Intel, along with their suggested usages and the kinds of laptops they can be found in. This should be very helpful if you are shopping the latest-model laptops, and these lists should become even more relevant as 2021 goes on. (The 11th Gen Intel and the Ryzen 5000 chips will become more and more the norm.)
You’ll still see plenty of sold-new laptops with earlier chip generations, of course, not listed here. An exhaustive list going back several chip generations would be impossibly unwieldly. But if you look at either AMD’s or Intel’s previous generations of CPUs, it’s easy to tell which are the parallel last-gen versions of the ones listed below. You can safely assume, in most cases, if the core and thread count is the same, that they will offer slightly lesser performance than the current-generation model, but fit in the same relative place in the overall family hierarchy. If the price is right, don’t dismiss something last-gen.
First, a look at the Intel lineup…
As you can see, the mainstream-use Intel chips are now dominated by the Tiger Lake U line, though you’ll still see equivalent 10th Generation Ice Lake U and Comet Lake U chips in machines on the market. Don’t ignore those if the laptop is a good value. Intel has released just one H-class 11th Generation CPU for power machines, but expect more in 2021; 10th Generation remains the norm for now in gaming and high-performance machines.
And now for the AMD lineup…
As mentioned earlier, you’ll see these chips in fewer machines overall, especially as the Ryzen 5000 series is quite new. Note that we wouldn’t make much fuss, unless you’re a power user, over the differences between the “Lucienne” and “Cezanne” designations, which indicate older (Zen 2) and newer (Zen 3) core architectures in this line. The much bigger difference is with the U-series chips overall versus the H-series chips. The latter can gain you a killer eight cores and 16 threads in power laptops that approach leading-edge desktop workhorses.
Best of luck with your laptop hunt! As always, for nitty-gritty performance details, you can check out our endless stream of laptop reviews, and our list of our current laptop favorites (with links there to many more laptop favorites lists). The performance of a given CPU in a review won’t always reflect, in every test, the exact muscle you’d get from the same CPU in a different laptop. (Other factors, like RAM and thermals, can come into play.) But our detailed performance tests will get you close enough in your decision that you won’t be able to tell the differences without a stopwatch. Leave that stuff to us.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.
