Laptop processors: the basics

The processor is the core component of any laptop or computer and plays a major role in how fast the laptop is, how long the battery lasts and how much it costs. In technical terms it is often referred to as the central processing unit (CPU).

All laptops today use either an Intel or AMD processor, with Intel holding firmly most of the market share, close to 85%-88%. AMD has been hovering between 10-15% for the past ten years, its lack of success being attributed to major financial problems which seriously affected its ability to innovate and keep up with Intel’s performance and technologies. However, AMD is still relevant in the budget market where it offers better prices than Intel for the same performance.

Laptop processors are derived from desktop processors and have almost identical features. When a new desktop generation of processors is released, it is almost immediately followed by a laptop counterpart which shares the same innovations and fabrication technologies.

The major difference between desktop and laptop processors is their power consumption. Power consumption generates heat and heat in a small encasing such as a laptop needs to be carefully managed, otherwise the entire system will break. This is why the smaller and slimmer the laptop, the less power consumption (TDP) it must have. Usually less power consumption means less performance, but overtime better processor design and fabrication technology can mitigate this loss. For instance, a processor today may offer the same performance as a four year old processor at a third of its power consumption.

Taking into consideration the recent focus on power-efficiency and the fact that most work done on laptops is office work, media consumption and web-browsing, which have barely changed in the past ten years. Laptop manufacturers are now focusing on slimmer laptops with better battery life, sometimes referred to as ultrabooks or ultra-portables. These laptops have processors with low power consumption (7-20 Watt), can last for over 8 hours on battery and provide excellent user experience and productivity.

However, there will always be those who need to squeeze every bit of performance from their mobile machines: some for games, others for work, others just for the sake of having the latest and greatest. For them producers offer processors which excel in performance but require bigger and better cooling solutions, sacrificing portability.
 
Regardless of tastes or needs, processor producers have a wide offer which covers all needs, from cheap to no-limits budgets, from power-efficient to performance behemoths.

Generally, processors can be placed in four categories: high-end for enthusiasts and professionals (games/graphic editing/data crunching), mid-range for most users which need to balance between battery life, price and performance, ultra-portable for those who need long battery life and entry-level processors for those with tight budgets.

*”casual gaming” is understood as playing most games on full HD with low to medium settings.
**price ranges are rough estimates
 
Every processor generation is accompanied by a motherboard chipset. This chipset is soldered onto the motherboard and coordinates the functioning of all the hardware components of the laptop. Since the motherboard chipset changes with every new generation of processors (about every 12 months), processors from the old generation will not work on the new generation of laptops.
In the past, it was possible to upgrade the processor on some laptops, but since 2016 all laptop processors are soldered onto the motherboard and upgrading them is almost impossible.

Choosing the best processor for a laptop is not an easy task. Processors that excel at different characteristics like power-efficiency or performance will be found at the same price. It is important to know what the laptop will be mainly used for, what is the budget, and then choose based on these characteristics.

Image source: ©Intel.