Laptop Processor Comparison: Which CPU Is Right For You?

A computer's processor is its brain, the component where most of the "thinking" happens. A faster CPU (central processing unit) lets you crunch spreadsheets, surf web pages, play games or edit photos faster, but a higher-wattage processor may also give you worse battery life.

Most laptops today are powered by an Intel CPU, though there are several models that use AMD processors. Even if you only look at Intel's lineup, there are more than two dozen different models you might see featured in a brand new notebook. Fortunately, learning the basics isn’t too difficult.

 

The first word in the processor name is the brand, which is usually "Intel Core" but may also be labeled as Xeon, Celeron, Pentium or Atom. There's also "AMD Ryzen" and "AMD FX." Following the brand, you see the brand modifier, which is most often i3, i5 or i7 but can also be other letters and numbers such as m5, x5, E or N.

On Intel processors, the first number after the hyphen is the generation indicator; the latest generation is the 9th so the very newest CPUs have an 9 here. However, many laptops that are currently for sale haven't been updated to the latest platform yet and will still have a 7 (for 7th Gen) in the model number.

Then you'll probably see some combination of a two or three digit number and a single letter which is probably U, Y, H (also H or HK). The numbers indicate that particular SKU and the letters indicate the processor line. The line is extremely important because it tells you roughly how much wattage this processor needs.

On AMD processors, the numbers and names aren't quite as straightforward. The company's new Ryzen Mobile CPUs are named Ryzen 5, which competes with Core i5 U series and Ryzen 7, which competes with Intel's Core i7 U series.

Some of the Famous Personal Purpose CPU and their capabilities with their purpose are listed below.

Purpose	Recommended CPU	Sample SKUs	Typical Battery Life
Workstation / Gaming	Intel Core i5 / i7 H Series	Core i9-8950HK, Core i5-8300H	3 to 8 hours
Everyday Productivity w/ a Boost	Intel Core i7 U Series / Intel Core i5 or i7 G Series / AMD Ryzen Mobile 7	Core i7-7500U, Core i7-8550U, Core i7-8705G	5 to 17 hours
Everyday Productivity	Intel Core i5 U Series / AMD Ryzen Mobile 5	Core i5-7200U, Core i5-8250U	5 to 17  hours
Super Thin (Mediocre Performance)	Intel Core m / Core i5 / i7 Y Series	Core m3, Core i5-7Y54	5 to 9 hours
Budget Laptops, Low Performance	Intel Celeron, Pentium	Celeron N3050, Pentium N4200	4 to 6 hours
Super Cheap, Worst Performance	Intel Atom Series	Atom Z3735F, Atom x3, Atom x5	7 to 12 hours