Laptop CPUs

The CPU is the "brain" of the modern computer. It is the number one factor when it comes to computing speed andperformance. The CPU market is very dynamic, with new chips and technological advances being introduced all the time. The information below was compiled in the Spring of 2008.

There are two main brands of CPUs that are widely available: Intel and AMD. Both companies produce excellent processors. Some of the differences are detailed below.

AMD

AMD has 2 lines of Laptop CPUs: the Mobile Athlon 64 X2, and the Turion X2.

Mobile Athlon 64 X2

The Mobile Athlon 64 X2 is a dual-core processor that can be found in many larger notebook computers. It provides very good processing speed, but uses more power than other laptop CPUs.  Mobile Athlon X2’s are very reasonably priced for the speed they provide, but drain laptop batteries quicker than other chips in the market.

Turion X2

The Turion X2 is a low-power dual-core processor. It can be found in many mid-range notebook computers, and is built for low-power use.  The two cores do provide ample processing power, and the Turion X2 strikes a balance between speed and power efficiency.

Intel

Intel has 3 lines of CPUs that can be commonly found in laptops: the Celeron M, the Intel Dual Core, and the Core2Duo.

Celeron M

The Celeron M is a very inexpensive single-core CPU that can be found in low-end and budget laptops. The Celeron is a very low-power processor, so battery life would be a strong point of a notebook with this CPU. The performance, however, is much below other offerings from both Intel and AMD.

Intel Dual-Core

The Intel Dual-Core is the laptop variant of the Pentium Dual-Core. This CPU provides an ample amount of speed, but uses more power than other laptop CPUs. It is very commonly found in mid-range notebooks, but is out preformed by lower powered chips such as the AMD Turion X2 and the Intel Core2Duo.

Core2Duo

The Core2Duo is the newest line of laptop processors from Intel. The Core2 line combines speed with power management to produce a well-rounded CPU. There are three series within the Core2 line, the T5xxx, T7xxx, and T8xxx notebook processors. The larger the number, the higher performance the CPU offers. The Core2 line is the best performing CPU in the market and is recommended for both mid and high-range systems.

 

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