There are many different factors you need to consider when choosing your laptop processor. For example, you may be wondering whether you should choose a U-series or an N-series processor. The main differences between the two are the thread count and the core count. If you’re in the market for a new laptop, check out our guide on how to compare laptop processors.
AMD’s Ryzen 5 6600HS and 5980HX
The latest in the Ryzen 5 family of laptop processors is the Ryzen 7 5800U and the Ryzen 5 6600HS. These are both based on AMD’s Zen 3+ microarchitecture and offer a few new features.
First off, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU designed for thin and light notebooks. It also supports DDR5-5600 in dual-channel mode.
AMD’s Zen 3+ architecture allows for a few new features, most notably the AV1 decode capability and the ability to support Bluetooth LE 5.2. The Zen 3+ chip is also a step up from the Zen 2 and the Ryzen 5 chips.
While it’s not necessarily the fastest CPU around, the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H/HS is certainly a well-engineered device. This chip offers six of eight cores, a base clock of 3.3GHz, a boost clock of 4.5GHz, and a 35W TDP.
Although it’s a tad smaller than the Radeon 660M, the 6600H does have an impressive graphics card, with a maximum of three84 cores and an RDNA 2 Compute Unit. It’s also a very good value.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the first to be announced as an AMD Advantage laptop, and it’s equipped with SmartAccess Graphics, which is a cool feature. It’s also the first AMD Advantage laptop to have a RX 6800S GPU.
Whether you choose a laptop powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 or an AMD Ryzen 5 is a matter of personal preference. However, you will definitely find the latest processors have better battery life and performance than the older generations.
Intel’s Raptor Lake mobile processor lineup
Raptor Lake is Intel’s next-generation mobile processor lineup. It is based on Intel’s hybrid architecture and is optimized for power efficiency. With the introduction of 13th-gen Raptor Lake, Intel hopes to reclaim its mobility market share, which it has lost to AMD. The CPUs are expected to arrive in laptops in the first quarter of 2025.
These mobile chips are optimized for gaming, video editing, and professional use. They will be soldered to the motherboard of laptops and will not come as built-in components. But there are no guarantees that the company’s chip will be successful in the laptop market.
Some Raptor Lake laptop parts include a dedicated video processor called Movidius. However, they will only be available in a select number of designs. Other Raptor Lake chips will ship in midrange and entry-level notebooks.
One of the first Raptor Lake laptop CPUs is the Core i9-13980HX, which runs at 5.6 GHz and has 14 performance cores and eight efficiency cores. There is also the Core i9-13950HX, which is the first 24-core chip for a mobile processor.
Raptor Lake is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, Alder Lake. In addition to the clock speed, the chip includes larger caches and higher overall performance. Raptor Lake also uses an enhanced Thread Director. This helps allocate resources more effectively.
Intel expects that Raptor Lake will be integrated into devices throughout 2025. Intel plans to launch the ‘Alchemist+’ graphics cards in Q3, 2025.
Intel’s U-series vs AMD’s U-series
While the desktop battle between Intel and AMD continues, the mobile CPU market is a different story. In fact, Mercury Research reported that unit sales were down 30 percent over 2021.
If you’re looking for a high-performance laptop for gaming or business, you should look into Intel’s 13th-gen U-series. These processors are built for the future of thin and light devices.
The flagship Core i9-13950HX has 24 performance cores. It also features 16 efficiency cores and a maximum clock speed of 5.6GHz. Combined with the Iris Xe graphics processor, this chip should provide impressive performance and consistent reliability.
Among other things, this processor will be capable of supporting DDR4 and DDR5 memory. It will also support Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.
On the other hand, the AMD Ryzen 7000 Series is built on the Zen 4 architecture. This chip has a slew of performance features, including support for PCIe 5.0 and NVMe Gen 5.0 SSDs.
Both Intel and AMD offer credible performance. However, the winner of the CPU war will depend on your price range. And while the CPUs themselves are impressive, a lot more is needed to make a good PC.
For instance, you’ll need to consider not only the CPU, but the motherboard and graphics card as well. That’s why many PC makers cut back on their inventory. Fortunately, both Intel and AMD offer good value when it comes to per-core pricing.
Core count trumps thread count
When choosing a laptop processor for your PC, there are many things to consider. One of them is core count. Core count is not everything, but it can tell you a lot about how fast a certain chip performs.
Core count is an important indicator of how much horsepower a computer chip has. More cores means more tasks that can be processed at the same time.
For example, an eight-core CPU can handle more than eight tasks at a time, while a quad-core can handle four. But fewer cores can still mean faster performance.
A CPU with twelve cores will be much faster than a dual-core one. If you want to get the most out of your PC, don’t skimp on its power. Some of Intel’s new H-series chips are up to 12% faster than their predecessors.
Thread count is also a factor. A thread is a sequence of instructions, and is often referred to as the tiny microchip of a processor. Typically, each core carries two threads. However, a CPU with eight cores can process as many as 16 threads at once.
The best way to determine which laptop processor to buy is to read through its specifications. In addition to the core count, you should also consider the clock speed. As with a desktop computer, the fastest CPU will depend on what you’re doing with it.
ARM processors are less peppy than ARM processors
Although the Arm processor has made inroads into the laptop market, it is far from ubiquitous. It isn’t expected to overtake x86 for the next 10 years, according to DigiTimes. That is, if the market continues to shrink as it has since the start of the recession.
The main problem is the fact that ARM-based processors aren’t as peppy as their Intel counterparts. They aren’t as powerful as they could be, and don’t have the raw compute throughput of the Intel CPU. However, they do have some advantages: they use less power, they have better battery life, and they can be more compact.
In fact, Apple has ditched Intel for ARM chips in its MacBook line. And Microsoft has teamed up with Qualcomm to produce an ARM-based Windows version of Surface computers. These new systems are setting a high bar for performance and battery life.
Another benefit of ARM-based chips is that they can perform at lower cost. That’s because they don’t require costly equipment. Plus, they can execute millions of instructions per second. This is especially true of ARM processors in mobile devices.
Besides that, ARM-based chips have shown up in budget Chromebooks. They’ve also been used in many Internet of Things (IoT) devices. But now, they’re gaining ground in the cloud server market, as well.
For example, Ampere recently unveiled an 80-core ARM-based 64-bit server processor. The chip is targeted at cloud-native applications and artificial intelligence.
Intel’s entry-level N-series processors with Intel 7 process technology
The Intel N-series processors are designed to replace the Pentium and Celeron brands. They are aimed at low-cost laptops and desktops. These processors also feature flexible memory options.
The new chips are available in 65W and 35W configurations. As of now, they support DDR4 and DDR5 memory modules. Additionally, they have a high definition display engine and AV1 decode. With these features, they can deliver a full HD video playback for up to 10 hours.
In addition to this, these processors are equipped with super fast Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) and Bluetooth LE Audio. Also, they come with improved MIPI camera support. For a laptop, the N-series processors are expected to give users a better overall experience.
Compared to the previous Celeron and Pentium product lines, these N-series processors are more powerful. They have the highest clock speeds in the laptop market. It is estimated that these processors can deliver up to 5.6GHz. Another advantage of these chips is that they offer a 28% better application performance.
This new processor line is meant to improve the videoconferencing and extended battery life performance of laptops. It will also help the user enjoy the multi-device experience. Some of these processors are also equipped with Intel Movidius vision processing unit.
These new processors are expected to provide the best value and performance for entry-level computers. They will be available at CES 2025 in Las Vegas.