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Intel Processors

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2 views

Intel Processors

Uploaded by

tsegayemesfin2707
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Intel processors: key terms you need to know

When looking at a processor, there are two main figures you’ll see
time and time again.
1. Clock speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz, one billion hertz), and
tells you how many operations a processor can do each second.

 1.5GHz processor can process 1.5 billion instructions per


second.

The higher the number, the faster the computer (when comparing
like-for-like laptop/desktop models). You’ll notice a higher clock
speed when opening programs, files and exporting photos.

N.B Why do newer CPUs have lower clock speed?

For example, a CPU with a higher clock speed from five years ago
might be outperformed by a new CPU with a lower clock speed, as
the newer architecture deals with instructions more efficiently.

Higher Instructions per clock means you can get the same
performance with a lower clock speed.

2. Number of cores

 A core, or CPU core, is the "brain" of a CPU. It receives


instructions, and performs calculations, or operations, to
satisfy those instructions. A CPU can have multiple cores.

 A processor with two cores is called a dual-core processor; with


four cores, a quad-core; six cores, hexa-core; eight cores, octa-
core. As of 2019, the majority of consumer CPUs feature
between two and twelve cores. Workstation and server CPUs
may feature as many as 48.

 Each core of a CPU can perform operations separately from the


others. Or, multiple cores may work together to perform
parallel operations on a shared set of data in the CPU's
memory cache.
 Hyper-threading allows each core in your CPU to perform two
tasks at the same time. As a result of improving the CPU's
efficiency, you get better processor performance. You can use
more demanding apps or games at the same time this way.

 typically, laptop and desktop chips have two or four cores


(known as dual- and quad-core). Some newer models have six
and even eight. The more cores, the better, because it allows
your computer to run multiple tasks at the same time without
slowing down. You’ll appreciate more cores if you often have
lots of programs running or open lots of web browser tabs.

Intel Atom – tiny tablets

Atom processors heralded the arrival of ultra-thin, ultra-light laptops


in the mid-2000s. These chips offered four cores for sprightly
everyday computing performance.

Nowadays, these chips are generally relegated to very cheap


Windows tablets costing under £200. They’re not fast by any means,
but they make up for their lack of oomph with impressive battery life
figures and their ability to fit into very thin devices.

Intel Celeron and Pentium – cheap laptops and very cheap desktops

Celeron and Pentium processors are at the very bottom of Intel’s


range. You might be familiar with the Pentium brand, with the name
being a mainstay of more powerful computers of the late 1990s.
Nowadays, it sits just above Celeron in terms of performance.

Newer Pentium models, such as those launched in 2017 onwards,


are becoming more common on laptops costing between £250 and
£300.
These chips are power-efficient, meaning they’re great when you
want a laptop with a long battery life. They’re perfectly usable for
web browsing and basic office work.
You can also find Celerons inside some very cheap desktops. These
machines tend to score very poorly in our tests and negate many of
the advantages you get from having bought a desktop in the first
place. We don’t tend to recommend them.

What do the numbers and letters at the end of Intel


processors mean?

This is where things start to get a little bit confusing and is where
Intel’s naming convention disguises how powerful a laptop actually
is.

When looking at what sort of processor a computer has, be sure to


check the full specification sheet to see the precise processor
model. This makes a big difference to how powerful your PC will be.

For example, a computer that’s labelled as having a ‘Core i5’


processor could have any number of different specifications.

Taking the Core i5 example, your computer could have any of the
following, and many beyond that as well: Core i5-7400, Core i5
7600K, Core i5 7300U, Core i5-7500HQ, Core i5-7400T and Core i5
7Y57. The trend applies to i3 and i7 chips, too.

Note the different four-digit number and the trailing letter (or the Y
in one case). It’s the trailing letter (suffix) that gives you the most
information about what sort of processor you’re looking at.
No suffix: This is a standard desktop processor, generally with four
cores and a high clock speed for excellent everyday performance
and the ability to edit videos and photos at high speed.
T suffix: Found in smaller desktops and AIO (All in one computer)
combines the monitor and computer tower into one. PCs. These chips are
functionally the same as those without a suffix and have the same
number of cores, but with a slower clock speed.
K suffix: The highest-performance processor you’ll find in a
computer you can buy on the high street. Similar to a chip with no
suffix, but generally with a higher clock speed. These chips can be
‘overclocked’ by those with technical knowledge.

U suffix: ‘Ultra’ low power. These chips generally have two cores
(although newer models now have four cores) and are among the
slowest processors with Core i branding. These chips can often be
found in cheaper AIO PCs and in many laptops. They can be suitable
for photo and video editing, but tend to be a lot slower when
performing tasks such as exporting files to disk. If you’re looking for
a photo-editing machine, pick a Core i5 or even try to stretch to an
i7.
HQ suffix: Generally found in powerful laptops and normally come
with four cores. Perfect for video and photo editing, but sacrifices
battery life and portability.

Y in the middle: Y are the lowest-power chips you can find. They
aren’t really suitable for photo or video editing but will be fine for
lighter tasks. The advantage of choosing one of these is very good
performance for lighter tasks, coupled with a longer battery life.
Laptops that use this chip tend to have fanless designs, meaning
they’re totally silent and very thin.

Generational numbers
There’s one more complication when picking a processor.

There’s one more complication when picking a processor. The first


digit after the dash tells you which generation your processor is
from. The higher the number, the newer it is. As of 2018, the latest
generation is 8th gen.

For example: Core i5-7200U: two cores, maximum speed of 3.1GHz


Core i5-8250U: four cores, maximum speed of 3.4GHz
This makes a difference when choosing a laptop processor, because
from the 8th generation onwards, ‘U’ chips now come with four
cores instead of two. If you have the choice between a 7th and 8th
gen and there’s only a small price difference, picking the newer
model is a good choice.

Plus

In April 2018, Intel announced Intel Core i3+, i5+ and i7+. This new
naming convention shows when an Intel Optane SSD is installed in a
computer. Optane works out which files and programs you use most
and moves them to an ultra-fast SSD for better performance. You
don't have to manage this yourself; it's done completely
automatically and doesn't affect where you'll find your files on your
PC.
Intel Core i9

In 2017, Intel introduced the Core i9 product lines. These are hugely
expensive processors for PCs that cost in excess of £800. The
company also introduced i9 chips to laptops in 2018. Again, these
are reserved to powerful laptops designed for high-end work such as
video editing.

Depends on the processor and motherboard the pin connectors can be


one of two types:

Land Grid Array- where all pins are in the socket.

Pin Grid Array- where all pins are in the CPU.

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