![]() ![]() What do the numbers and letters at the end of Intel Core i processors mean? Want to complete your home office setup with a screen? Read our computer monitor reviews to find the best. These would be overkill for most people, although if you do get the chance to use one you'll surely notice the scintillating speed. You often pay a premium for this, and if you have no specific need for speed then you may well not need or want to pay the extra.Ĭore i9 chips are reserved for specialist computers working on extremely challenging tasks, usually editing large videos. It's the specification we recommend to most people, and you can grab one in a laptop for about £500.Ĭore i7 is a step up from i5, with a bit of extra performance to make those tough tasks that bit quicker. They don't cost as much as i7 processors but they offer performance that isn't too far off. They aren't the best for heavy multi-tasking or more challenging tasks such as editing videos, but they offer a noticeable step up from Pentium processors without you having to spend too much more you'll find them in laptops from about £350 and up.Ĭore i5 processors are a great choice if you want a computer that can perform lots of tasks at once, and perhaps even delve into photo and video editing work. What's the difference between Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and i9?Ĭore i3 processors offer a great mix of price and performance. They’re perfectly usable for web browsing and basic office work. These chips are power-efficient, meaning they’re great when you want a laptop with a long battery life. Newer Pentium models, such as those launched in 2017 onwards, are becoming more common on laptops costing between £250 and £300. They're usable, but given there are much better processors available in laptops that aren't hugely more expensive, we don't think they're worth seeking out. Nowadays, it sits just above Celeron in terms of performance.Ĭeleron processors have improved in recent years, but they rarely excel in our tests as they are too slow for anything but very basic tasks, and multi-tasking with multiple programs is almost completely out of the question. You might be familiar with the Pentium brand, with the name being a mainstay of more powerful computers of the late 1990s. Intel Celeron and Pentium – cheap laptops and very cheap desktopsĬeleron and Pentium processors are at the very bottom of Intel’s range. ![]() Since there haven't been any new Atom processors in years, we'd advise you steer clear of any devices using an Atom processor as they are now extremely slow. Nowadays, these chips are generally relegated to very cheap Windows tablets costing under £200. These chips offered four cores for sprightly everyday computing performance. Intel Atom – best avoidedĪtom processors heralded the arrival of ultra-thin, ultra-light laptops in the mid-2000s. Four Atom cores are much less powerful than four i5 cores, for example. However, comparing the number of cores between different types of Intel processor (such as comparing an Intel Atom with an Intel Core i5) won't tell you much as the cores themselves are completely different. You’ll appreciate more cores if you often have lots of programs running or open lots of web browser tabs. The more cores, the better, because it allows your computer to run multiple tasks at the same time without slowing down. Some newer models have six and even eight. Typically, laptop and desktop chips have two or four cores (known as dual-core and quad-core). You’ll notice a higher clock speed when opening programs, files and exporting photos. The higher the number, the faster the computer (when comparing like-for-like laptop/desktop models). This measured in gigahertz (GHz, one billion hertz), and tells you how many operations a processor can do each second. ![]() When looking at a processor, there are two main figures you’ll see time and time again. Intel processors: key terms you need to know ![]() Whatever your budget, our lab tests reveal which models are worth your money and which aren't. Much of the information here can be applied to AMD Ryzen processors as well, particularly information on how to read model numbers, although the generational numbers we talk about do differ. This is because you'll be able to understand the jargon retailers and manufacturers use. Whether you're buying a laptop or a desktop, you'll also be able to buy your next computer with confidence. This will help you to decide which intel processor you need and whether it's worth spending more money on a newer-generation processor. In this guide, we’ll explain what different Intel processor models mean and what sort of user they’re best suited for. If you’re buying a computer, chances are it will have an Intel processor on board, although some come with AMD chips and newer Macs come with the M1 processor. ![]()
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