Compare Notebook Processors: Which Processor Meets Your Needs?

Before we compare notebook processors we should keep in mind that the processor is one of the most important components of a notebook as it really acts as the brains of the computer. How fast you can download files, how many applications you can run at once, and how quickly your browser can load images and web pages are all determined in large part by the type of processor your notebook has.

In general the higher the cpu speed(clock speed) the higher the perfomance of the notebook. There are two processor speeds to pay attention to. The first is the speed at which information is processed(clock speed). The second is the speed at which the CPU communicates with memory and the graphics processor(via Front Side Bus). To properly compare notebook processors we must consider the impact of having a dual-core processor versus having a single-core processor. Single-core processors work just fine and are great for basic notebook computer functions like surfing the web, checking
email, and downloading files. The advantage of dual-core processors is that they allow a user to perform several functions at the same time. Dual-core processors are more efficient and are less likely to get bogged down when running multiple applications on your notebook. It's like having two brains in your notebook computer instead of one.

Compare Notebook Processors: Intel versus AMD
Intel and AMD are the two largest notebook processor manufacturers. Intel and AMD processors can be found in the latest notebook computer offerings from Dell, HP, Compaq, Acer, Everex, Toshiba, Gateway, and Fujitsu. Some notebook manufacturers deal strictly with Intel including Apple, Sony, and Lenovo. Intel and AMD are the most popular and well-known processors on the market today.

Intel currently offers ten categories of notebook processors: Intel Core 2 Duo Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Solo, Intel Core Solo, Intel Pentium M, Mobile Intel Pentium 4, and Intel Celeron M. AMD currently offers three categories of notebook processors: AMD Turion 64 X2, AMD Athlon 64 X2, and Mobile AMD Sempron.

Intel Core 2 Duo Quad: 4 cores, up to 2.6 GHz clock speed; up to 800 MHz front side bus(FSB); up to 4 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme: 4 cores, up to 2.4 GHz clock speed; up to 800 MHz front side bus(FSB); up to 4 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core 2 Duo: 2 cores, up to 2.33 GHz clock speed; 533-667 MHz front side bus(FSB); 2-4 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core Duo: 2 cores, up to 2.33 GHz clock; 533-667 MHz FSB; 2 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core Solo: 1 core, up to 1.83 GHz clock; 533-667 MHz FSB; 2 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core 2 Solo: 1 core, up to 1.2 GHz clock; 533 MHz FSB; 1 MB L2 Cache

Intel Pentium Dual-Core: 2 cores, up to 1.6 GHz; 533 MHz FSB; 1 MB L2 Cache

Intel Pentium M: 1 core, 1.00-2.26 GHz clock; 400-533 MHz FSB; 1-2 MB L2 Cache

Intel Celeron: 1 core, up to 2.0 GHz clock; 533-800 MHz FSB; 512 KB - 1 MB L2 Cache

Intel Celeron M: 1 core, 1.2-2.0 GHz clock; 400-533 MHz FSB; 512 KB - 1 MB L2 Cache

AMD Turion 64 X2: 2 cores, 1.6-2.3 GHz clock speed; up to 1600 MHz HyperTransport; 2 x 512 KB L2 Cache

AMD Athlon 64 X2: 2 cores, 1.7-1.8 GHz clock speed; up to 1600 MHz HyperTransport; 512 KB L2 Cache

Mobile AMD Sempron: 1 core, 1.6-2.2 GHz clock speed; up to 1600 MHz HyperTransport; 256-512 KB L2 Cache

Clock speed is how fast a processor can process data. The front side bus connects the processor to other key components such as memory or the graphics processor(AMD instead uses a dedicated memory bus). Level 2(L2) Cache is a set of memory chips thats speeds the operation of some applications. To properly compare notebook processors, those are the three factors that matter the most along with whether the processor is single or dual-core. Most cheap notebooks or low-priced notebooks are going to have single-core technology which is just fine if you are using the notebook for basic computing needs such as surfing the web, checking email, or downloading a reasonable amount of files.

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Compare Notebook Processors