Best CPU for a laptop

[bigpook]

I was thinking about laptops and was wondering what the best CPU would be. Is it Intel or is it AMD?

[ch_123]

Yep, and some of their new desktop chips are actually pretty good. That said, for laptops, I think the Intel ones are better, certainly in terms of performance, and probably power consumption as well. That said, most good laptops will have Intel ones... The sort of CPU isnt something I take into consideration when I buy a laptop.

[bigpook]

If you go with Intel, would you then go with a Core duo or a Core 2 duo?

[ch_123]

They still make laptops with the original Core Duo?! (Or are you buying second hand)

If memory serves me correct, the Core Duo was 32bit only. The C2D introduced 64bit support and was a more optimized design. It also had a faster FSB and more cache.

[bigpook]

There seem to be a boatload of them on newegg. But the Dell 15n has the core 2 duo; and at a better price too.

I am assuming this is a core duo, but I could be wrong I suppose

the egg

[iMav]

Intel core 2 duo.

[bigpook]

Intel core 2 duo.

Then the Dell 15n is a pretty smoking deal then, I think.

[bigpook]

looks like the core duo only does 32 bit while the core 2 duo does 64 bit.

[Manyak]

The best laptop CPU is a Core i7 975. No that's not a typo.

http://www.sagernotebook.com/product_customed.php?pid=171297&action=customize

[IBI]

They still make laptops with the original Core Duo?! (Or are you buying second hand)

Not the full version, but intel still sells the Core and Core Duo in ULV versions.

[bhtooefr]

One thing... many full voltage Core Solo/Duos are socketed and can be upgraded to a Socket M Merom-core Core 2 Duo. You don't get the faster FSB, but you do get 64 bit and the newer, faster design that uses less power at idle.

I'lll eventually be upgrading my ThinkPad T60p with a 2.0 GHz CD to a 2.33 GHz C2D, it's a plug and play swap.

[ricercar]

I'm waiting to get a job and then I'll treat my notebook to an upgrade from a Core2Duo 7250 (2GHz 2M cache) to a 9300 (2.5, 6M cache). Lots of people on notebookreview.com who've done the upgrade with a socket P mobile CPU.

[iMav]

I'm waiting to get a job and then I'll treat my notebook to an upgrade from a Core2Duo 7250 (2GHz 2M cache) to a 9300 (2.5, 6M cache). Lots of people on notebookreview.com who've done the upgrade with a socket P mobile CPU.

I upgraded a Core Solo-equipped Mac Mini to a C2D 2.0Ghz/4MB cache.  The difference was night and day.

[eugenius]

The fastest core2duo 25W cpu is the best laptop cpu. I think it's at 2.66ghz or even 2.8GHz now. Do not buy the 35W ones, pay the small amount for that -10W, if you value battery life and don't want the heat to burn your lap.

[Hak Foo]

IMO, a low-power package like the VIA Nano is best, or Atom + nVidia Ion (if they ever sell it).  Laptops are nasty little things best left as a supplement for a big PC with a real keyboard, so the primary driving factor should be battery life.  The Atom package could be quite good here except it's usually chained with that damned 945 chipset which actually draws more power than the CPU itself, and has anemic graphics performance.

[IBI]

The fastest core2duo 25W cpu is the best laptop cpu. I think it's at 2.66ghz or even 2.8GHz now. Do not buy the 35W ones, pay the small amount for that -10W, if you value battery life and don't want the heat to burn your lap.

I wish intel or somebody would come up with real power consumption and heat production figures for these.

[bhtooefr]

25 and 35 W figures are Thermal Design Powers, so they're absolute maximums that will probably never be seen in normal use, even at 100% CPU. (The faster clocked versions of a CPU will run closer to that TDP, and as you load it down, it'll get closer, but it'll never exceed if everything is working properly and isn't overclocked, and reaching it will be rare.)

[eugenius]

bhtooefr, useless post - uneeded geek type info.

The 25W version consumes less energy, has better battery life and the same performance.

[bhtooefr]

IBI asked if someone would come up with real info, implying that Intel's info was inaccurate. It is, but it's overestimating, not underestimating, actual power consumption.

[IBI]

IBI asked if someone would come up with real info, implying that Intel's info was inaccurate. It is, but it's overestimating, not underestimating, actual power consumption.

Yes, the TDP is is intended for heatsink designers so they can ensure that the chip will never overheat. It often doesn't have to bear any resemblence to power consumption in actual use.

For example see this chart(shown below). The Phenom II 810, Q6600 and Q8300 all have 95W TDPs yet go from 42W to 70W in a four core load of Prime95 (The Phenom II's built in memory controller's power consumption is included placing it between 60-65W for just the CPU).

Further, If you look at the E8600 with a 65W TDP you'll see it actually uses more power than the 95W TDP Q8300 when running a workload that results in two cores being stressed.

That's why it's a poor idea to rely on the TDP to tell you how much power a processor will use and why we need reproducible and representative idle and load power consumption figures for mobile and low power processors (desktop ones would be nice as well).

[timw4mail]

The best CPU for a laptop is the best balance of performance/power usage, that has the power to do what you need it to do.

For me, that's probably an AMD Athlon Neo, as that fits between my MacBook's Core2Duo in power, and my Eee PC's Atom in Power consumption.

[eugenius]

1. Ultraportable / portable: the 1.86 GHz 6MB cache low voltage 17W penryn.
2. Everything else: the 25W 2.8GHz 6MB cache

Quad core laptops are not laptops.