The processor is the brain of a computing device. It’s the component where all the processing of information happens, and no task or calculation can complete without going through the CPU, which includes even reading a file from your hard drive and playing a song. Whether you are browsing the internet and skimming through the web pages, editing and creating spreadsheets and presentations, playing video games and viewing, or editing photos and images. Everything has to come through the CPU and how quickly and efficiently the task will complete is solely dependent on the CPU, except that other components can aid a faster CPU in getting things done faster. A good or lousy CPU can also make the difference between the amount of usage time you are able to extract from the battery on your device.
Whenever looking for a laptop to buy, you’ll always find the name of the CPU model to always show first in the list of the specs that you can view on or beside the laptop. However, a CPU name alone carries little meaning if you are not aware of the type of models and the differences between an Intel Processor and an AMD Processor.
Intel processors happen to be the most common chipset inside most of the laptops out there. However, AMD has been playing a hard catch up and has been able to narrow the gap quite a bit recently.
Let’s get down to understanding the main differences between the two competitors, and the type of CPU models they have in the market.
Deciding between AMD vs Intel CPU.
Intel and AMD both make excellent CPU’s and both seem to excel in specific and unique types of usage. AMD used to be better known among gamers for their FX series of CPU’s for Computers, while Intel was better known for productivity-related tasks and general usage. However, Intel made some giant leaps with their tech and gained a competitive advantage on AMD in the games, which has been quite tough for AMD to beat ever since, however, AMD has since come up with their APU line of processors which include a CPU and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) on the same chip. Hence, giving the advantage to low to mid-end gaming machines an advantage as they don’t need a discrete graphics solution on their device anymore, to be able to enjoy the latest of games. Intel, on the other hand, has been improving their on CPU graphics processing, but it’s still nowhere close to the blending of a CPU and GPU that is done by AMD.
So if you have to be on a stringent and low budget and want a laptop that will play the latest of games on minimal to medium graphics settings, then an AMD APU is all you need. However, if you carry a budget choice for middle to higher end model, then going for an Intel with a dedicated Graphics Processor from NVidia or AMD makes more sense.
Other Factors to Consider
While an APU from AMD does offer an advantage at a lower price compared to going for an alternative solution that involves paying more for a dedicated CPU and a dedicated GPU in the laptop. It also needs access to very high-speed RAM, to function at its best, as GPU’s generally need higher clocked memory chips to read and write graphical data with efficiency. Hence, ensuring the laptop you are purchasing, does come with a high-speed RAM will ensure the whole system will work much better, and the capabilities of the APU will be utilized at their fullest.
Scott
