How to choose a laptop CPU
The chassis decides as much as the chip. The same processor in a thin body and in a thick one delivers very different sustained performance, because cooling sets the ceiling once the first minute is over.
Read the suffix as a thermal class
U series parts are low power, quiet and suited to long battery life. H series are mainstream performance in a normal chassis. HX series are desktop derived, fastest, and live in heavy machines with loud fans and short battery life. The suffix tells you more about the experience than the model number does.
Sustained performance, not peak
Benchmarks run for seconds. Real work runs for minutes. Ask what the machine sustains after ten minutes of load, because that is where a thin chassis gives back most of its advantage on paper.
Integrated graphics are now the deciding feature for many buyers
Recent integrated graphics handle light gaming and all video work. If you are not buying a discrete GPU, the integrated tier matters more than core count.
Battery life comes from the platform, not the chip alone
Panel brightness and technology, memory type and the power management of the whole machine dominate. A very efficient chip in a machine with a small battery and a bright OLED panel will not last.
NPU claims
TOPS figures are marketing until the software you use supports the accelerator. Check that before paying a premium for it.
Common mistakes
- Comparing two laptops by CPU name when their chassis differ.
- Buying an HX machine for portability, then carrying the charger everywhere.
- Assuming the CPU is upgradable. In almost every modern laptop it is soldered.