CPU Ranking

[ScottyK]

I"m back in the market for a new notebook, this time as a graduation present. The last notebook I bought was back in 2008, and one look at the list on Newegg tells me the market has passed me by!

Can somebody rearrange this list so the fastest/best CPU is on the top, and the oldest/slowest CPU is on the bottom? Then I would have some idea what all the different models compare to each other.

Note - the numbers in (#) are how many different ones Newegg offered for sale.
CPU Type
AMD Athlon II Dual-Core (20)
AMD Athlon II Neo Dual-Core (1)
AMD Phenom II Dual-Core (13)
AMD Phenom II Triple-Core (15)
AMD Phenom II Quad-Core (18)
AMD Sempron (2)
AMD Turion II Dual-Core (35)
AMD Turion II Neo Dual-Core (2)
AMD Dual-Core Processor (4)
AMD V Series (3)


Intel Celeron (6)
Intel Celeron Dual-Core (2)
Intel Core i3 (133)
Intel Core i5 (180)
Intel Core i7 (74)
Intel Core 2 Duo (69)
Intel Core Duo (5)
Intel Core 2 Solo (2)
Intel Pentium (21)
Intel Pentium dual-core (30)

[lmilano]

Re: CPU Ranking

I think the question is really what usage you have in mind. Sometimes a very fast processor is bad for a laptop if its power usage is too high.

AMD Turion II is aimed at low power, same as some of the newer CULV processors from Intel (both Celeron and Core 2 Duo).

I use AMD in desktops (much better value), and Intel in laptops (more power efficient ... they have been using 32nm fabs for a long time, AMD hasn't gotten there yet).

This is your best bet to compare CPUs:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

Oh, Intel is releasing its Sandy Bridge processors soon. They will provide a huge leap forward (in power efficiency and on-board graphics, or IGP). You may want to wait for that if you have a lil' time ...

Good luck, and feel free to ask more if you have a couple candidates in mind.

[ScottyK]

Re: CPU Ranking

Thanks for the intel!

We're just looking for a good value in the $500 range. All she is going to use it for is college assignments, Skype, and internet access.

[Detonate]

Re: CPU Ranking

I think it is also very important to consider the graphics processor as well as the cpu.

[oshunluvr]

Re: CPU Ranking

Detonate has a point - if you're talking about a laptop it usually means you're committed to the hardware for life. In my opinion, although CPU can be important - the human interface is the primary thing to consider. A screen that looks crappy or a keyboard that you just can't get the hang of will never make you happy - even if the CPU is the fastest in the world. This is why people spend $$$ for Apple products.

To sum it up, you need to determine what your needs are and then consider these factors (in order of your needs);

Screen resolution and size
GPU chipset and VRAM size
CPU
RAM (amount and speed)
Motherboard chipset
Harddrive/SSD speed and capacity
Battery life
Keyboard Function keys and layout
Mouse alternative (touchpad, or whatever)

I'm sure they are others.

My point is a fast CPU uses more battery power. If you are on the go with your laptop, a faster CPU might be a negative. Additionally, having an SSD instead of a hard drive can both increase system speed more noticeably than a faster CPU and also lengthen time between charges.

It really boils down to your actual style and what you'll use it for. If you're 90% internet usage and 10% everything else I'd go for the "Greenest" CPU to save battery life because you won't notice any difference with a faster CPU anyway. The bottleneck will be elsewhere (connection speed).

If you're using a laptop as a desktop replacement and want to game and process videos on it - then CPU becomes a major concern and to heck with battery life.