As is common for many, the processor or processor is the brain of the computer, and therefore it is one of the most important criteria for buying a new laptop or new desktop computer. Choosing the best processor suitable for your needs is the first step, and depending on the option you choose, a lot of other things follow.
Mostly,
this option is deducted in favor of Intel processors as the most widely used
and widely used because of their affordable prices, excellent performance and
low power consumption.
Whether you have already purchased a computer with
an Intel processor or are starting to buy an Intel processor in favor of
assembling your own computer, chances are you have noticed the strange naming
of these processors, as Intel processors are named using certain letters and
numbers that are confusing and unintelligible to non-technicians
Whether you have already purchased a computer with
an Intel processor or are starting to buy an Intel processor in favor of
assembling your own computer, chances are you have noticed the strange naming
of these processors, as Intel processors are named using certain letters and
numbers that are confusing and unintelligible to non-technicians
Initially, in this article, I will cover the naming convention for Intel Core I series processors, which are most commonly used in laptops and desktop computers. As you know, Core-I series contains four main models which are Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and finally Core i9.
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The original purpose of these numbers is to
differentiate between the different categories quickly and intuitively. A
larger number means that it is better;
This is true because Core i3 processors offer the
lowest processing power among all the other processors in the series.
While Core i5 processors have higher clock speeds
and are more powerful than Core i3 processors,
Core i7 processors have very fast speeds and
powerful processing power.
Core i9 processors have the highest frequency and
processing power among all other Core I series processors.
But it is not that simple; An Intel processor
should not be judged solely by its class, as there are other factors that
determine the level of performance from the name.
In short, for example, it can be said that Intel
Core i7 processors are mostly better than Core i5 processors. However, this
does not mean that all Intel i7 processors can match or beat any i5 processor.
There are other things to pay attention to, which we mention in the following
lines.
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Regardless of the category you chose for the
computer processor, whether Core i3, i5, i7 or i9, you will notice from the
basic name, immediately after the category, that there are four numbers behind
which information and details about the processor disappear, and it is even
possible to know the performance level and age of the processor by reading
these Numbers.
To make it more clear, the first number represents
the generation to which the processor belongs, and the last three numbers
represent the SKU (Stock keeping unit) some information about the processing
power. For example, in an Intel Core i5-9400H processor, 9 represents the ninth
generation and 400 represents the SKU number.
Processor generation is an indicator of its
quality, speed, and performance. Meaning that the latest generation is the
fastest and shows better performance than the previous generation. For example,
the Intel Core i7-9700K processor is 6% faster than the previous generation
Intel Core i7-8700K processor.
This means that you should always look for the latest processor when buying
a new computer, whether it is a laptop or a desktop computer. As of the time of
writing this article, we are in the tenth generation of Intel processors, and
often a new generation is launched every year, so we can estimate the age of
any Intel processor just by seeing the first digit of its name after the
category.
As for the three numbers or the SKU, they indicate the level of performance
of the processor, so the larger these numbers, the better the performance of
the processor. If you compare an Intel Core i5 9400 H processor to an Intel
Core i5 9300 H processor, you will find that the former has a higher SKU
number. This means that the 9400H has a higher processing power than the 9300H.
Similarly, if you compare the Intel Core i7 9750H with the Intel Core i7
9850H, you will find that the 9850H has a higher processing power than the
9750H. But remember that this is not a rule (it is not always the case) you
can't tell the performance level of a processor by comparing the SKU numbers
for two different generations of Intel processors. You should compare with the
same generation Intel processor by SKU numbers.
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Now we come to the most important part - the letters. When you look at the
names of Intel Core i family processors, you will find that they always end
with a letter. This character is called "suffix" and is used to
express the main advantage of this processor compared to other processors. But
note that there are some processors that come without a suffix, which indicates
that they are devoid of features, so they are called "raw processors"
and of course they are intended for desktop computers exclusively. In general,
we will mention below the most important characters that you can encounter in
the names of Intel processors, whether Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or Core i9.
◉The letter "U" in Intel processors means that they are Ultra Low
Power processors that come at a weak speed and consume much less power.
Therefore, you will always find U processors associated with laptops because
they consume very little power and do not produce much heat during normal use,
providing a long battery life. However, if you use U processors for heavy
tasks, they can reach very high temperatures.
◉The letter "F" means that the processor does not have an
integrated graphics processor like other processors, and therefore you will
need to purchase a separate graphics card from Nvidia or AMD to connect the
monitor to the computer. An example of this would be the Intel Core i5-9400F
processor.
◉The letter “K” means that the processor is unlocked, meaning that it is
capable of overclocking and increasing the frequency legally and officially,
unlike other types where overclocking is one of the items that represents the
breaking of any warranty or guarantee. So with these processors you can get
additional performance at the expense of power consumption and heat generation,
such as the Intel Core i9-9900K processor. It is worth noting that this type is
also the most expensive and is designed for desktop computers, and those who
have it must purchase a powerful enough power supply and an efficient cooling
system.
◉The letter "H" indicates that the processor is integrated with a
high-performance graphics processor, unlike other types. You will also find
processors whose name ends with HK and HQ, as the first indicates that the
processor is equipped with a graphic processor and is also overclockable. The
second one has the same feature in addition to being a quad core. In any case,
these integrated graphics processors from Intel are still not as powerful as
those external graphics processors from Nvidia and AMD, they are far ahead in
terms of performance.
◉The letter "Y" indicates that the processor consumes the least amount of power possible, less even than the dedicated models for the U. In fact, these processors are the least power consuming of all, so you'll commonly find them in cheap laptops or tablets as they focus It provides full battery life, but this limited amount of power comes at the expense of very poor performance, which is suitable for performing some basic tasks such as browsing the Internet and running regular programs.
◉The letter “T” means that the processor consumes less power and produces
less heat as well, and these processors have higher performance than those with
a Y or U suffix. All in One desktop computers are the most polarized of these
processors as they are able to work Even with rather weak cooling systems.
◉Processors whose name ends with the letter "X" are considered the
most powerful processors in the Intel Core family at all, so you will find them
confined to the i7 or i9 category only, and of course they are aimed at desktop
devices. X processors have the highest clock speed and are able to easily run
heavy games at the highest graphics settings, run any 3D modeling and design
software, and run any VFX Design and 4K video editing software. In general, X
processors can run any program or game that requires very high processing
power. These are the most expensive of all Intel Core processor models.
With this I was able to understand the numbers and letters in the names in Intel processors and know exactly what they mean, as they are used
to identify the type of processor and distinguish between products in the same
family of Intel processors. This article is all you need when you decide to buy
a new computer or laptop and want to make the choice easier, as understanding
what the names mean will help you choose the right device for your needs.