CPU for Gaming: Choose the Right Gaming Laptop Processor

While performing a CPU for gaming comparison we must keep in mind that the processor is one of the most important components of a gaming laptop as it really acts as the brains of the computer. How quickly your browser can load images and web pages, how many applications you can run at once, and how fast you can download files are all determined in large part by the type of gaming laptop processor you have.

In general the higher the cpu speed(clock speed) the higher the perfomance of the gaming laptop. There are two processor speeds to pay attention to. The first is the speed at which information is processed(clock speed). The second is the speed at which the CPU communicates with memory and the graphics processor(via Front Side Bus). A CPU for gaming comparison is not complete without mentioning the impact of having a dual-core processor versus having a single-core processor. Single-core processors work just fine for basic
laptop computer functions like surfing the web, checking email, and downloading files. The advantage of dual-core processors is that they allow a user to perform several functions at the same time. Dual-core processors are more efficient and are less likely to get bogged down when running intensive or multiple applications on your gaming laptop. It's like having two brains in your gaming laptop computer instead of one.

CPU for gaming laptop computers: Intel versus AMD
Intel and AMD are the two largest laptop processor manufacturers. Intel and AMD processors can be found in the latest laptop offerings from Dell, HP, Compaq, Acer, Everex, Toshiba, Gateway, and Fujitsu. Some laptop manufacturers deal strictly with Intel including Apple, Sony, and Lenovo. Intel and AMD are the most popular and well-known CPUs for gaming laptops on the market today.

Intel currently offers nine categories of laptop processors: Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Solo, Intel Core Solo, Intel Pentium M, Mobile Intel Pentium 4, Intel Celeron, and Intel Celeron M. AMD currently offers three categories of laptop processors: AMD Turion 64 X2, AMD Athlon 64 X2, and Mobile AMD Sempron. The most popular CPU for gaming laptops would be the Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Duo, or AMD Turion 64 X2 processor.

***Intel Core 2 Extreme: 2 cores, up to 2.8 GHz clock(CPU) speed; up to 800 MHz front side bus(FSB); 4-6 MB L2 Cache

***Intel Core 2 Duo: 2 cores, up to 2.33 GHz clock speed; 533-667 MHz FSB; 2-4 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core Duo: 2 cores, up to 2.33 GHz clock speed; 533-667 MHz FSB; 2 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core Solo: 1 core, up to 1.83 GHz clock speed; 533-667 MHz FSB; 2 MB L2 Cache

Intel Core 2 Solo: 1 core, up to 1.2 GHz clock speed; 533 MHz FSB; 1 MB L2 Cache

Intel Pentium Dual-Core: 2 cores, up to 1.6 GHz clock speed; 533 MHz FSB; 1 MB L2 Cache

Intel Pentium M: 1 core, 1.00-2.26 GHz clock speed; 400-533 MHz FSB; 1-2 MB L2 Cache

Intel Celeron: 1 core, up to 2.0 GHz clock speed; 533-800 MHz FSB; 512 KB - 1 MB L2 Cache

Intel Celeron M: 1 core, 1.2-2.0 GHz clock speed; 400-533 MHz FSB; 512 KB - 1 MB L2 Cache

***AMD Turion 64 X2: 2 cores, 1.6-2.3 GHz clock speed; up to 1600 MHz HyperTransport; 2 x 512 KB L2 Cache

AMD Athlon 64 X2: 2 cores, 1.7-1.8 GHz clock speed; up to 1600 MHz HyperTransport; 512 KB L2 Cache

Mobile AMD Sempron: 1 core, 1.6-2.2 GHz clock speed; up to 1600 MHz HyperTransport; 256-512 KB L2 Cache

***Recommended for gaming laptops

Clock speed is how fast a gaming laptop processor can process data. The front side bus connects the processor to other key components such as memory or the graphics processor(AMD instead uses a dedicated memory bus). Level 2(L2) Cache is a set of memory chips thats speeds the operation of some applications. For the purpose of choosing a CPU for gaming, those are the three factors that matter the most along with whether the laptop processor is single or dual-core. Most low-priced laptops are going to have single-core technology which is just fine if you are using the laptop for basic computing needs such as surfing the web, checking email, or downloading a reasonable amount of files. But if you're going to buy a gaming laptop computer then make sure the one you choose has a dual-core processor.

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CPU for Gaming