As your demand for high-performance computing on the go grows, finding the best CPU for your laptop needs becomes essential.
When selecting a laptop CPU, the most important performance characteristics are the clock speed (or frequency), number of cores and threads, and type of memory it supports.
This article will discuss these key CPU characteristics and, based on them, provide an overview of The Best Laptop Processors
for gaming and general usage.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a CPU
Core Count
We found that, in general, more cores do provide better performance in professional tools and when running multiple applications simultaneously.
Increased core counts can improve the performance of games and professional tools that use them. Most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Even general apps can benefit from many cores when numerous applications are open simultaneously. Web browsers don't significantly take advantage of multiple cores when loading a single page. However, more CPU cores can improve performance when running demanding web apps in multiple windows.
Intel's 12th generation and newer CPUs have performance cores (P-cores) and efficiency cores (E-cores). The P-cores are comparable to previous generation cores. E-cores are focused on adding additional threads in an energy-efficient manner. They take up much less room on the CPU and generate less heat. However, their smaller cache and minimal interconnect capabilities make them more appropriate for offloading background tasks. E-cores do not support hyper-threading.
CPU Clock Speeds
We've experienced that single-core performance is essential for some games, as many don't take full advantage of multiple cores. Similarly, we have experienced that professional tools depend on high single and multi-core boost frequencies to maximize their processing speed.
Boost frequencies are only achieved under ideal circumstances. However, with adequate cooling, you may be able to maintain speeds near the max boost frequency.
Higher vs. Lower Base Frequencies
We've found that lower base clock speeds result in lower power consumption.
A CPU's base frequency refers to the clock speed at which its cores run under normal operating conditions. However, the actual clock speed of the CPU can vary depending on the workload and the system power state.
A lower base frequency can lead to better power savings overall since the clock speed decreases when the load is low, resulting in lower power consumption. However, a CPU may run slower than the base frequency to conserve power or reduce heat generation. For example, modern CPUs use technologies like Intel SpeedStep or AMD Cool'n'Quiet to dynamically adjust the CPU's clock speed based on the system's workload and power state.
A CPU with a lower base frequency may generate less heat under normal operating conditions, enabling it to boost some cores to higher frequencies while remaining within its thermal limits. This lower base frequency results in better performance than a CPU with a higher base frequency, which may not be able to sustain its boost frequency for long periods due to thermal throttling. However, this is mostly only relevant if your system's cooling solution can only partially dissipate the heat produced by all cores being fully boosted.
DDR Support
You can exceed these stock speeds officially supported by CPUs when overclocking memory, such as with an XMP profile. Motherboard specifications will indicate their supported overclocked-memory speeds. To be able to overclock DDR memory, your motherboard chipset needs to support memory overclocking.
Faster PC memory can improve game and professional tool performance by reducing the time it takes to perform calculations and data operations.
We've experienced that using the quickest RAM may not have as much of an impact as upgrading your CPU and graphics card or adding more RAM.
Learn more about DDR in DDR4 vs. DDR5? Which You Should Buy.
Cache Size
A CPU's cache is a small amount of memory, close to the CPU cores, containing recently used data. An L3 cache capacity of at least 20 MB is ideal for games and professional tool performance.
Games and professional tool performance can improve as cache size increases, as it can reduce delays when retrieving commonly used assets from memory. While nearly any task will use a CPU's cache, our research indicates that a large cache becomes less impactful for general PC usage, such as browsing webpages.
Remember that cache sizes often increase with core counts, so if you want to increase your L3 cache, you may need to get a CPU with more cores.
Overclocking
While CPU overclocking is primarily relevant to desktop CPUs, some newer mobile CPUs also claim overclocking support. Overclocking a laptop CPU will be pretty limited, as it is often difficult to improve cooling aside from using a cooling pad.
Overclocking is mainly relevant for PC gamers who want to maximize their game framerates. CPU overclocking increases frequencies past their default limits. Excellent heat dissipation via fans or another solution is required to maintain system stability while overclocking. While we felt a sense of excitement and anticipation when we pushed the limits of our CPU's performance, it's essential to remember that overclocking comes with the risk of damaging your system components or voiding warranties.
Professional tools can benefit from overclocked frequencies. However, overclocking may introduce some possibility of system instability, which may be less acceptable in business scenarios. We've found out the hard way that losing work due to system instability is a pain.
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 - Intel Core i7-12800H, NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti
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The Best Laptop Processors
Intel Core i9-12950HX:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12950HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12950HX CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance when the laptop is good at dissipating heat or good game performance with inadequate heat dissipation. Most laptops will fall somewhere in between in terms of their cooling capabilities.
30 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.30 GHz P-core base frequency
5.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
5.00 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12950HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12950HX in our article, Is the Core i9-12950HX CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i9-12900HX:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12900HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12900HX CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance when the laptop is good at dissipating heat or good game performance with inadequate heat dissipation. Most laptops will fall somewhere in between in terms of their cooling capabilities.
30 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.30 GHz P-core base frequency
5.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
5.00 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12900HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12900HX in our article, Is the Core i9-12900HX CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-12850HX:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12850HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12850HX CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance when the laptop is good at dissipating heat or good game performance with inadequate heat dissipation. Most laptops will fall somewhere in between in terms of their cooling capabilities.
25 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.10 GHz P-core base frequency
4.80 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.80 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12850HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12850HX in our article, Is the Core i7-12850HX CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-12800HX:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12800HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12800HX CPU for gaming, you can expect excellent game performance when the laptop is good at dissipating heat or good game performance with inadequate heat dissipation. Most laptops will fall somewhere in between in terms of their cooling capabilities.
25 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.00 GHz P-core base frequency
4.80 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.80 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12800HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12800HX in our article, Is the Core i7-12800HX CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i9-12900HK:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12900HK CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12900HK CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.50 GHz P-core base frequency
5.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
5.00 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12900HK has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12900HK in our article, Is the Core i9-12900HK CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-12650HX:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12650HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12650HX CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.00 GHz P-core base frequency
4.70 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.70 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12650HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12650HX in our article, Is the Core i7-12650HX CPU Good for Gaming?
AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX:
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 9 6980HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 9 6980HX CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
16 MB of L3 cache is good for performance
8 cores allow for excellent performance
3.3 GHz base frequency
5.0 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 4.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 6980HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 6980HX in our article, Is the Ryzen 9 6980HX CPU Good for Gaming?
AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX:
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
16 MB of L3 cache is good for performance
8 cores allow for excellent performance
3.3 GHz base frequency
4.9 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 4.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 6900HX has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 6900HX in our article, Is the Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i9-12900H:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12900H CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-12900H CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.50 GHz P-core base frequency
5.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
5.00 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12900H has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12900H in our article, Is the Core i9-12900H CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-12800H:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12800H CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12800H CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.40 GHz P-core base frequency
4.80 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.80 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12800H has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12800H in our article, Is the Core i7-12800H CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-12700H:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12700H CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12700H CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.30 GHz P-core base frequency
4.70 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.70 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12700H has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12700H in our article, Is the Core i7-12700H CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-12650H:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12650H CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-12650H CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 4 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
2.30 GHz P-core base frequency
4.70 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.70 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 12650H has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 12650H in our article, Is the Core i7-12650H CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i7-1280P:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-1280P CPU for general apps, you can expect excellent app performance when the laptop is good at dissipating heat or good app performance with inadequate heat dissipation. Most laptops will fall somewhere in between in terms of their cooling capabilities.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i7-1280P CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores allow for excellent performance
1.80 GHz P-core base frequency
4.80 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
4.80 GHz max turbo boost frequency of the Performance cores are excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
DDR5 support with a max stock speed of 4800 MHz can be excellent for performance
Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
PCIe 5.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 1280P has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 1280P in our article, Is the Core i7-1280P CPU Good for Gaming?
Intel Core i9-11980HK:
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-11980HK CPU for general apps, you can expect good app performance.
Based on our evaluation of using Intel's Core i9-11980HK CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance.
24 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance
8 cores allow for excellent performance
3.30 GHz base frequency
5.00 GHz single-core max turbo boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
Max stock DDR4 speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance
Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires good heat dissipation)
PCIe 4.0 support can be excellent for performance (with the fastest SSDs and GPUs)
The 11980HK has integrated graphics support, with the CPU and GPU on a single chip die, known as an APU. However, this performance assessment assumes you will use an internal or external graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.
You can learn more about the 11980HK in our article, Is the Core i9-11980HK CPU Good for Gaming?
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