What is a Good Processor Speed for a Laptop?

If you are a first-time laptop buyer, you might think about good processor speed. It is important for you to understand that laptops are way different than desktops.

Many people pick desktops over laptops as they need to boost performance and demand higher clock speeds. If you want to check if your CPU is overclocked, read here.

In general terms, laptops have comparatively less flexibility and power when the talking is about the processors. Nevertheless, these are pretty convenient for users who get to travel a lot.

If you are having a hard time figuring out the appropriate speed or style of your laptop, you might want to read the distinctions before making the purchase.

Before we discuss the processor speed, it is important to know what this processor speed is.

Processor Speed

Computer or laptop processors and their clock speed are the most common things we associate with high-quality performance.

This processor speed or clock speed is considered as the primary element when comparing two laptops.

This speed is measured in frequencies like MHz and GHz. The clock speed or processor speed will determine how much time it takes for your CPU to receive and interpret the instructions. Therefore, having a higher clock speed will complete your tasks quickly and reduce the overall time. If you want to upgrade your laptops CPU or even the GPU, we have articles here for you.

Processor Speed of a Laptop

When you get into the world of laptops, you can see a plethora of laptops with mediocre to advanced specifications.

There are a few specifications such as variations in cache memory, core count, transistor size, thread count, so on and so forth. Out of all, the most coveted feature that people look up to is the processor’s clock speed.

So, what do you think what processor makes it appropriate?

Well, it entirely depends on the user. Say if you happen to do a lot of gaming, picking a laptop with a clock speed of 4.0 GHz should be smooth.

Or, if you are not into gaming, and need a laptop for your conventional work, a laptop with a base clock speed of 2.3GHz is more than fine.

Wait for a second. Do you really think that clock speed is the primary requirement that results in superior performance?

No, there are other specifications that build up the foundation and showcase the higher-grade performance.

As I previously stated, while purchasing a laptop, you must examine your requirements first. In addition, you should get a laptop considering your workload as different works require a different set of specifications.

Laptop Processors for Everyday Use

If you want to identify the processors solely made for everyday use, here is the key-

For regular use, these processors have the suffix “U” in their name. Now let us look forward to the list –

• The Intel Core i5 10310U – has a clock speed of 1.7GHz (base) and can be boosted to 4.4GHz. It has 4 cores and 8 threads.
• The AMD Ryzen 3 4300U – has a clock speed of 2.7 GHz and can be boosted to 3.7 GHz. It has 4 cores and 4 threads.
• Intel Core i3 1125G4 – has a base level clock speed of 2.0 GHz and can be boosted to 3.7GHz. It has 4 cores and 8 threads.
• Intel Core i7 1185G7 – this processor has a base level clock speed of 3.9 GHz and can be boosted to 4.8GHz. This processor, too, has 4 cores and 8 threads

Economy Series Laptops

If you want a basic laptop and do not have a greater workload, these processors can function pretty smoothly.

• Intel Celeron N1500 – this processor has a clock speed of 1.1GHz and can be pushed to a limit of 2.8GHz. The Celeron has 4 cores and 4 threads.
• Intel Pentium Silver N6000 – the Intel Pentium offers you an initial clock speed of 1.1GHz, and you can boost it to 3.0GHz. The Pentium has 4 cores and 4 threads.
• AMD Athlon Gold 3150U is a dual-core processor with an initial clock speed of 2.4GHz and can be boosted to 3.3GHz.

The laptops mentioned here are all entry-level laptops.

If you happen to be a gamer or have a job in video rendering and other complicated kinds of stuff, you should check the following lists:

Flagship Processors (Intel 10th Gen / AMD 4000)

• Intel Core i5 10500H is a Hexa-core processor with a base level clock speed of 2 .5 GHz and can be boosted to 4.5 GHz. This processor has 6 cores and 12 threads.
• AMD Ryzen 5 4600H – the Ryzen 5 is a Hexa-core processor with a base level clock speed of 3.0 GHz, and also it can serve you with a boost of 4.0 GHz. This Hexa-core processor has twelve threads.
• Intel Core i7 10875H – this i7 is an octa-core processor that can serve you with an initial clock speed of 2.3 GHz, and if boosted, it can give up a speed of 5.1 GHz. This processor has 16 threads.
• Intel Core i9 10980HK – this i9 is an octa-core processor that can serve you with an initial clock speed of 2.4 GHz, and if boosted, it can give up a speed of 5.3 GHz. This processor has 16 threads.
• AMD Ryzen 7 4800H – the Ryzen 7 is a high-performance, octa-core processor with a clock speed of 2.9 GHz and can be boosted to 4.2GHz. This has 16 threads.
• AMD Ryzen 9 4900H – the Ryzen 9 is the successor of the Ryzen 7. This is an octa-core processor with an initial clock speed of 3.3 GHz and can be boosted to 4.4 GHz. This processor has sixteen threads.

Flagship Processors for Workstations (Intel 11th Gen / AMD 5000)

• Intel Core i5 11500H – the i5 11th gen is pretty improved if compared over the 10th gen. This 11th gen i5 can serve you with a clock speed of 2.9 GHz, and when boosted, it goes up to 4.6 GHz. The 11500H has 6 cores and 12 threads.
• AMD Ryzen 5 5600H – the Ryzen 5000s are way superior to the 4000s. The 5600H can efficiently serve you with a base level clock speed of 3.3 GHz, and when boosted, it can go up to 4.2GHz. It has 6 cores and 12 threads.
• AMD Ryzen 75800HS – with a base level clock speed of 2.8 GHz, the Ryzen 75800HS is a great processor. Additionally, you can even boost it to 4.4 GHz. It has 8 cores and 16 threads.
• Intel Core i7 11800H – the 11th gen i7 is a powerful processor. The 11800H is an octa-core processor that works with a base level clock speed of 2.3 GHz and can be boosted to 4.6 GHz.
• AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX – the Ryzen 9 is a gift on its own. The 5900HX is a powerful octa-core processor, and this works at a clock speed of 3.3 GHz at the initial level. When boosted, the clock speed goes up to 4.6 GHz.
• Intel Core i9 11980HK – the new Intel Core i9 11th gen is a powerful processor compared to the 10th gen models. The 11980HK has a clock speed of 2.6 GHz, which you can boost to 5.0 GHz. This, too, is an octa-core processor with 16 threads.