What's the Best Processor for Your New Laptop?
Don't spring for more power than you need. An Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 can handle most tasks.
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Because the processor serves as the heart of your laptop, playing a key role in determining its overall performance, energy efficiency, and ability to handle demanding tasks, it’s good to understand your options before selecting one for a new laptop.
Walking down the aisles of your local Best Buy or Walmart, you’ll see lots of laptops equipped with Intel’s Core processors. But a growing number are now powered by processors created by a rejuvenated AMD.
The company’s Ryzen processors debuted in desktop PCs in late 2017, but took a few years to really make their way to laptops.
Choosing the Best Processor
“Generally speaking, any of today’s Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors can do well with basic daily tasks like web browsing and email,” Asedillo says.
If you’re shopping for a new laptop, a midrange Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 is likely your best bet. It will handle everyday tasks with aplomb, and still pack enough power to tackle more strenuous tasks, such as streaming high-res video and editing large photos. You should be able to find a Core i5- or Ryzen 5-equipped laptop for around $700.
The lower-end Core i3 and Ryzen 3 may serve you well, too, but even if the processor itself is fast enough to get work done, it often ends up in a laptop with a slower hard drive, limited memory, or so-so build quality.
But depending on your budget and your needs, that may be a worthwhile concession. After all, those laptops are fully capable of running productivity apps like Microsoft Office, Zoom, and Slack, and can cost less than $500. So, for many people, they offer good value, even if it takes an extra beat or two to open an app.
Chromebooks, if you’re wondering, often use even lower-end Intel processors, primarily the Pentium and Core m3. But again, these are devices designed for simple tasks, like, say, putting together a slide deck presentation in Google Workspace.
What about the higher-end Core i7 and Core i9 and Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9?
While hugely powerful, those are overkill for most consumers. If you are someone who plays a lot of games or routinely uses heavy-duty video editing apps like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, where processing speed truly matters, they begin to make sense.
Top Laptops With AMD Ryzen R5 and R7
Top Laptops With Intel Core i3, i5, and i7
