When it comes to choosing a central processing unit (CPU) for your computer, it can be tempting to buy the latest and greatest processor. However, the need for maximum power may not always be necessary. In many cases, a lower-powered processor can adequately meet your needs and save you money, especially if you use your computer for basic purposes or in a non-intensive work environment. By understanding your actual requirements and estimating the performance you need, you can make a more efficient decision without having to spend more on a processor you may not need.
I’m writing this article using a laptop with an Intel Pentium N5030 processor. It’s not a powerful new processor by any means, but after a few years, it works well. It can turn out that a lower-end processor might be all you need. Check out our Snapdragon X Elite vs. Apple M3 vs. Intel comparison: Which CPU is best for your next laptop?
A low-end processor is good enough for most people.
Most of us don’t buy high-end computers or flagship phones. If you don’t work at your computer every day, you probably only really use it to browse the web, communicate, view the occasional document, and watch videos. None of these tasks require a particularly powerful processor. Web browsing is the most demanding of these tasks, but you can usually improve that situation by getting more RAM, not adding more CPU cores.
Even if you earn your living working on a computer, most of us spend our entire days in a web browser. We’re often stuck using Slack, Teams, Outlook, and Google Docs, all tasks that a low-powered Chromebook can handle. It’s when you start compiling code and running intensive applications that you really start to understand the limits of a weak CPU. If these are your daily needs, you’ll definitely need to get a more powerful processor.
Another big exception is gamers. Most of us don’t try to play games on our PCs (PC gaming is a minority compared to dedicated consoles and mobile devices), but if you do, yes, get a more powerful processor and do so knowing that you have a clear and obvious reason to do so. Check out these reasons to choose a Chromebook over a Windows laptop.
A weaker processor saves you more money.
Many of us associate weak processors with cheap, low-quality computers. However, it’s often not the processor that slows down the experience. Many companies pair a low-powered processor with only 4GB or 8GB of RAM, a slow hard drive, and a low-resolution display. This is more of a marketing decision than anything else.
You can get a mini computer for under $200 from a company like BeelinkYou can then hook that computer up to a 4K monitor and plug in one of the best wireless keyboards you can find. Get a fancy mouse. Now you’ll feel like you have a premium machine without spending hundreds of extra dollars on a more powerful processor that you don’t really need.
It will reduce your electricity bill.
TDP, or Thermal Design Power (not to be confused with TGP), is one of the first things I look at when considering buying a new computer. This number tells you the maximum wattage your computer’s cooling system needs to be able to handle and gives you an idea of how much electricity your machine will draw per hour.
A lower TDP will lower your monthly bill if you live in a place with high energy costs. Likewise, if you’re trying to build a solar-powered, off-grid home, this factor reduces the number of panels you need and puts less strain on your inverter.
I have solar panels that replace most of the electricity my house and cars use, but I don't have a home battery backup yet. I want my equipment to be as low-powered and efficient as possible on the day I do it. This is a cheaper option than buying more panels, bigger batteries, and a big inverter for power-hungry devices like a big computer that I won't get any use for.
A fanless processor can be completely silent.
The chips in our phones and tablets are a little different from those in our PCs. ARM processors are fanless, so they don’t make any noise, while most Intel processors require a fan to achieve similar performance.
However, Intel does offer CPUs designed for fanless use. The low-power Intel N-series processors are found inside affordable PCs and small laptops. Their silence is part of their appeal, making them a great fit for people who share a desk. Some of us, once we get used to silent computers, don’t want to go back to hearing the whir of a fan just to browse the web.
Not all fanless processors are cheap. The lack of a fan is part of what’s so impressive about Apple Silicon and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X-series of processors powering Windows machines. However, these are $1,000 computers. You can get a low-power Intel processor or even a single-board computer like the Raspberry Pi that’s extremely versatile and enjoy quiet computing for much less.
You may get better battery life.
My laptop has a TDP of 6W, which means it gets a usable amount of battery life from a small 30W battery. If it was paired with a larger battery, the battery life would extend even longer.
Unlike desktops, we don’t have the luxury of choosing all of our components when buying a laptop. Even the framework doesn’t let you put in any battery you want. This means that the battery we have is the one we’re stuck with, but we do have some say in which CPU we choose. If you’re debating between an Intel Core 3 and an Intel Core 7, battery life is one reason to go with the former. Lower performance usually means lower demand on the battery.
Old processors are still powerful enough for today.
Honestly, processors have come a long way in terms of the advanced components they use. However, as an indication of how little processing power is required to run a computer, try installing Linux on a laptop from 10 years ago. It will likely run very smoothly. The usability of a laptop largely depends on whether it’s an old machine with just 4GB of RAM or a spinning hard drive. If you can increase that to 16GB and replace the hard drive with an SSD, you have a perfectly usable web browsing machine. Even if you’re hesitant to try Linux, it’s not your only option when ditching Windows to revive an old computer. Check out why I switched to Linux and how it impacted my experience with no regrets.
So if your concern is future-proofing, there's not much reason to worry about that. You can still get plenty of use out of a less powerful CPU for years to come.
There’s a big caveat, though, and it’s about AI. The features that companies are racing to integrate into their operating systems come with higher system requirements, like Microsoft’s CoPilot+. If you’re hoping to one day have conversations with a digital assistant that can scan the files on your device and analyze that data, you’re going to need more processing power. Check out our comparison of AI-dedicated processors from Intel, AMD, and Apple: Which is the best buy?
Leave the treatments to those who need them.
Processors are in everything from our cars to our refrigerators. There is a huge demand for processors, and this has led to a lot of shortages in the supply chain. We felt this especially during the Covid pandemic throughout 2020 and 2021.
There are two ways to deal with this situation. One is to ramp up production, and companies are working to do that. But there are finite resources, too, no matter how well manufacturers make processors. The other approach is to reduce demand. Anyone who doesn’t need high-end processing power can leave those chips to everyone else who does. I’m a writer. Do I need an Intel Core Ultra processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card to open a plain text editor and chat with my colleagues? No, even if my job were to cover technology. I just don’t do that.
Look at your use cases and buy the amount of processing power you need to do those tasks.
The CPU isn’t everything. Many of us can get the speed improvements we’re looking for by upgrading our RAM and swapping out our SSD for an NVMe drive. PC manufacturers want you to spend hundreds of dollars more on the highest-end version of their PC, but for most of us, the base model will do the trick. Now, read What should I do if I can’t upgrade my PC to Windows 11?
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