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Processor Type
What does a processor do?
The processor is your computer’s brain – it’s what makes apps and hardware tick.
It does all the clever stuff to make your computer work, and tells things like your RAM and storage what they need to do when you use them. You’ll need a powerful processor if you want to run lots of things at once. But for email and web browsing, a less powerful one will do the trick.
Processors Threads
Threads are similar to cores since they do the same job – the difference is that they’re virtual instead of physical. Each core has 2 threads it uses to complete tasks through a process called multithreading. The more cores your processor has, the more threads it can use to handle different instructions. So, if you opt for a quad core processor, it’ll always have 8 threads ready to use.
Processor Generation
When a new processor is released, it’s given a generation that tells you which family it’s part of. For example, a 12th generation Intel® Core™ i3 and i5 are part of the same generation. It also tells you how powerful a processor is, since a 13th generation Intel® Core™ i3 is faster than a 12th generation i5.
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FAQs
- How do I find my processor number?
Pop into the settings on your computer and search for “system information”. That’ll bring up a list of all your PC specs, including the processor number.
- What do the numbers on a processor mean?
On Intel® processors, the first number tells you which range it’s from – this usually has an “i” before it. The higher this number, the higher the processing power. The numbers after this tell you the generation of the processor, followed by the specific processor model number, e.g. i5-13400F is an i5 processor, 13th generation, and it’s the 400F series.
For AMD models, the first number on its own tells you the series it’s part of, then the 4 numbers after are a performance indicator. The higher the numbers, the more powerful the processor.- Is a higher number processor better?
The main thing to focus on for Intel® processors is the first number as this tells you the processing power. For example, an i7 is more powerful than an i5.
Whereas with AMD, it’s best to focus on the whole number. An AMD Ryzen™ 7 is more powerful than a Ryzen™ 5, but the following numbers also count towards the processing power.- What do the numbers mean in Intel® processors?
The first number with an “i” before it lets you know which range it’s from. The higher the number, the more powerful the processor. The following numbers tell you the generation and the higher this is, the more recently it was made. And then the last few are the specific product numbers, which you don’t need to worry about too much. An example of this is an i5-13400F has mid-range i5 processing power, is a 13th generation model, and the specific product number is “400F”.
- What is the processor identification number?
This is a unique number that identifies your specific processor. It can be really helpful if you need any product support.
