Are CPUs In Laptops And Desktops Similar? (Explained)

Are CPUs In Laptops And Desktops Similar? There are many similarities between laptops and desktops. However, in response to the query: The CPUs in laptops and desktops are different they  do the same job though.

Although the processors in both of these machines may be manufactured by the same firm, laptop CPUs are designed to be slower than desktop CPUs since they are smaller and more compact.

Are CPUs in laptops and desktops the same?

No, but compute the same task, If you know anything about computers, you know that the central processing unit (CPU) or processor is the brain of computer.

It is the one that controls all operations in both of them. So in case you wanted to do a comparison between a laptop and a desktop, you would realize that the laptop is much more compact and smaller. Therefore, are the CPUs in a laptop and a desktop the same?

The CPU, often known as the processor, is the computer’s brain since it enables the machine to carry out difficult tasks and make complex judgments.

Naturally, a computer’s ability to handle several complicated judgments increases with CPU power.

Both the laptop and the desktop are computers in that sense, and computers need processors to carry out all of their varied responsibilities.

Since both of these computers need a CPU to operate and carry out some of the more complex tasks they are capable of, they are similar in that regard.

Now, to add on the fact that laptops can easily be carried around with that the desktop computers, each of these devices require the same components, that are both controlled by the processor.

After our need to believe that laptops and desktops are different from each other because of how they are made for different uses, you can find yourself believing that they share a common CPU in the sense that you can swap out a laptop’s processor for a desktop’s. So, are CPUs in laptops and computers the same?

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Truth be told, laptops and desktops are created to be separate from one another. If desktop and laptop CPUs were made to function similarly, desktop computers wouldn’t need to be as large and heavy in comparison to laptops, which continue to be rather compact even when outfitted with the most potent laptop processors.

Even though the CPUs in both the laptop and the desktop execute the same tasks for the machines they serve, they are nonetheless very distinct from one another.

Are CPUs In Laptops And Desktops Similar? (Explained)
Are CPUs In Laptops And Desktops Similar? (Explained)

What are the distinctions between the CPUs in laptops and desktops?

Since we have noted that the processors of desktops and laptops are different, what really differentiates them? What are the differences between laptop and desktop CPUs? Now, to answer this very commonly asked question, the following are key differences between them: 

  • Size

When comparing the CPUs of a laptop with a desktop, the laptop’s CPU immediately stands out as being much more compact than the larger processor found in a desktop.

Naturally, the laptop’s CPU was designed to be smaller so that it could fit in the smaller frame that laptops frequently have.

However, desktop computers don’t care how much room they take up, thus their CPUs can be as large as possible based on the CPU’s power and capability.

  • Consumption Of Power

Another distinction is the amount of power that desktop and laptop CPUs can draw.

A laptop’s CPU should only be able to draw a certain amount of power from the battery; otherwise, the battery would quickly run out of power since laptops are made to stay with power for long. 

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This is true even if you use your laptop’s power adapter. Since desktop computers are made to operate while plugged into power source, their CPUs are designed to utilize a lot of power.

  • Cooling

Most desktop CPUs differ greatly from their desktop equivalents in this area. Due to their size, desktop CPUs typically have an internal cooling system to prevent overheating from the power they may draw from the power outlet.

On the other side, CPUs in laptops are not made with a cooling system but only uses their own type of cooling system because they do not consume a lot of power.

Clock Speed

It’s easy to assume that two different processors with similar names are the same when comparing the CPUs of a laptop and a desktop.

If your laptop and desktop both have i7 CPUs, you may mistakenly believe that they are identical and that the laptop processor can operate at speeds comparable to the desktop model.

Apart from that, desktop computers are designed with processors that have high clock speeds since they are bigger and use a lot of power.

Since desktop CPUs have higher clock rates, this shows that they can be able to process more instructions per second.

  • Amount of cores

Due to the size of the CPUs found in both the laptop and the desktop, laptops cannot afford to have more cores than the latter. Think of the several cores as diverse brain regions, each with its own set of abilities.

Even though an i7 laptop CPU may have the same specs as an i7 desktop processor, the desktop can perform better since it has more cores.

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Even a stronger Core i5 desktop CPU with more cores may outperform a weaker Core i7 laptop processor.

Which CPU is better, laptop or desktop?

You might be thinking about which laptop CPU is better now that you know what makes it distinct from its desktop counterpart.

In that aspect, there is little question that a desktop CPU is far more powerful than its laptop equivalent due to the latter’s smaller size and higher power use.

You must realize, too, that these CPUs were made for various uses. A desktop processor may be more powerful, but it wasn’t designed to be utilized on a small device like a laptop.

While laptop CPUs are not as powerful as desktop CPUs, they are remarkable in their own right due to how quickly they can perform despite their small size.

Final thought

A laptop cannot accommodate a more powerful CPU because it is smaller than a desktop computer.

Even if laptop CPUs are getting faster every day, desktop computers are still able. Since every processor is made for a specific task, one cannot perform other’s task.

 Related Article: 

Why Use An FPGA Instead of a CPU or GPU? (Explained)

 

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