Meaning of Intel processor suffixes

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I just bought a Core i7 second generation machine which shows the processor in the BIOS as:

Intel Core i7-2620M CPU @ 2.70Ghz

I have seen i7 3rd and 4th generation processors on Google but I don't understand the suffix (i.e. what is meant by M). I have also seen other processors with suffixes like MQ* and **QX.

What do these suffixes mean?

Ehsan Sajjad

Posted 2015-07-13T23:23:04.467

Reputation: 583

I'd note this does change with time. On desktop there's K series, S series and so on – Journeyman Geek – 2015-07-14T06:11:49.790

Answers

76

What do the suffixes mean?

  • C - Desktop Processor based on the LGA 1150 package with high performance graphics

  • D - Meaning is unknown as of Dec 2016

  • E - Embedded (the processor can be utilized in embedded systems)

  • H - High performance graphics

  • K - Unlocked

  • M - Mobile

  • P - Processor without integrated graphics controller

    Note: Back in the Core 2 days, a P-series chipset didn’t include an integrated GPU. Now, P-series chips just include slower integrated GPUs.

  • Q - Quad-core

  • R - Desktop processor based on BGA1364 (mobile) package with high performance graphics

  • S - Performance-optimized lifestyle

  • T - Power-optimized lifestyle

  • U - Ultra-low power

  • X - Extreme edition

  • Y - Extremely low power


Which has the best performance?

See the Performance Benchmark Library.

This library is a tool that can help you find performance benchmarks for Intel® products. Select at least one of the filter options below and click Get Results to find the benchmark you’re looking for.


Which has the best power consumption?

The detailed specifications of each processor can be found at View processor specifications and compare processors.


About Intel® Processor Numbers

The processor number is one of several factors, along with processor brand, specific system configurations, and system-level benchmarks, to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

A higher number within a processor class or family generally indicates more features, but it may be more of one and less of another. Once you decide on a specific processor brand and type, compare processor numbers to verify the processor includes the features you are looking for.

Source Intel® Processor Numbers: Laptop, Desktop, and Mobile Device


Additional Sources

DavidPostill

Posted 2015-07-13T23:23:04.467

Reputation: 118 938

and can you also tell which is better than which in performance and power consumption? – Ehsan Sajjad – 2015-07-14T03:35:23.063

2@EhsanSajjad Not by the suffix alone. A high spec mobile CPU can outperform a low spec desktop CPU no problem so the suffixes don't help you there. Likewise I've seen mobile CPUs that can burn through more watts than a low/mid range desktop CPU. There are plenty of websites dedicated to benchmarking CPUs so you can make reasonable comparisons between them. Google is your friend for that. – misha256 – 2015-07-14T04:22:07.707

4@EhsanSajjad If you want to know which of two processors is better in terms of performance and power consumption, you should look up the performance and power consumption of each CPU. – David Schwartz – 2015-07-14T05:12:03.397

Just for the sake of completing the list... U is Ultra Low Voltage and there is S as well, not sure what that stands for though. – DetlevCM – 2015-07-14T07:19:11.957

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@DetlevCM they are all listed here : http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html

– Ehsan Sajjad – 2015-07-14T07:28:28.433

@EhsanSajjad might be worth writing that up as a proper answer rather than a comment. – DetlevCM – 2015-07-14T11:03:48.723

@DetlevCM That link is already in my answer - "See the following link for all the Letter and Product Line suffixes. Source Intel® Processor Numbers: Laptop, Desktop, and Mobile Device" -> target is http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html

– DavidPostill – 2015-07-14T11:05:56.940

@DavidPostill If I'm not mistaken links are generally disliked on the Stackexchange network, are they not? And even when listing the most common ending, a U should not be omitted as just about most laptops sold in shops are nowadays mediocre low end U-processors... (the higher end i7-xxxxU are fine though). – DetlevCM – 2015-07-14T11:13:07.587

@DavidPostill It is definitely a better answer (gave you an upvote too :)) – DetlevCM – 2015-07-14T11:33:28.477

The Intel CPU pages has a 'compare' function that makes comparing (up to 4 I think) CPUs easy. It even highlights the difference. What I can't see anywhere is a unit like MegaFlop (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLOPS) to compare Xeon with i7 (and AMD as well) to decide if a given CPU architecture is worth the extra price. Comparing power consumption and base frequency is easy.

– Michael Stimson – 2015-07-15T00:34:58.850

There are some newer P-CPUs with no graphics too, like http://ark.intel.com/products/69114/Intel-Core-i5-3350P-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz

– otus – 2016-08-29T07:37:35.690