How to Name an Intel CPU

Intel makes it pretty easy to tell a performance model from a less powerful chip by the number and letters that come after its name. These numbers and letters usually tell you a little more about the chip’s features, but it can be difficult to decipher them without an extensive knowledge of CPU naming conventions. This article will help you better understand Intel processors and choose the right one for your gaming rig.

The first thing to look for in a processor’s name is the brand. Modern Intel processors are mostly marketed as the Intel Core brand, but you may also see the Xeon brand for workstation and server level of performance. Next, you’ll find the generation indicator which will read either i3, i5, or i7. The higher the number, the more powerful the processor.

After that, there is usually a product line suffix such as P, Q, or Y. The more the product line, the more specific the feature set and benchmarks. For example, a chip with an i5-Q suffix would be built for professional computing workloads like editing and video editing.

Another important part of the Intel processor naming is the T suffix which signifies a power-optimized lifestyle chip that is meant to run at lower frequencies than its rated base clock speed in order to conserve power. This is most common in mobile processors and will usually result in slightly reduced performance when the chips are running under load. Intel cpu’s