Mobile processor

Amobile processoris amicroprocessordesigned formobile devicessuch aslaptops,andcell phones.

A CPU chip is designed for portable computers to runfanless,under 10 to 15W, which is cool enough without a fan.^[1]It is typically housed in a smaller chip package, but more importantly, in order to run cooler, it uses lower voltages than itsdesktopcounterpart and has moresleep modecapability. A mobile processor can be throttled down to different power levels or sections of the chip can be turned off entirely when not in use. Further, theclock frequencymay be stepped down under low processor loads. This stepping down conserves power and prolongsbattery life.

Today's CPUs are usually more than just a single unit. They are split into "cores",each acting like an individual CPU. They also use"threading",allowing each core to do multiple tasks, amplifying the performance.^[2]

In laptops

One of the main characteristics differentiatinglaptopprocessors from other CPUs islow-power consumption,however, they are not without tradeoffs; they also tend to not perform as well as their desktop counterparts.^[3]

The notebook processor has become an importantmarket segmentin thesemiconductor industry.Notebook computers are a popular format of the broader category ofmobile computers.The objective of a notebook computer is to provide the performance and functionality of adesktop computerin aportablesize and weight.

Cell phones and PDAs use "system on a chip"integrated circuits that use less power than most notebook processors.

While it is possible to use desktop processors in laptops, this practice is generally not recommended, as desktop processors heat faster than notebook processors and drain batteries faster.