What do the numbers and letters in Intel processor names mean?

What do the numbers and letters in Intel processor names mean?

As is common to many, the processor is the brain of the computer, and therefore it is one of the most important criteria for buying a new laptop or desktop computer. Choosing the best processor suitable for your needs is the first step, and based on the option you choose, many other things depend on it.

Mostly, this choice is decided in favor of Intel processors as they are more widely used and widespread due to their reasonable prices, excellent performance and low power consumption.

Whether you've already purchased a computer with an Intel processor or are just starting out on an Intel processor to build your own, chances are you've noticed the strange naming of these processors. Intel processors are named using specific letters and numbers that are confusing and incomprehensible to non-technical and expert users.

So you might be wondering what the real meaning behind these numbers and letters is? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we explain in detail the meaning of these numbers and letters used in the Intel processor naming system so that choosing between them and knowing which one is better will be an easier task.

To begin, in this article I will cover the naming convention for Intel’s Core I series processors, which are the most commonly used in laptops and desktops. As you know, the Core-I series has four main models: Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and finally Core i9.

The original purpose of these numbers is to quickly and intuitively differentiate between different categories, the larger the number the better;

This is true, as Core i3 processors offer the lowest processing power among all other processors in the series,

While Core i5 processors have higher clock speeds and are more powerful than Core i3 processors,

Core i7 processors feature very high speeds and powerful processing power.

The Core i9 processors have the highest clock speed and processing power among all other Core I series processors.

But it's not that simple; Intel processors should not be judged by their class alone, as there are other factors through which the performance level is determined by the name.

In short, for example, it can be said that Intel Core i7 processors are often better than Core i5 processors. But that doesn't mean that every Intel i7 processor can match or beat the performance of any i5 processor. There are other things to pay attention to, which we mention in the following lines.

Regardless of the category you choose for your computer processor, whether Core i3, i5, i7 or i9, you will notice from the basic name, immediately after the category, the presence of four numbers behind which information and details about the processor are hidden. It is even possible to know the level of performance and age of the processor by reading these numbers.

To clarify, the first number represents the generation of the processor, and the last three numbers represent the stock keeping unit (SKU) and some information about the processing power. For example, in the Intel Core i5-9400 H processor, the number 9 represents the ninth generation and 400 represents the SKU number.

The generation of a processor is an indicator of its quality, speed, and performance. This means that the latest generation is faster and performs better than the previous generation. For example, the Intel Core i7-9700K processor is 6% faster than the previous generation Intel Core i7-8700K processor according to a comparison made on the Userbenchmark website .

This means that you should always look for the latest processor when buying a new computer, whether it's a laptop or a desktop. As of this writing, we're on the 10th generation of Intel processors, and a new generation is usually released every year, so we can estimate the age of any Intel processor by simply looking at the first digit of its name after the category.

The three numbers or SKU indicate the performance level of the processor, so the higher the numbers, the better the performance of the processor. If you compare the Intel Core i5 9400 H processor to the Intel Core i5 9300 H processor, you will find that the former has a higher SKU number. This means that the 9400H has more processing power than the 9300H.

Similarly, if you compare the Intel Core i7 9750H to the Intel Core i7 9850H, you will find that the 9850H has more processing power than the 9750H. But remember, this is not a rule (it is not always fixed) and you cannot tell the performance level of a processor by comparing the SKU numbers of two different generations of Intel processors. You must compare to an Intel processor of the same generation by the SKU numbers.

Now we come to the most important part - the letters. When looking at the names of Intel processors from the Core i family, you will find that they always end with a letter. This letter is called the "suffix" and is used to express the main advantage of this processor compared to other processors. But note that there are some processors that come without a suffix, which indicates that they are devoid of features, so they are called "rare processors" and of course they are intended for desktop computers exclusively. In general, we will mention below the most important letters that you may encounter in the names of Intel processors, whether Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Core i9.

• The “U” in Intel processors stands for Ultra Low Power, meaning they run at slow speeds and consume much less power. That’s why you’ll often find U processors associated with laptops because they consume very little power and don’t produce much heat during normal use, providing long battery life. However, if you’re using U processors for heavy tasks, they can get quite hot.
• The “F” means that the processor does not have an integrated graphics processor like other processors, so you will need to purchase a separate graphics card from Nvidia or AMD to connect the display to the computer. An example of this would be the Intel Core i5-9400F processor.
• The letter "K" means that the processor is unlocked, meaning that it can be overclocked and increased in frequency legally and officially, unlike other types where overclocking is one of the items that constitutes breaking any warranty or guarantee. So with these processors, you can get additional performance at the expense of power consumption and heat generation, such as the Intel Core i9-9900K processor. It is worth noting that this type is also the most expensive and is designed for desktop computers, and whoever buys it must purchase a sufficiently powerful power supply and an effective cooling system.
• The letter "H" indicates that the processor has a high-performance graphics processor integrated with it, unlike other types. You will also find processors whose names end with the letters HK and HQ. The first indicates that the processor is equipped with a graphics processor and is also overclockable. The second has the same feature in addition to being quad-core. However, these integrated graphics processors from Intel are still not as powerful as those external graphics processors from Nvidia and AMD, as they are comparable to them in terms of performance.
• The “Y” indicates that the processor consumes the least amount of power possible, even less than the models designated for the U. In fact, these processors are the least power-hungry of all, so you will commonly find them in cheap laptops or tablets where they focus entirely on battery life, but this limited amount of power comes at the expense of very low performance, as they are suitable for performing some basic tasks such as browsing the Internet and running regular programs.
• The letter "T" means that the processor consumes less power and produces less heat as well, and these processors have higher performance than those with the Y or U suffix. All-in-One desktop computers are the most attractive for these processors, as they are able to work even with somewhat weak cooling systems.
• Processors that end with the letter "X" are the most powerful processors in the Intel Core family ever, so you will find them limited to the i7 or i9 category only, and of course they are intended for desktop devices. X processors have the highest clock speed and are capable of running heavy games at the highest graphics settings with ease, running any 3D modeling and design program, running any VFX Design program and 4K video editing programs. In general, X processors can run any program or game that requires very high processing power. These are the most expensive processors among all Intel Core processor models.

So you have been able to understand the numbers and letters in the Intel Core I series and know exactly what they mean, as they are used to identify the type of processor and distinguish between products in the same Intel processor family. This article is all you need when you decide to buy a new computer or laptop and want to make the choice easier, as understanding what the names mean will help you choose the device that is right for your needs.