If you're in the market for a powerful machine that's built to last then you'll need a device running of the best laptop CPU. In 2024, there are more options than at any other time for the form factor, with innovations brought about by established brands such as Intel, Apple, and AMD, but there's also the more recent breakthrough from Qualcomm.
With that said, each of these mobile processors has its strengths and weaknesses depending on your use case. This is evident with the recent rise and popularity of AI computing which means the inclusion of an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) which uses AI to accelerate tasks. Every chipset manufacturer has thrown its hat into the ring, so it's going to be an increasingly big part of your day-to-day.
Furthermore, advancements have been made with integrated graphics as well. While unlikely to rival the performance of a discrete graphics processor as found in the best gaming laptops, today's iGPUs are far more competent. That means increased gaming performance but also makes more GPU-intensive tasks a reality. Machines will now need to balance their total power in a new way; CPU, GPU, and NPU in tandem. With that in mind, we're here to break down all the brands, the models, and how to choose the best laptop CPU for you.
Best laptop CPUs from Intel
Team Blue's Meteor Lake hardware has brought some of the biggest innovations in the laptop scene seen for some time. To start with, the current line of Intel Core Ultra processors, ditching the "i" branding from its predecessors, is available in the denominations of Core Ultra 3, Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7, and Core Ultra 9.
The bulk of these chipsets feature integrated Arc graphics, replacing the weaker Xe graphics of older laptop processors. There's also the inclusion of an "Intel AI Boost" through the dedicated NPU found in all of the SKUs on the market.
Described as "power-efficient AI" the NPU architecture found in Meteor Lake chips is made up of four parts: global control, scratchpad RAM, and twin neural compute engines. Said NPU makes up around 10 TOPS which, while solid, has since been eclipsed by some of Intel's competitors.
As with the previous-generation Raptor Lake and Alder Lake chips, Meteor Lake also features a combination of Performance Cores and Efficiency Cores for a larger overall core pool, albeit clocked slightly slower than some older silicon.
You'll commonly find the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in ultrabooks such as the Asus Zenbook Duo 14, MSI Pulse 16 AI C1V, and HP Envy x360. However, higher-end machines may opt for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H instead which also powers gaming laptops such as the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9, among others. These are the Intel processors you'll want for getting productive and gaming effectively.
With that said, the second generation of Intel Core Ultra processors will soon be upon us. Intel announced Lunar Lake in June of this year with much emphasis placed on its vastly improved NPU performance complemented by the hybrid "Lion Cove" performance and "Skymont" efficiency cores. It's claimed that the Ultra 200 line will feature up to 4x the NPU power of Meteor Lake, meaning the latest silicon will be ready for Windows Copilot+ functionality.
You'll get your first proper taste of Lunar Lake's power at the upcoming reveal of the Intel Core 200V family scheduled for September 3. Little concrete has circulated on the hardware front aside from the inclusion of an NPU which exceeds 40 TOPs, so the event should have all the answers as Team Blue promises "unmatched AI computing power". It is rumored that Lunar Lake could launch as early as September so we may receive a release date alongside the product and partner reveal then.
AMD Ryzen AI 300
Announced in June and released at the end of July, the AMD Ryzen AI 300 chipsets are brand new and serve as more than a confident rival to Intel's Meteor Lake hardware.
Promising "ultimate performance" and "transformational experiences" chipsets such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and Ryzen AI 9 365 are available in machines through Team Red's partners such as Asus, Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, with more to come throughout the year. Confirmed machines include the Zenbook S16 and ProArt PX13.
The NPU here is powered by the AMD XDNA 2 architecture which features a 50 TOPS NPU with 32 AI engine tiles. This is combined with a low base TDP (up to 54w) of just 28W and integrated RDNA 3 graphics of either the 880M or the 890M.
AMD has claimed the NPU here is four times more powerful than the one featured in the Ryzen 7000 series, with vastly faster graphics performance, too. If you're looking for a capable machine that's ready for Copilot+ functionality available right now then these processors could be what you've been waiting for.
If you're strictly in the market for an AMD-powered gaming laptop, however, you may be better suited to a processor which can hit higher frequencies. Despite the 12-core configurations of the HX 375 and HX 370 (10 for the 365), they are clocked low at 2 GHz with a max boost clock of 5.1 GHz.
Furthermore, unlike some other laptop CPUs on this list, the Ryzen AI 300 line is x86 architecture, ensuring the best compatibility with Windows 11 applications and games.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X line
Qualcomm muscled into the mobile computing space with confidence when it announced the Snapdragon X line of processors earlier in the year. For good reason, too, since the hardware's announcement, major manufacturers have adopted the chipset generation with great success.
There are now a whole host of Snapdragon X laptops to choose from, including the Microsoft Surface Laptop and Microsoft Surface Pro 11 that really benefitted from the new hardware.
You have the choice of either the Snapdragon X Plus with a 10-core 3.4 GHz CPU or the Snapdragon X Elite featuring a 12-core 4.2 GHz CPU. Both chips are running the company's "Hexagon" NPU with 45 TOPs of processing power, but the latter features increased gaming prowess through its 4.6 TFLOPs GPU compared to the Plus' 3.8 TFLOPs variant.
We've tested the Snapdragon X Elite inside machines such as the Asus Vivobook S 15, but you'll also see the likes of the Samsung GalaxyBook 4 Edge at the fringe, too. In summary, you can expect all-day battery life, near-instant boot-ups, and some powerful functionality from the SoC.
It comes at the cost of compatibility, though, with the processor line running on ARM instead of x86. Windows on ARM has come a long way, but there's still a way to go in ensuring all your programs, apps, and games work as intended. You're essentially an early adopter at this point.
Apple M3 silicon
The Californian tech giant made waves when it decided to start manufacturing its own hardware and adopt ARM for MacOS four years ago, and the innovations have led to its best laptops yet.
The silicon is available in three different configurations from the standard M3 (8-core CPU with up to 10-core GPU) found in the excellent MacBook Air M3 to the M3 Pro and M3 Max featured in the Apple MacBook Pro M3.
As well as an improved 16-core Neural Engine (with around 18 TOPs) the new M3 hardware is around 30% more power-efficient than the M2, while delivering over double the speed of the original M1 model. Furthermore, the chips are made with a 3nm process, and they can hold their own with impressive single-core and multi-core performance in our testing.
This processor line makes the current MacBook Air and Pro models the best they've ever been while ensuring an all-day battery life, excellent software compatibility, and even solid gaming performance through titles such as Death Stranding, Lies of P, Hades, and Baldur's Gate 3 to name just a few.
You won't get the same level of prowess as a dedicated gaming laptop, nor the NPU power of AI PCs, but Apple strikes a comfortable and confident middle-ground for those who love its OS and design philosophy.
Best laptop CPU: FAQs
What CPU type is best in laptops?
You'll want a CPU with a dedicated NPU if you're planning on using your machine for productivity tasks. With Copilot functionality being pushed so heavily by Microsoft, it will form a core part of your day-to-day in the months and years to come. AMD and Qualcomm currently have processors that meet the requirements, but Intel is yet to catch up with Lunar Lake coming this year.
What laptop CPU is right for me?
If you're interested in AI computing first and foremost then you'll be best served by the AMD Ryzen AI 300 line as it uses x86 architecture for a traditional Windows experience. However, should battery life be paramount, then the ARM-based Snapdragon X and Apple M3 silicon could be the more optimal choice. It will come down to your use case ultimately.
