H vs U processors: Here’s what you must consider before buying a new Laptop/Notebook — TechArena

What is the actual difference between an H and a U series processor? why you should consider it before buying a new laptop/notebook? It’s a very common confusion, especially when buying a laptop/notebook. here one is power efficient, while another one is the exact opposite, one can provide excellent battery backup, while the other can barely run on battery power. The sole purpose of this article is to explain the key features and differences between H and U series processors, also to help you choose the best laptop for your needs.

Power

Everything depends on power, even cooling. You might have noticed U series processors generally come with 15-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power) or less than 20 watt. While on the other hand H series processors come with a minimum of 35-watt TDP. Here more TDP simply means better cooling, which means stable performance in long run without the need to throttle the CPU. Let’s make it more simple, a sports car and an average car, both can touch high speeds, but only one of these can maintain high speeds for a longer duration of time without overheating and breaking down and that’s the reason it’s called High performance let it be a car or a processor. H series processors are mostly available in gaming machines, as they can work on their full potential for as long as you want, while a U series chip will throttle once it reaches 90% of usage. The throttling will decrease its speed and output, which can cause massive lags and stutters.

Also read: Here’s how to boost your Internet Connection Speed

Performance

As you’d expect, H series processors are far more promising in performance than U series. Let’s compare the Ryzen 5 3550H with the intel i5 10th gen 1035G1. Ryzen 5 3550H is a quite old chip that was meant to compete with the i5 8th gen 8300H chip. Even the latest i5 1035G1 is inferior to the Ryzen 5. The turbo clock speed of the i5 is 3.6Ghz which will trigger throttling once reached, while Ryzen can continuously stay at 3.7Ghz at turbo. Even though the i5 supports far more faster RAM, but that won’t be of use once the processor starts throttling. So you know, thermal throttling is very common with these 15watt chips, these are generally preferred for lite work or internet browsing, that’s the reason these are common in lite weight laptops/notebooks and even ultrabooks.

Pros and Cons of H series processor.

Pros

• High performance.
• 0-minimum throttling.
• Reliable.
• Better processing.

Cons

• Uses more power.
• Usually expensive.
• Needs an AC adapter to be plugged in for Turbo boost.
• Cooling Fans could be noisy.

Pros and Cons of U series processor.

Pros

• Good battery backup.
• Power-efficient.
• Fans produce less noise.
• A great choice for lite usage.
• Comparatively cheaper than H series Chips.

Cons

• CPU throttling is very common.
• Not recommended for high CPU usage tasks, such as editing, gaming.
• Over-heating is a very common issue.

Value for money?

Well, as you can see both the processors are good at their own job. It actually depends on an individual’s needs, what he/she needs the processor for? If you are a gamer, graphics designer, or your work involves editing and rendering then you should go for high-performance H chips, as these can keep running on full potential for longer durations. If you need an ultra-portable and compact device, which can be used for office work, browsing, and other lite tasks, then you can go for U series chips or any 15Watt TDP processor. H series chips are basically for the creators, while U series chips are meant for a minimum to moderate usage. Generally, H series chips have a higher price tag for their uncompromised performance, while other chips are far cheaper than these power-hungry beasts.

Originally published at https://arenaoftech.com on June 20, 2021.