Does anyone know the difference from a desktop processor and a laptop?

[drew12100]

I am looking for a laptop processor and i don't really know how to indicate if it is for a desktop or laptop. I really need help before buying one that i think would be compatable

 

[Chicano]

Desktop processors have a heatsink that covers the whole CPU... Laptop processors have a heatsink that only covers the center... Desktop CPUs say "Desktop", laptop CPUs say "Mobile".

These are for laptops (Mobile CPU)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008599%204027&IsNodeId=1&Description=laptop%20processor%20intel&name=%2475%20-%20%24100&Order=BESTMATCH

These are for desktops
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%2050001157&IsNodeId=1&name=Intel

 

[bicycle_repair_man]

From an Intel perspective, laptop processors are denoted with 'M' or 'MQ', such as an i3-2310M or an i7-4700MQ.

AMD processors are slightly trickier to distinguish because both desktop and laptops processors are prefixed with 'FX' or 'A'. The way to deduce which is which is to look at the specific model. For example, an FX-8350 is a desktop processor and an FX-7500 is a laptop processor.