Intel i5 3rd gen or 4th gen

[outlawedPC]

Hey Guys
i m planning to get a new laptop. but m stuck between these choices.
should i go for intel i5 3rd gen processors of 4th gen processor. i'll be using windows 7 only and for good gaming experience,multitasking and good multimedia experience ..
didn't liked windows 8 n have heard it has some compatibility issues.
Please Help.. Thanks

 

[Avro Arrow]

For Windows 7, you can use pretty much any GPU on the market. If you only plan to use light gaming, I would recommend an AMD APU like an A8 or A10. That way you can have decent graphics that won't eat your battery alive like a discrete mobile GPU will.

 

[jaguarskx]

In terms of CPU processing power there is not much difference between a 3rd and 4th Intel CPU assuming the same number of cores and clockspeed. On average a 4th gen Intel CPU is only about 6% more powerful than a 3rd gen Intel CPU. So a Haswell CPU running at 2.0GHz would be equal to an Ivy Bridge CPU running at 2.12GHz.


However, the average performance increase for the integrated graphics; Intel HD 4000 vs. the Intel HD 4600; is roughly 33%. So from a gaming perspective if you are relying on the integrated graphics, then you are better off with a 4th gen Haswell Intel CPU. On the other hand if the laptop has a graphics chip (discrete graphics), then this does not really matter much if you go with 3rd or 4th gen.

 

[blade of grass]

I would suggest going with a 4th generation processor. Besides the performance improvements, they are also much more energy efficient. So laptops with 4th generation processors will last longer on the same charge then 3rd generation.

 

[jaguarskx]

Having said the above you are generally better off buying a laptop with an AMD APU if the main purpose is to play games and you are relying on integrated graphics. However....

There is always a "however"... The Intel HD 4600 graphics core is actually pretty powerful. There are only two AMD integrated graphics cores that are considered more powerful than the Intel HD 4600; the Radeon HD 8610g (AMD A10-5745M) and the Radeon HD 8650g (AMD A10-5757M & AMD A10-5750M).

AMD will be releasing the Kaveri generation APU on January 14th, but they are the desktop versions only. So far there is no announcement about when the mobile versions will be released. AMD claims a 20% increase in CPU performance (but still not as powerful as Intel CPUs) and up to a 30% increase in integrated graphics performance.