A laptop processor is lower powered than those found in desktop computers. Processors made for mobile computers take less power and run cooler then the ones found in desktop machines. Deciding what is the best processor for a laptop helps if a few things are known.

Thermal design power also known as TDP is something to look for when deciding. It indicates the maximum amount of wattage that the cooling system will need to dissipate. If a cooler running processor is wanted, go for the lowest TDP.

The amount of cores they contain, the bus speed as well as the speed itself, and the cache memory are great performance characteristics to look for. Cache memory is the local memory speed, it allows the CPU to keep slower main memory from accessing as often. The bus speed will determine the speed the processor talks to the rest of the computer.

Intel has core 2 duo processors. There are performance benefits to a dual core processor. Different cores also have different abilities.

Budget laptops that are developed will have the basic computing tasks, but they will not game well and high end graphic applications will not be great. AMD Athlon II N320 and higher and the Intel Core i3-330M and higher are examples for great budgets on mobile computers.

Ultra portables are designed to be light and compact but still powerful enough for most common business applications. They are great for people who travel alot. Examples would be AMD Athlon II Neo K125 and Intel Core i3-330UM.

Netbooks, Thin and Light, and Desktop replacements are other options when looking for the one thats right. They are small, light, and easy to transport and have the same basic features and more. They tend to perform better then the budget and ultra portables but they are smaller.