The main manufacturers of processors nowadays are
Intel and
AMD, also in 2020, Apple introduced its
M1 series CPUs (with further development as
M1 Max and
M1 Ultra), later showing the next generation
M2(
M2 Pro,
M2 Max,
M2 Ultra). The list of current Intel series includes
Atom,
Celeron,
Pentium,
Core i3,
Core i5,
Core i7,
Core i9,
Core Ultra 9 and
Xeon. For AMD, in turn, this list looks like this:
AMD Athlon,
AMD FX,
Ryzen 3,
Ryzen 5,
Ryzen 7,
Ryzen 9 and
Ryzen Threadripper.
In general, each series includes processors of different generations, similar in general level and positioning. Here is a more detailed description of each of the options described above:
— Atom. Processors originally designed for mobile devices. Accordingly, they are distinguished by compactness, high energy efficiency and low heat dissipation, but they “do not shine” with performance. Perfect for microcomputers (see "Type"), among the more "large-format" systems are extremely rare — mostly in the most modest configurations.
— Celeron. Low-cost-level processors, the most simple and inexpensive consumer-level desktop chips from Intel, with the appropriate characteristics.
— Pentium. A family of low-cost desktop processors from Intel that is slightly more advanced than Celeron, but inferior to models from the Core i* series.
— Core i3. The simplest and most inexpensive series of desktop Core chips from Intel includes chips of the low-cost and inexpensive middle class, which, nevertheless, surpass Celerons and Pentiums in terms of performance.
— Core i5. Medium-level family among Intel Core processors; and in general, the chips of this series can be attributed to the average level by the standards of desktop systems.
— Core i7. A series of high-performance processors that has long been the top among Core chips; only in 2017 did it lose this position to the i9 family. However, the presence of an i7 processor still means a fairly powerful and advanced configuration; in particular, such CPUs are found in premium-level monoblocks, and are also quite popular in gaming systems.
— Core i9. The top series among Core processors, the most powerful among general purpose Intel desktop chips. In particular, the number of cores even in the most modest models is at least 6. Such chips are used mainly in gaming PCs.
— Xeon. High-end Intel processors, the capabilities of which go beyond the standard desktop chips. Designed for specialized applications, among PCs they are found mainly in powerful workstations.
— AMD FX. A family of processors from AMD, positioned as high-performance and at the same time inexpensive solutions, including for gaming systems. Interestingly, some models come standard with liquid cooling.
— Ryzen 3. AMD Ryzen chips (all series) are promoted as high-end solutions for gamers, developers, graphic designers and video editors. It was among these chips that AMD pioneered the Zen microarchitecture, which introduced simultaneous multithreading, which made it possible to significantly increase the number of operations per clock at the same clock frequency. And Ryzen 3 is the most inexpensive and modest family among the "ryzens" in terms of characteristics. Such processors are produced using the same technologies as the older series, however, half of the computing cores are deactivated in Ryzen 3. Nevertheless, this line includes quite performant models, designed, among other things, for gaming configurations and workstations.
— Ryzen 5. A family related to the middle level among Ryzen processors. The second series on this architecture, released in April 2017 as a more affordable alternative to Ryzen 7 chips. Ryzen 5 chips have slightly more modest performance characteristics (in particular, lower clock speeds and, in some models, L3 cache size). Otherwise, they are completely similar to the "sevens" and are also positioned as high-performance chips for gaming and workstations.
— Ryzen 7. Historically the first series of AMD processors based on the Zen microarchitecture (for more details, see "Ryzen 3" above). One of the older families among the "ryzens", in terms of performance it is second only to the Threadripper line; many PCs based on these chips are gaming.
— Ryzen Threadripper. Specialized Hi-End processors designed for maximum performance. They are mainly installed in gaming systems and workstations.
— Apple M1. A series of processors from Apple introduced in November 2020. They belong to mobile solutions (see "Type" above), are performed according to the system-on-chip scheme: a single module combines a CPU, a graphics adapter, RAM (in the first models — 8 or 16 GB), an NVMe solid-state drive and some other components (specifically Thunderbolt 4 controllers). Accordingly, among PCs, the main scope of such chips are compact nettops. As for the characteristics, in the initial configurations, the M1 processors are equipped with 8 cores — 4 performant and 4 economical; the latter, according to the creators, consume 10 times less energy than the former. This, combined with the 5nm process technology, has made it possible to achieve very high energy efficiency and at the same time performance.
— Apple M1 Max. An uncompromisingly powerful SoC with a focus on maximizing Apple desktop productivity for complex tasks. The Apple M1 Max line was introduced in the fall of 2021, it debuted on board Mac Studio computers.
Apple M1 Max consists of 10 cores: 8 of them are productive, and 2 more are energy efficient. The maximum amount of built-in combined memory reaches 64 GB, the “ceiling” of its bandwidth is 400 GB / s. The graphics performance of the Max version of the M1 single-chip system is about twice that of the Apple M1 Pro. The chip contains over 57 billion transistors. An additional accelerator for the professional ProRes video codec has also been introduced into its design, which allows you to easily play multiple streams of high-quality ProRes video in 4K and 8K frame resolutions.
— Apple M1 Ultra. Formally, the M1 Ultra chip consists of two Apple M1 Max processors on a single UltraFusion substrate, which allows information transfer at speeds up to 2.5 Tbps. In the language of "dry" numbers, this bundle consists of 20 ARM computing cores (16 high-performance and 4 energy efficient), a 64-core graphics subsystem and a 32-core neural computing unit. The system-on-chip supports up to 128 GB of combined memory. About 114 billion transistors are packed into the processor package. The main purpose of the Apple M1 Ultra is to confidently work with complex resource-intensive applications in the manner of processing 8K video or 3D rendering. In life, the processor can be found on board Mac Studio desktop computers.
In addition to the series described above, in modern PCs you can find the following processors:
—
AMD Fusion A4.... The entire Fusion processor family was originally created as integrated graphics devices, combining a central processing unit and a graphics card in one chip; such chips are called APU — Accelerated Processing Unit. Series with the index "A" are equipped with the most powerful integrated graphics in the family, which in some cases can compete on equal terms with inexpensive discrete video cards. The higher the number in the series index, the more advanced it is; A4 is the most modest series among Fusion A.
— AMD Fusion A6. A series of processors from the Fusion A line, relatively modest, but somewhat more advanced than the A4. For common features of all Fusion A, see "AMD Fusion A4" above.
— AMD Fusion A8. A rather advanced series of Fusion A processors, the middle option between the relatively modest A4 and A6 and the high-end A10 and A12. For common features of all Fusion A, see "AMD Fusion A4" above.
— AMD Fusion A9. Another advanced series from the Fusion A family, slightly inferior only to the A10 and A12 series. For common features of all Fusion A, see "AMD Fusion A4" above.
— AMD Fusion A10. One of the top series in the Fusion A line. See "AMD Fusion A4" above for general features of this line.
— AMD Fusion A12. The top series in the APU Fusion A line, introduced in 2015; positioned as professional-level processors with advanced (even by APU standards) graphics capabilities. For general features of the Fusion A range, see "AMD Fusion A4" above.
— AMD E-series. This series of processors belongs to the APU, like the Fusion A described above, however, it is fundamentally different in specialization: the main scope of the E-Series are compact devices, in the case of PCs, mostly nettops (see "Type"). Accordingly, these processors have compactness, low heat dissipation and power consumption, but their computing power is also low.
— Athlon X4. A series of low-cost consumer-level processors, originally released in 2015 as relatively inexpensive and at the same time relatively performant solutions for the FM + socket.
— AMD G. A family of ultra-compact and energy-efficient processors from AMD, made on the principle of "system on a chip" (SoC). Unlike many similar chips, it uses the x86 architecture, not ARM. Positioned as a solution for devices with an emphasis on graphics, in particular, gaming. However, we are not talking about gaming PCs: like most processors of a similar "weight category", AMD G is found mainly in thin clients (see "Type").
— VIA. Processors from the company of the same name, mainly related to energy-efficient "mobile" solutions — in particular, many VIA models are directly compared with Intel Atom. However, despite the modest performance, such CPUs are found even among desktop systems; and in the future, the company plans to create full-fledged desktop chips, competing with AMD and Intel.
— ARM Cortex-A. A group of processors from ARM, the creator of the microarchitecture of the same name and the largest manufacturer of chips based on it. A feature of this microarchitecture compared to the classic x86 is the so-called reduced instruction set (RISC): The processor operates with a simplified instruction set. This somewhat limits the functionality, but allows you to create more compact, "cold" and at the same time performant chips. For a number of reasons, the ARM architecture is mainly used in "mobile" processors designed for smartphones, tablets, etc. This is also true for the ARM Cortex-A series; in PCs, such CPUs are rarely installed, and usually we are talking about a compact, modest device like a “thin client” (see “Type”).
— Nvidia Tegra. Initially, these processors were created for portable devices, but recently they have also been installed in PCs, mainly in monoblocks. They are "system-on-chip" devices that do not use the "desktop" x86 architecture, but the "mobile" ARM architecture, which requires the use of appropriate operating systems; the most commonly used is Android (see "Preinstalled OS").
— Armada. Another type of ARM architecture processors, positioned as high-performance solutions for cloud computing and home servers, including NAS. It is found in single models of "thin clients" (see "Type").
— Tera. A specialized family of processors designed specifically for "thin clients" (see "Type") and fundamentally different from classic CPUs (both full-size and compact). Tera-based systems are usually full-fledged "zero clients" (zero client), absolutely not capable of autonomous operation. In other words, these are devices designed to create a "virtual desktop": the user works with the interface and terminal equipment (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.), but all operations take place on the server. This allows you to provide increased security when working with sensitive data. But in more traditional PCs, Tera processors are practically inapplicable.
Of the outdated series of processors that can still be found in use (but not for sale), we can mention the Sempron, Phenom II and Athlon II from AMD, as well as the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo from Intel.
Note that on the market there are configurations that are not equipped with a processor — in the expectation that the user can pick it up on his own; however, this is a rather rare option.Clock speed of the CPU installed in the PC.
In theory, higher clock speeds have a positive effect on performance because they allow the CPU to perform more operations per unit of time. However, this indicator is rather weakly related to real productivity. The fact is that the actual capabilities of the CPU strongly depend on a number of other factors - the overall architecture, cache size, number of cores, support for special instructions, etc. As a result, you can compare by this indicator only chips from the same or similar series (see “CPU”), and ideally, also from the same generation. And that's pretty approximate.
In most desktop PCs, this assortment is determined both by connectors on the "motherboard" and on a discrete graphics card, among which
VGA,
DVI,
HDMI output(there are models where
HDMI 2 pcs),
HDMI input,
DisplayPort,
miniDisplayPort. More details about them.
— VGA. He's D-Sub. Analogue video output with maximum resolution up to 1280x1024 and no audio support. It is rarely installed in modern devices, but it can be useful for connecting certain models of projectors and TVs, as well as outdated video equipment.
— DVI. Modern PCs can be equipped with both pure digital DVI-D and hybrid DVI-I; the latter also allows analogue connection, including work with VGA-devices through an adapter, and in analogue format has a resolution of 1280x1024. In digital DVI, this parameter can reach 1920x1200 in single-link mode (single link) and 2560x1600 in dual-link mode. The presence of a dual-channel mode must be specified separately.
— HDMI output. Digital output originally designed for HD content — high-definition video and multi-channel audio. The HDMI interface is almost mandatory for modern HD multimedia technology, and it is also extremely popular in computer monitors — so the presence of such an output on a PC provides ve
...ry extensive features for connecting external screens and even high-end audio devices. Some devices may even have 2 HDMI outputs.
— HDMI input. Your PC has at least one HDMI input. See above for details on the interface itself; here we note that it is the inputs of this format that are found mainly in monoblocks (see "Type"). At a minimum, this allows you to use the monoblock's own display as a screen for another device (for example, as an external monitor for a laptop). However, there are other, more specific options for using the HDMI input — for example, recording an incoming video signal, or transferring (switching) it to one of the PC video outputs.
Both the HDMI inputs and outputs in modern PCs may correspond to different versions:
- v 1.4. The earliest standard widely used today. Supports resolutions up to 4096x2160 and frame rates up to 120 fps (however, only at a resolution of 1920x1080 or lower), and can also be used to transmit 3D video. In addition to the original version 1.4, you can find improved v 1.4a and v 1.4b — in both cases, the improvements affected mainly the work with 3D.
- v2.0. The standard, also known as HDMI UHD, was the first to introduce full support for UltraHD 4K, with frame rates up to 60 fps, as well as compatibility with a 21:9 aspect ratio. In addition, the number of simultaneously transmitted channels and audio streams has increased to 32 and 4, respectively. It is also worth noting that initially version 2.0 did not provide support for HDR, but it appeared in update v 2.0a; if this feature is important to you, it's ok to clarify which version 2.0 is provided in the PC, the original or the updated one.
- v2.0b. The second update of the above v 2.0. The main update was the expansion of HDR capabilities, in particular, support for two new formats.
- v2.1. It is also HDMI Ultra High Speed: the bandwidth has been increased to such an extent that it became possible to transfer 10K video at 120 fps (not to mention more modest resolutions) as well as work with extended colour schemes up to 16 bits. The latter may come in handy for some professional tasks. However, note that all the features of HDMI v 2.1 are available only when using cables designed for this standard.
— Display port. A digital media interface similar in many respects to HDMI, but mainly used in computer technology — in particular, it is widely used in Apple computers and monitors. One of the interesting features of this standard is the ability to work in the daisy chain format — connecting several screens to one port in series, transmitting its own signal to each of them (although this function is not technically available with all screens for this interface). DisplayPort is also on the market in several versions, the current ones are as follows:
- v 1.2. The earliest widely used version (2010). However, already in this version, 3D compatibility and the daisy chain mode appeared. The maximum fully supported resolution when connecting a single monitor is 5K (30 fps), transmission up to 8K is possible with certain restrictions; a frame rate of 60 Hz is supported up to a resolution of 3840x2160, and 120 Hz — up to 2560x1600. And when using daisy chain, you can connect up to 2 2560x1600 screens at 60 frames per second or up to 4 1920x1200 screens at the same time. In addition to the original version 1.2, there is an improved v 1.2a, the main innovation of which is support for AMD FreeSync, a technology for synchronizing the monitor's frame rate with the signal from an AMD graphics card.
- v 1.3. An update introduced in 2014. The increased bandwidth made it possible to provide full, without restrictions, support for 8K at 30 fps, as well as transmit 4K images at 120 fps, sufficient for 3D work. Resolutions in daisy chain mode have also increased — up to 4K (3840x2160) at 60 fps for two screens and 2560x1600 at the same frame rate for four. Of the specific innovations, it is worth mentioning the Dual Mode mode, which allows you to connect HDMI and DVI devices to such a connector through the simplest passive adapters.
- v 1.4. The newest version widely used in modern PCs. Formally, the maximum connection speed has not increased compared to the previous version, but thanks to signal optimization, it became possible to work with 4K and 5K resolutions at 240 fps and with 8K at 120 fps. However for this, the connected screen must support DSC encoding technology — otherwise, the available resolutions will not differ from version 1.3. In addition, v 1.4 added support for a number of special features, including HDR10, and the maximum number of simultaneously transmitted audio channels increased to 32.
— miniDisplayPort. A smaller version of the DisplayPort connector described above, may also correspond to different versions (see above). Note that the same hardware connector is used in the Thunderbolt interface versions 1 and 2, and the graphic part of this interface is based on DisplayPort. Therefore, even some Thunderbolt monitors can be directly connected to miniDisplayPort (although it is desirable to clarify this possibility separately).
— COM port (RS-232). Serial port, originally used to connect dial-up modems and some peripherals, in particular, mice. However, today this interface is used as a service interface in various devices — TVs, projectors, network equipment (routers and switches), etc. Connecting to a PC via RS-232 allows you to control the operation parameters of an external device from a computer.The version and number of Thunderbolt connectors provided in the PC design (usually on the rear panel).
Initially, Thunderbolt is a universal interface, used mainly in Apple technology. It can be used both as a general peripheral connector (similar to USB) and as a video output; in this case, video is output according to the DisplayPort standard, which allows you to connect monitors with the corresponding inputs (sometimes directly, sometimes through simple adapters). And different versions of Thunderbolt differ mainly in the maximum connection speed and connector type. Legacy Thunderbolt v1 and
Thunderbolt v2 use the miniDisplayPort socket and provide up to 10 and up to 20 Gbps, respectively. And
Thunderbolt v3 and
Thunderbolt v4, which support speeds up to 40 Gbps, operate over USB C; Often such a connector in a PC is combined and can function both as USB itself and as Thunderbolt, depending on the connected peripherals.
— Thunderbolt 3. Version introduced in 2015. In this generation, developers abandoned the DisplayPort connector in favor of the more universal USB C. In light of this, the Thunderbolt v3 connection is often implemented not as a separate connector, but as a special mode of operation of the standard USB C port (see “Alternate Mode”). And outputs and devices for USB4 (see above) can initially be made compatible with this interface (altho
...ugh this is not strictly necessary). Also optional, but a very common feature is support for Power Delivery, which allows you to supply connected devices with up to 100 W of power over the same cable. The data transfer speed can reach 40 Gbit/s, but it is worth considering that with a wire length of more than 0.5 m, a special active cable may be required to maintain this speed. However, regular passive USB C cables are also suitable for working with Thunderbolt v3 - except that the speed may be noticeably lower than the maximum possible (albeit higher than the 20 Gbps at which USB 3.2 gen2 operates).
- Thunderbolt v4. The newest (as of mid-2022) version of this interface, presented in the summer of the same year. It also uses a USB C connector. Formally, the maximum throughput remains the same as its predecessor - 40 Gbps; however, thanks to a number of improvements, actual connectivity has improved markedly. Thus, Thunderbolt v4 allows you to simultaneously broadcast a signal to two 4K monitors (at least) and provides a data transfer speed according to the PCI-E standard of no lower than 32 Gbps (versus 16 Gbps in the previous version). In addition, this interface is mutually compatible with USB4 by default, and the daisy chain function is complemented by the ability to connect hubs with up to 4 Thunderbolt v4 ports. Other features include protection against DMA (direct memory access) attacks.The maximum number of monitors that can be connected to PC at the same time and shared.
Simultaneous connection of several screens allows you to expand the visual space available to the user. For example, it can be useful for designers and layout designers when working with large-format materials, for programmers to separate tasks (one monitor for writing code, the second for searching for the necessary information and other auxiliary purposes), and for gamers-enthusiasts — to ensure the maximum immersion effect.
Wi-Fi standard supported by PC - if available.
Recall that computers with a Wi-Fi module are able to connect to the Internet and local networks through wireless routers - this eliminates the hassle of laying wires. In addition, this technology can be used to connect directly to other devices (particularly digital cameras). As for the speed and communication standards, the most relevant standards for modern PCs are:
- Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) - maximum speed up to 300 Mbps, operating frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz;
- Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) - maximum speed up to 1 Gbps on a single channel and up to 6 Gbps in multi-channel MIMO format, operating frequency 5 GHz;
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) - maximum speed up to 10 Gbps, operating frequencies from 1 to 7 GHz (with support for standard 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands). Also in this version, a number of optimizations were introduced regarding the operation of several devices on one channel, which improved the efficiency of work with a busy connection.
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax). An enhanced branch of the Wi-Fi 6 standard with data rates up to 10 Gbps. The Wi-Fi 6E standard is technically called 802.11ax. But unlike basic Wi-Fi 6, which is similarly named, it provides for operation in the unloaded 6 GHz band. In general, the standard uses 14 different frequency bands, offering high bandwidth with many active connections.
Note that, in addition to the Wi-Fi standard directly stated in the specifications, modern PCs usual...ly support earlier versions to maintain compatibility with relatively old equipment.
