Model
The specific model of the processor installed in the PC, or rather, its index within its series (see "Processor"). The full model name consists of the series name and this index — for example, Intel Core i3 3220; knowing this name, you can find detailed information about the processor (characteristics, reviews, etc.) and determine how suitable it is for your purposes.
Code name
The code name for CPU that the PC is equipped with.
This parameter characterizes, first of all, the generation to which the processor belongs, and the microarchitecture used in it. At the same time, chips with different code names can belong to the same microarchitecture/generation; in such cases, they differ in other parameters — general positioning, belonging to certain series (see above), the presence / absence of certain specific functions, etc.
Nowadays, chips with the following code names are relevant among Intel processors:
Coffee Lake (8th generation),
Coffee Lake (9th generation),
Comet Lake (10th generation) and
Rocket Lake (11th generation),
Alder Lake (12th generation),
Raptor Lake (13th generation),
Raptor Lake-S (14th generation). For AMD, the list looks like this:
Zen+ Picasso (3rd gen),
Zen2 Matisse (3rd gen),
Zen2 Renoir (4th gen),
Zen 3 Cezanne (5th gen),
Zen 3 Vermeer (5th gen),
Zen 4 Raphael (6th gen).
Cores
The number of cores in a complete PC processor.
The core is a part of the processor designed to process one stream of commands (and sometimes more, for such cases, see "Number of threads"). Accordingly, the presence of several cores allows the processor to work simultaneously with several such threads, which has a positive effect on performance. However note that a larger number of cores does not always mean higher computing power — a lot depends on how the interaction between command streams is organized, what special technologies are implemented in the processor, etc. So, only chips of the same purpose (desktop, mobile) and similar series (see "Processor") can be compared by the number of cores.
In general, single-core processors are practically not found in modern PCs.
Mainly desktop chips of the initial and middle level are made dual-core.
Four cores are found both in desktop CPUs of the middle and advanced class, and in mobile solutions. And
six-core and
eight-core processors are typical for high-performance desktop processors used in
workstations and gaming systems.
Threads
The number of threads supported by the bundled PC processor.
A thread in this case is a sequence of instructions executed by the kernel. Initially, each individual core is able to work with only one such sequence. However, among modern CPUs, more and more often there are models in which the number of threads is twice the number of cores. This means that the processor uses multi-threading technology, and each core works with two instruction sequences: when pauses occur in one thread, the core switches to another, and vice versa. This allows you to significantly increase performance without increasing the clock frequency and heat dissipation, however, such CPUs are also more expensive than single-threaded counterparts.
Speed
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.
TurboBoost / TurboCore
Processor clock speed when running in TurboBoost or TurboCore mode.
Turbo Boost technology is used in Intel processors, Turbo Core — AMD. The essence of this technology is the same both there and there: if some of the cores work under high load, and some are idle, then some tasks are transferred from more loaded cores to less loaded ones, which improves performance. This usually increases the clock frequency of the processor; this value is indicated in this paragraph. See above for more information on clock speed in general.
Passmark CPU Mark
The result shown by the PC processor in the test (benchmark) Passmark CPU Mark.
Passmark CPU Mark is a comprehensive test that allows you to evaluate CPU performance in various modes and with a different number of processed threads. The results are displayed in points; the more points, the higher the overall performance of the processor. For comparison: as of 2020, in low-cost solutions, the results are measured in hundreds of points, in mid-range models they range from 800 – 900 to more than 6,000 points, and individual top-end chips are capable of showing 40,000 points or more.
USB4
The number of USB4 connectors provided in the PC.
USB4 is the latest (as of the end of 2020) version of the USB interface introduced in 2019. It uses only USB-C connectors (remember, this is a two-way connector slightly larger than microUSB) and differs markedly from previous versions of USB. One of the key differences is that USB4 does not have its own data format — instead, such a connection is used to transfer information according to several standards at once: USB 3.2 and DisplayPort as mandatory, as well as PCI-E as an option. Another feature is that USB4 is based on Thunderbolt v3 (see "Thunderbolt Interface" below) and uses the same USB-C connector; this often makes USB4 devices and connectors compatible with Thunderbolt v3 (although this is not strictly required), and Thunderbolt v4 support for this interface is built-in. It is also worth noting that this version of USB allows the connection of devices in a "chain" (daisy chain) and by default supports Power Delivery technology, which allows you to optimize the process of charging external gadgets (provided that they also implement this technology).
The maximum data transfer rate for such a connector should be at least 10 Gbps, in fact, options for 20 Gbps and even 40 Gbps are often found (depending on the technologies and standards supported by a particular port). At the same time, the USB4 inputs are quite compatible with peripherals for earlier versions of U
...SB — except that devices with a full-size USB A plug require an adapter.Wi-Fi
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.
