This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2021) |
A mobile processor is a microprocessor designed for mobile devices such as laptops, and cell phones.
A CPU chip is designed for portable computers to run fanless, under 10 to 15W, which is cool enough without a fan.[1] It is typically housed in a smaller chip package, but more importantly, in order to run cooler, it uses lower voltages than its desktop counterpart and has more sleep mode capability. A mobile processor can be throttled down to different power levels or sections of the chip can be turned off entirely when not in use. Further, the clock frequency may be stepped down under low processor loads. This stepping down conserves power and prolongs battery life.
Today's CPUs are usually more than just a single unit. They are split into "cores", each acting like an individual CPU. They also use "threading", allowing each core to do multiple tasks, amplifying the performance.[2]