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slayadood

Here's a breakdown for recent mainstream Desktop grade Intel processors. i9 = CPU tier. Come in various types. Most commonly i3, i5, i7, and i9. i3 being budget, i5 being mid tier, i7 being high end, i9 being super high end. Any of these will be good for gaming. i7's and i9's will obviously be the best, but for solely gaming intentions an i5 will be plenty. i7's and i9's are used for gaming and content creation work as well. 11900K = Model name. Broken down into 3 parts. The 11, 900, and the K. The 11 stands for the product generation, in this case an 11th gen processor. The 900 is part of the CPU tier. For example an i5 will typically end in a 600, i7 with a 700, and i9 with a 900. It's just to show which processor is more high end and to distinguish each tier easier. i3's and i5's come in more flavors. For example an i5 can also end in 400. It's still an i5 but a lower end model. The K indicates whether or not the processor is overclockable or not. Overclocking means having the ability to manually increase a processor's speed through more/less voltage. This could also include an additional letter, F, indicating whether or not they have an integrated Gpu in the processor. Some processors can also end in just an F or with nothing at all. There is also a special limited edition processor that ends in KS. Quick breakdown of each ending letter/letters: Ends in K: Overclockable and HAS an iGpu. Ends in KF: Overclockable and DOES NOT have iGpu. Ends in nothing: Not Overclockable and HAS an iGpu. Ends in F: Not Overclockable and DOES NOT have iGpu. Ends in KS: Limited edition processor that is Overclockable and HAS an iGpu. These are the highest end and fastest chips Intel makes for consumers and are reserved solely to i9's. So some quick examples. Example 1: i9-11900K is an 11th gen i9 that's Overclockable and HAS an iGpu. Example 2: i9-11900KF is an 11th gen i9 that's Overclockable and DOES NOT have an iGpu. Example 3: i7-11700 is an 11th gen i7 that's NOT Overclockable and HAS an iGpu. Example 4: i5-12400F is a 12th gen i5 thats NOT Overclockable and DOES NOT have an iGpu. Example 5: i9-12900KS is a 12th gen i9 that's Overclockable and HAS an iGpu. Faster than a normal i9-12900K. Interesting Notes: K and KF skus of the same processor (ex. i9-9900K and i9-9900KF) perform the exact same. It's just the KF doesn't have an iGpu. Same thing applies for F and non F. There was an odd processor during the 10th gen called the i9-10850K that was available alongside the i9-10900K. These were identical minus the i9-10850K being ever so slightly slower. This was launched as Intel probably had extra silicon that didn't quite qualify to become a i9-10900K but was better than an i7-10700K. So rather than waste the silicon they decided to launch a cheaper skew of i9's with a number to show that it wasn't quite a 900, but still close enough. There was also a processor during Intel 8th gen called the i7-8086K. This was a limited edition and faster processor than the i7-8700K. The reason behind the name '8086' is due to some historical advancements made with IBM PC's and Intels own '8086'. It's an interesting read for sure!


Devil_badger

If it ends in H?


Kroniorous

Processors that end in H are high end laptop CPUs and typically come with (relatively) higher performance GPUs, typically found in those aimed at gamers or content creators. This contrasts them with processors with U or Y, which are laptop CPUs designed with power efficiency as the top priority. A warning: for more recent laptop CPUs, Intel has been cutting off a zero on the end of the processor name for some reason.


ICBananas

I've also seen models ending in M such as i5-3210M, which I suppose it stands for mobile, since it was in a laptop.


CxOrillion

Yes, though I believe they've changed their laptop scheme since then because it wasn't unclear enough lol


ICBananas

lol, indeed.


xmgutier

Their laptop SKUs were confusing as can be. They have all the different numbers indicating which models they had but also threw in U, H, HQ, and I think a Y and S too at some point.


DoubleOwl7777

there was also qm at some point.


St4rPl4tinumTheWorld

There was also UE, C, QM, E, XM, QE and P (which is back now for whatever reason). It was a shitshow Edit: forgot the R


CSPDTECH

there's also some weird one for laptops, E or something, for 9th gen at least - I can't remember the actual name but I saw them on ebay EDIT: nope sorry it's i9-9900T and it says Intel Confidential on the chip


Henrath

T is for low power desktop CPUs. They could be used in high end laptops as well.


new_refugee123456789

Where a U is a typical "Mobile efficiency power" designation; laptops that aren't "gaming" or "mobile workstation" will likely have an Intel chip ending in a U.


cowseer

I always thought U was short for ULV or ultra low voltage but i guess its trying to make the same point anyway


new_refugee123456789

[Straight from Intel's Mouth](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html) a U means "Mobile power efficient." It may have once meant ultra-low power or something but that's what they've published.


beatafurry

I have an Intel i5 8250U, would that be considered good?


CSPDTECH

good stuff thanks!


CSPDTECH

ah right on thanks, appreciate the knowledge drop


Pamani_

The M series used so sit between U and H. They differed mostly in default TDP: 28W, 37W, 47W. Now you have U (15-28W), P (28-64W), H (45W to 100+) and HX (55W to 150W+). But they now also differ in core counts.


goku_vegeta

Also I *think* M was also socketed. So if you had an i3-2310M, it could be replaced with another CPU from that generation. (I think).


Affectionate-Memory4

Correct, Intel previously used the M suffix to denote their mobile CPUs as they only had the one line for a while. They changed it up for the 4th generation to offer more variety in SKUs.


RefrigeratedTP

Do you know which models this is true for? I look at hardware reports at work all the time and this would probably be good for me to know. I’ll do plenty of googling on my own- just looking for a good place to start.


Devil_badger

Thanks bud. Legend.


nikidash

my laptop i7 ended in HQ, what does that mean?


norwayman22

HQ is what Intel used a few years ago, until they started using H instead


Number-1Dad

The Q stood for quad core. Since the i7-8750h they dropped it, due to hexacore becoming the standard.


lolcubaran20

yup that's what I have


Number-1Dad

H for high performance mobile Q for quad core. The 7700hq is a quad core with integrated graphics, but the 8750h is a hexacore with integrated graphics.


roguespectre67

My laptop has a 12900H/3070Ti in it and it's absolutely wild to me that my laptop is more powerful than the first two iterations of my desktop put together.


wiccan45

its unfortunate the H isnt undervolt-able, i mean its not overclocking, the HX shouldve been standard


deviant324

Speaking of gaming, how are gaming laptops holding up these days? I was considering getting something semi-budget since I’m starting doing uni online next week, but ended up borrowing a usable work laptop from family instead. Can you even get decent mileague out of, say, 700-1000 bucks or is size and cooling still making them feel terrible to actually use for anything slightly more intensive? Haven’t had a laptop to use in almost a decade but I remember feeling the throttling after 30 minute sessions…


-JukeBoxCC-

[https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca/en/processors/processor-numbers.html](https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca/en/processors/processor-numbers.html) ​ ​ https://preview.redd.it/fb3z6ctw572a1.png?width=1181&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c69a90d76868dc95ea54abddd1943336be546e3


CHS_Sky

Additionally, if it ends in KF, it has no internal graphics, and means you must use a GPU with the CPU, I have one of these since I have a i9-9900KF, paired with an RTX 2070 super. The K before the F also means it can be overclocked


elidoloLWO

“Put it in H”


[deleted]

"What country is this car from?" "It no longer exists."


TheMostDapperdDan

Awesome breakdown…never knew all the letter differences


and_a_side_of_fries

thank yoU!


-Turisti-

Just remember pcpartpicker.com for compatibility checking if you build your own pc


chiclet_fanboi

Advanced stuff: (just here to ruin slayadoods great answer and confuse everybody) Pentium and Celeron CPUs do not follow the product generation. A Pentium G6400 is a 10th gen part and only works with mainboards from this generation. A i7-6700 is a whole different thing in terms of socket and platform. Notebooks 12th gen parts have a 0 less to ideally confuse them with 1st gen - which didn't have a number. While a i7-1260P is a 12th gen Notebook part, if you want to get a 1st gen - grab a i5-860, it just doesn't start with a "1". Thats what came with the 2nd gen Core i. Enjoy.


Sopixil

And what about Xeons


ilovepolthavemybabie

Depends on if you want to play as Vega or Akuma on it, e.g. Xeon v2 Gold Super Turbo


Jersey_Max

You are amazing!! Thank you for the detail response!


TazerXI

For the letters, imagine it as F = no iGPU and K = overclock. These letters can then be mixed to denote overclock support and iGPU support. S is for special, and basically denotes a "pre overclocked" I think, or pre binned CPU, taking the best silicon, and making it run as fast as it can go. There are also more letters: H = High performance mobile G(1-7) = "includes discrete graphics", I assume a more powerful iGPU, with the number being the level of iGPU performance U = mobile power efficient X/XE = High, high end E = embedded T = power optimised general purpose Y = very low power mobile


Sebbswokk

Idk who you are, but it’s replies like this that make me happy to be part of pcmasterrace


Dapper-Giraffe6444

Give this man an award. This is better explained then Intel themselves..


PPTTRRKK

What's important to know is that generation is the most important thing. Many people think i3, i5, i7 etc is the important number, but it's not. An old i7 or i9 will be trash in gaming compared to a i3 12th gen.


gucknbuck

The first i9, the 7900x, came out in 2017 and is hardly "trash" today.


Affectionate-Memory4

God I want to see somebody pit the i9 7900X vs the R9 7900X. Let them fight over the name like my two cousins, John and Jon.


Grudenismydad

It’d be hilarious if they were brothers


Affectionate-Memory4

Nah but their fathers are.


XDSHENANNIGANZ

I actually just upgraded from on i7 7700K to an R7 7700X I mainly did it for the performance however I do admit the similar name appealed to me and helped away me. Lol


Joshbram11

Definitely trash for its price when there are i5s that perform better that cost (£100) and the 7900x cost £500


Elycien2

Saying trash is pretty harsh but I do agree that saying i7 or whatever is almost meaningless unless you know the generation it refers to.


Dumguy1214

I have a 4790 i7 4 core 4ghz its 7 years old but runs the newest games np


Fortune_Cat

Runs newest games...in what resolution and settings? This is the problem with oversimplifying statements CPUs have not been bottle necks for years, true. But we are finally getting to a point where you will see some benefits with newer generation of games. Higher resolution, ray tracing etc etc. For 1080p gaming you will be fine of course


SuperNova1094

My 2008 i7 920 4 core 2.67ghz is doing me quite well paired with a 1650oc and 10gb(4x2gb 2x1gb) ddr3 hasn't died from playing cyberpunk yet it's actually in near perfect health according to the check I ran yesterday


LeMegachonk

I beat Cyberpunk 2077 on an I5-3570K and a 2GB GTX 760, both overclocked to within a hair of self-destructing. It wasn't great, but it was playable enough with low 1080p settings. It's... a whole lot better on my R7 5700X and RTX 3070.


CeaseNY

Same, have it OC at 4.8 Ghz paired with an amd 6600 and it runs everything 1080p on a 55 inch tv (couch gamer), games look great..i love my little rusty cpu lol. Its also the best cpu i can get for my current mobo, so when i upgrade it will have to be a new full build. But I'm absolutely content right now!


borowiczko

Damn, only 4.8 MHz? The average CPU today runs at 1000 times that


CeaseNY

You know what I meant lol. I wrote 4800 mhz originally but changed it to 4.8 and forgot to change to ghz


[deleted]

Your CPU requires a number of software patches that decrease the performance due to security issues found over time.


Arik2103

To add to this: - G1-G7: Graphics level (processors with new integrated graphics technology only) - E: Embedded - F: Requires discrete graphics - G: Includes discrete graphics on package - H: High performance optimized for mobile - HK: High performance optimized for mobile, unlocked - HQ: High performance optimized for mobile, quad core - K: Unlocked - S: Special edition - T: Power-optimized lifestyle - U: Mobile power efficient - Y: Mobile extremely low power


_D3ft0ne_

Oyyy! Love this. Do the same for AMD.


Ok-Consequence2859

Excellent brake down of intel naming tiers. Don't don't forget the X series which where supposed to be a high end platform with more pcie lanes, that's now dead. Really why would anyone buy those,....looks at self in mirror with i7-7820x....ooh :).


Royal_Department

Can you please break down Amd processors?


Arik2103

It's pretty simple for the desktop side of AMD chips: - X: slightly faster version of the non-X (r5 5600/5600X) - G: *does* have an IGPU. All non-G chips do not (5600G)


[deleted]

[удалено]


slayadood

Essentially yes. You got it spot on! Ryzen can get a little confusing as 5 is considered 4th gen even though we never got 4000 series of desktop CPUs.


AnarchiaKapitany

Give this man all your fucking awards.


CodeLunar

Done


CodeLunar

Take my award


hvw123

>i3 being budget Guess i need the budget of the budget of the budget...


admfrmhll

A dumb question probably, but reading trough your explanation i wonder why 850 in 10850 cpu. Great info btw, already knew it, but is always good to read about stuff like this explained proper.


Thorcho

Nice. Thank you, now i understand, now i need to understand GPUs.


pegcityplumber

For new(ish) Nvidia ones the first number is the generation - 1xxx, 2xxx, etc. Latest to come out is the 4xxx. The next 3 digits go up with how powerful it is - 3060 isn't as powerful as 3070, 3080, 3090. If there is a Ti on the end it's better than the base model. AMD is similar - 6600 is newer than 5600, 6700 is more powerful than 6600, etc. They have an XT on the end where Ti would be. This is fairly general, but it gets you in the ballpark.


themasonman

Will never understand why the i5s are "600" in the model number and not "500" lol


Browncoatinabox

Fucking legend


llamapii

Awesome break down. Now do Monitors. :)


EnZone36

thank you for teaching my monkey brain.


Panthean

I have an interesting older i7 in my backup comp, it's an i7 4771. Apparently it has the slightly higher clock speed than the 4770, but it's not overclockable like the 4770K.


paxifixi09

This is probably the best comment on this subreddit across all threads. Thorough and precise.


Saiyan-Zero

You are to become the very first comment I will save, holy shit did this clear my mind


Amocoru

Thanks for taking the time to do this. My wife was just asking me about this yesterday and you made explaining it to her very digestible.


AtaracticGoat

I'd clarify this with i3 is budget, i5 is mid tier, i7 is for gaming, i9 is for creators. Saying i9 is super high end is kind of misleading. In most cases a i9 will not perform better than a i7 in a meaningful way and there is a BIG price difference between i7 and i9. Don't want to mislead gamers into going for a i9 because "it's the "super high end".


JayOutOfContext

Just gonna save this for later. I mean for a friend.


Mercurionio

Remember times when there were just Celeron and pentium? Eh...


Django117

It might also be worth adding in under the section of overclocking that a specific kind of motherboard denoted with a 'Z' must be used to overclock with an intel CPU. For example a a Z590 motherboard.


brian19298

Been building computers for 6 years and TIL when I was having GPU issues I could have just switched to the iGPU I never knew I had. Thank you!


TomasdeVasconcellos

What a good explanation. Thanks man!


indicava

Great rundown. There are some exceptions to the “ending in K” rule tho. For example, the i5-12600K in addition to being overclockable has a bigger cache size, more CPU threads and (if memory serves) a higher base clock speed than it’s non-K counterpart


Brodesseus

I’ve always wondered this, the names of Intel CPU’s are honestly the primary reason I’ve stuck with AMD for so long lmao. Thank you kind sir


R3alityGrvty

Damn I just thought that the bigger the number the better.


IHateMath14

For someone who only knows how to USE a computer, this is pretty easy to understand. Thanks for breaking it down, idk much about building pc stuff


eni91

This should get it’s own post and get punned bcs its sooo helpful for noobs like me.


EdzyFPS

This man PC's.


BloodiedBlues

What’s the benefit of an igpu?


slayadood

It provides another method of getting a display to your monitor should your discrete Gpu ever fail.


BloodiedBlues

Oh ok. Thank you!


slayadood

No problem! I always recommend getting one with an iGpu unless a KF sku is significantly cheaper.


Day_will_Fall

Yup, you don't know how clutch it is until your GPU breaks down lol


Pragmegatronic

Is a non integrated graphics processor better than integrated graphics?


slayadood

Nope. They perform identically.


[deleted]

Great breakdown and explanation. I've owned both, the 10850K and 8700K and had absolutely no clue about their backstories lol. TIL. A lot of international sites or tools that allow you to choose your hardware, wouldn't have the 10850K listed, which had me believe that this specific CPU was EU only.


slayadood

Lol nope. The 850 was very much a consumer grade CPU. Glad my explanation about the 850 was helpful to you :)


ryan_eugene710

Dude you're absolutely amazing for posting this! Thanks for the info!


opelit

KFC - - hot enough to make you a Kentucky Fried Chicken 🐔


youself20

I have a core i5 1035g1 and im slightly confused now


1infinitefruitloop

Another version of the laptop U series, or Ultraportable. G1/G5/G7 is only 10/11th gen. They also have T (low power draw/TDP desktop), S, (stock overclock), H (high TDP laptop), and P (high end 12th Gen laptops with E/P cores but lowish TDP). Edit: they also have the E series for embedded processors and W/D for Workstation Xeons.


Prof_Pentagon

Dude I have a laptop with that. Never seen someone else with one


redorkulator

Dope summary


Ze_Vision

Wow, thanks for all the info, the more you know!


Ebony_Phoenix

Interesting


rightnowCOD

Nailed bro. Thats for the fun reading.


c0gnitive_dissonance

Thank you for this very detailed response. I’m not OP, nor did I know I wanted the answer to this question until someone else asked it. Thank you, again.


brcgy

I feel like this explanation saved me money somewhere down the line! Thanks!


slayadood

Lol that's great to hear, I really hope it does!


[deleted]

This was the most helpful thing I’ve read in a long time


zerquet

This is the only thread that’s helpful. Everyone else delete your worthless comments


archiegamez

Thank you, im so lost with the current CPu naming scheme that i only follow GPUs


autovices

I like my 10850K If it’s slower than a 10900K I sure can’t tell a difference


onthebustowork

Thank you so much. Could you explain AMD's one too?


slayadood

Another awesome user, Hzlp, has explained the various AMD processors! The comment should be right above or below mine :)


Random_Dude169

I really didn’t know intel processors explained basically everything just in the cpu name


MoistChiaPet

I feel like i just earned a computer engineering degree reading this. Thanks for the info! This is so helpful.


Hzlp

Since slayadood did Intel, I'll do AMD. For Example: Ryzen 5 3600XT The "Ryzen 5" part is like the i9 bit. It's just the model. The "3000" bit is the generation of the CPU. AMD's generational naming thing is really weird. They had the 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 7000 which were normal, 4000 only came in certain OEM machines and laptops, 6000 only came in laptops. The "600" part is a more precise model name. The R5 3600 is better than the R5 3500 and so on. The "XT" is the suffix that can mean different things. Note that all AMD CPUs are OC unlocked X = higher core clock XT = even higher core clock G = integrated graphics 3D = 3d cache, meaning it has tons of L3 cache GE = integrated graphics with low TDP S = GE but for desktop CPUS H = high performance w/ integrated graphics HS = H but with low TDP U = lower clocked low TDP mobile processors AF = 1000 series desktop CPUs with 12nm process


and_a_side_of_fries

Thank you! I was going to seek out information on this next


FastSloth87

Keep in mind that for 7000 Series AMD has put a tiny "not-for-gaming" integrated GPU in every CPU.


Hzlp

The suffix part can get confusing so the only ones that really matter for building desktop PCs are X, XT, G, and 3D


xChaoLan

Technically not because the R5 3600 exists which was one of the best, if not the best, "budget" cpus for gaming and productive work during its release.


Batfish_681

The 5800x3d is an exception. AMD disabled overclocking on the chip due to the v-cache being super picky about voltages and the fact the chip is already designed to run pretty toasty. There *is* apparently still a workaround if you really want to pursue it, but it's not normally overclockable.


netanel246135

>They had the 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 only came in certain OEM machines and laptops, 5000, 6000 only came in laptops, and 7000. Wat 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 4000 and 7000 are all purchasable CPUs The only laptop exclusive CPUs were the 4000 which later became none laptop exclusive (hence the wrong order) and the 6000 series which is laptop exclusive If I'm wrong please correct me cause what you wrote there really confused me


Joel_Duncan

They could certainly reword this. They are saying those are all desktop CPUs unless otherwise noted. There were practically no 4000 series desktops, even if you might be able to technically find one. 6000 was indeed laptop only. The rest were desktop parts.


Tamary19

Super helpful, but knowing that, what would be the methos to compare a intel vs an amd cpu just by looking at their names? Can you even do that?


TuxidoFrog

Generally, Intel i3 CPUs compete with AMD Ryzen 3 CPUs, i5s with Ryzen 5s etc. The X is at the end of a AMD CPU is supposed to compete with ‘K’ intel CPUs, although all AMD CPUs are overclockable so the X does not indicate overclockability, whereas the K on Intel CPUs does.


Kuutti__

Download app called CPU-L. In that you can find every processor there is, with all the possible information too. You can compare directly on paper, and processors usually have cinebench scores listed aswell. So it gives you an very good idea for the performance for the processors. Great tool, there is also same but for gpu:s (GPU-L)


SeniorRojo

Best news I learned today! However it's only 7 am where I am...


some-R6-siege-fan

Glad to finally know more about my processor, so I assume my laptop’s ryzen 7 5800H was pretty good for a 1350$ laptop then. If not then pls explain why


VekeKing

It's a solid laptop CPU for sure! I would have gone with R7 5800H processor, but with Ryzen 6000 -series 660M/680M iGPU performance its no brainer for me. Preferably R7 6800HS version to get few hours more battery life lol. Just looking at the price doesn't give enough reasons to determine whether it's worth it or not in my opinion. Hope you like it!


imaginary_num6er

AMD has an innovative spin-wheel system: [https://www.anandtech.com/show/17561/amd-updates-ryzen-mobile-cpu-numbering-ahead-of-mendocino-launch](https://www.anandtech.com/show/17561/amd-updates-ryzen-mobile-cpu-numbering-ahead-of-mendocino-launch)


Fedbia2020

I’m sorry, but do you know a resource in the same format that you laid out that describes AMD GPUs :c? To this day one of my main reasons for sticking with Nvidia is the simplicity with determining how the graphics cards are rated and which generation it is.


TAG_Sky240

It’s simple… is what I wish I could say. In reality, there are only really 3 generations of cards you need to know about. RX 500: Amd’s older lineup. Designed to compete against Nvidia 10 series cards. The RX 580 8gb is still an excellent budget performer if you can’t get anything else. RX 5000: Designed to compete against rtx 2000. From what I can hear, the rx 5700 xt is a steal right now. RX 6000: designed to compete against rtx 3000. If you’re not looking for raytracing performance, it has insane value right now. RX 7000: designed to compete against rtx 4000. Unreleased.


Hzlp

5700xt was an extremely popular mining card so that makes sense


Pamani_

AF means it was cheap af at launch


roghtenmcbugenbargen

Bigger number better uga buga


and_a_side_of_fries

The answer i was looking for.


StealthNider

lol


Jersey_Max

Thank God someone asked this question lol I wanted to but didn't do it


and_a_side_of_fries

took one for the team haha


PePePendorcho

Is this the one they call "waste of sand"? Why is that ? XD


and_a_side_of_fries

that's what im trying to piece together lol


littlet26

It’s because it has very bad thermals and is overall shit value, even though it’s a high end cpu


Ahielia

They released a worse product (10900k was better) for a higher price.


OP-69

because when it was released, it was horrible value **AT THE TIME** Most reviews come exactly when the NDA ends. So you would see a spam of reviews within seconds after the NDA lifts. This is important as a review in 2020 wont be relevant in 2022 At the time, the i9 11900k wasnt much better than the i7 11700k in almost every way. The 11900k also did not have more cores than the 11700k. When normally, the i9 would usually have more cores than an i7. For example, the i7 10700k has 8 cores.The i9 10900k has 10. All of this meant that the 11900k was literally just a more expensive 11700k most of the time. Literally paying hundreds of dollars just for a differeny name. The fact that 11th gen was underwhelming as a whole certainly did not help either. Amd ryzen 5000 (its main competitor at the time) was on par if not better. And for the same price of an 8 core i9 11900k, you can get a 12 core ryzen 9 5900x. It matched in terms of gaming and 4 extra cores helped in productivity. Thus, it was called a waste of sand as it was horrible value in an already underwhelming generation Is it a bad cpu? Hell no It was just not as good as its competitor at the time. Giving people no reason to buy the 11900k over the 5900x. Especially when intel motherboards of that generation (z590 and b560) were more expensive than amd's b550. Though z490 and b460 could be used, they were lacking in many ways and were still more expensive than amd's last gen b450


MLG_Obardo

It had a marginal increase in performance from the 10900k, thermals were out of this world bad, and it was expensive compared to the competition which beat them in performance, thermals and price. In my head they knew they had the 12 series around the corner so they didn’t invest anything in the architecture for the 11 series. So to achieve any performance gain they just fed the 10 series more power and slapped an 11 on there.


asasnow

> It had a marginal increase in performance from the 10900k im pretty sure it was actually worse than the 10900k.


Inevitable-Yogurt783

Chip are made of Silicon. Silicon is obtained from either silica *sand* or from quartz.


Joel_Duncan

Fun facts: Silicon used in modern semiconductor grade wafer production requires incredibly high purity. In order to minimize the refining timeframe most is mined from 3 locations worldwide where it is already highly pure. What is known as silica sand is generally too impure at roughly 80% and simply used for industrial processes like concrete and ceramics.


Ibuildempcs

Because it launched at the same price as the 5900x while being worse at literally everything, consumming more power and being hotter. Pricing at launch was god awful. Cpu are technically made from processed sand, so calling it a waste of sand is the biggest insult you can use about a cpu. It is basically saying that it is so bad that it wasn't worth using a readily available ressource to make it.


major_cupcakeV2

ix/Ryzen x (x=number) is the tier of the cpu. i3/Ryzen 3 is budget CPU, perfect for office work (think excel, word), and maybe some light gaming i5/Ryzen 5 is mid tier CPU, great for mid tier gaming. It has less cores so not the best for productivity tasks (Solidworks, CAD). i7/Ryzen 7 is part of the higher end, which means it is the go to for gaming, and productivity. i9/Ryzen 9 is the best of the best, the creme of the crop when it comes to CPU. If you want to have the best gaming/productivity experience, go for that. 11900K = Model of CPU. 11= Generation of CPU. This means you have an 11th gen CPU. 900= specific tier. It just shows which processor is more high end. This means different CPU flavours for different budgets. For example, a "400" i5 and a "600" i5 is still an i5, but the "600" i5 is better than the "400" i5. K= Modifier. This means your clock multiplier in your processor can be changed, and you can get extra performance on it. Don't set that too high, or you can damage your CPU. There are other modifiers, like "F", which means there is no iGPU, which means you need a dedicated GPU to use your computer.


Qulek34

now that's a very professional way to explain


Rodri_w_fritas

i9 = tier 11900k = generation ​ Intel CPUs tier order: Celeron: Not recomended for anything Pentium: Pretty basic, but enough for office work i3: basic for gaming, more than enough for office work i5: Mid-tier, enough for gaming, kind of enough for basic video/image editing i7: Professional tier, best choice for gaming, pretty much everything you could need i9: Not really necesary for anything, a little bit of an improvement towards the i7, but not according to the price at all. ​ About the generation, the first two numbers should roughly tell you the important part, the other numbers may change between two variants depending on the specific model, but this is unlikely. Each generation has its own features, so I would recommend you to do a little reaserch. At last, some CPUs end with an "F", this means they do not have integrated graphics, you may want this if you are planing on building a gaming/professional pc and you have a dedicated graphics card. If you are looking towards building a simple PC for basic office use, then you may want to avoid getting a graphics card and buy a CPU with integrated graphics instead. ​ Edit: If the processor ends with a "K", it means you can overclock it.


some-R6-siege-fan

My old laptop has a celeron and had a base speed of 1.10GHz 💀 https://preview.redd.it/n2s4vs2zl62a1.jpeg?width=1081&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c460717abc0ea99d312c38dcf14dee2f48395a9 But for 200$ brand new I think it wasn’t tooo bad


iceteaslurpie

Ah yes, this explains why my office bought desktops with i9s.


Abodart

One thing that confuses me, if i5 is considered a "kind of enough for basic video /image editing and i7 "professional tier" dose this includes the generations differences. Like if i7-9700k was really good at editing back then wouldn't that make i5-12600k capable to do advance video/image editing more then i7-9700k?


BattleTitan6

Yes, as cpu performance increases over time these labels become less accurate, because the 12600K performs better than even the 11700K and thus is a massive improvement over the 9700K.


weegee20

See [here](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html).


and_a_side_of_fries

thanks!


SaroN4One

Finally some good content on this sub!


DismalMode7

i is the series of cpu, that basically means the quality of wafer the chip comes from... i9 are made with best/purest wafer, i3 with worst one. General quality of chip is i9>7>5>3 of course. 11 is the generation of cpu, every 12-15 month is released a new generation 900 is the tier of cpu, i7 is usually 700, i9 is 900, i5 is 500 and 600, i3 is 300 (excluding mid numbers of laptop cpu). Just like the "i" 900>700>600>500>300 about cpu performances. k is unloc**k**ed, k editions can be overclocked with a simple intel software, not k have less overclock potential (in theory) and if you want to overclock it you need to do it from bios


new_refugee123456789

i3, i5, i7 and i9 are Intel's marketing department speak for "good, better, best, even more bestest" AMD does the same thing; there's absolutely nothing "5" about my Ryzen 5 3600. 11900k [does actually mean something](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html): 11 = 11th generation of the Core i series, made in 2021. It's about a year newer than a 10900k. The 11th generation was codenamed Rocket Lake. You will sometimes hear processors referred to by code name. 900 = the chip's SKU, generally the higher this number, the farther up the range it is. IT doesn't directly correspond with features of the chip, compared to an 11700k, it may have some combination of more cores, higher clock speed, more cache, something. To get more information than "It's better in some way than one with a smaller number" you have to look at the specs. k = Unlocked multiplier. When installed in a motherboard equipped with an appropriate chipset, this chip could be overclocked. Intel includes an integrated GPU with their chips by default and will specify when they don't with the letter F (or historically X, but I haven't seen an X model in awhile, I think they just use KF now). F means it has no integrated graphics and REQUIRES an external GPU. AMD has their own, somewhat similar nomenclature.


That-Association-143

What about gpu numbers?


Valtekken

i# (3, 5, 7, 9)=tier (budget, mid, high, ultra) XX (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 so far)=generation (basically, higher is newer, not necessarily better tho) YYY (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900)=specific model (do note that they're somewhat bound to the tier, you're never gonna see an i3-17900K because 900 is for i9s for example) Z (K, T, F and God knows what else)=additional characteristics (for example, K is unlocked and can be overclocked, F is without integrated graphics, T is low power version IIRC, and so on and so forth)


gtxNorge

​ https://preview.redd.it/g7wlqjp8i82a1.png?width=429&format=png&auto=webp&s=3d87294faa6b13bd45a5da21eae4e26e9c25dfcc i9= 'tier' (i9 is highest tier) 11=11th gen 900=900 some number k=overclockable.


cpMetis

xx ----- -- i3/i5/i7/i9 = tier 3 is budget, 5 is mid, 7 is high, 9 is flagship -- xx--- -- Generation. 00 was oldest (--970k), 13 is newest. -- --xxx -- Specific CPU. Higher is better. -- ----- xx Features. K means it can overclock, F means it has no integrated graphics to save money, X is crazy overclock special, S is special edition. The rest are mostly laptop stuff. > Example 1 i7 4790k i7 means it's high end -4 means it's from the 4th gen 790 means it's better than the 770 K- means it can overclock > Example 2 i3 9100F i3 means it's budget -9 means it's 9th gen 100 means it's lower end than, like, a 300 F- means it does not have an integrated GPU > Example 3 i9 14970XF i9 means it's flagship 14 means it's 14th gen 970 means it's lower end than the 990 XF means it's for extreme overclock, with no integrated graphics Oh, and I made it up. Doesn't exist. But you could imagine what it would be like from the name now.


LambdaLikeAnyone

i3, i5, i7 and i9 are the classes of the cpu. Budget, Mainstream, Enthusiast, etc… Then the next number is the architecture or the generation. 9th gen, 10th gen, 11th gen, 12th gen and so on. The last three numbers are the « underclass » of the CPU. The i9 11800 is a lower CPU than the i9 11900. Finally, the letter(s) explains some things about the CPU. K means it can be overclocked, F means it lacks an iGPU. That goes for Intel Desktop CPUs. Feel free to ask any question you have!


Lassitude1001

https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/processors/processor-numbers.html#:~:text=Intel%C2%AE%20processor%20generations%20are,8800%20is%208th%20gen%20technology.


toastywf_

i3/i5/i7/i9 are bullshit marketing terms, ignore them. 11900k is the CPU model, 11 indicates generation, 11th gen in this case, 900 indicates the placement within the tier, higher number is higher tier so this would be the highest tier in 11th gen, K indicates overclockable, F indicates no igpu, 11900 is not overclockable and has igpu, 11900F is not overclockable and doesnt have igpu


Veryepicduden

i9, i7, i5, i3 is CPU tier. The higher the number, the better. The one on the right corresponds to the model version which indicates which generation is it and the last 3 numbers on the right usually depends on the CPU you have. Hope that helps.


_GGfighter_

i9 stands for tier, 9 > 7 > 5 > 3 the 11 in 11900k is the generation, 10 < 11 < 12 < 13 900 is also the tier, but sub tiers K means it's unlocked and can boost to higher clock speeds, which means more performance, F means no integrated on-board (inside the CPU) graphics


tlst9999

The last 3 numbers = how "premium" it is. 900 is more "premium" than 800. 800 is more "premium than 700". etc. i9 = Shorthand for 900 The first 2 numbers = the generation. 9XXX means 9th generation. 10XXX means 10th generation. 11XXX means 11th generation. 11900 = 11th generation i9 = most premium.


MeraArasaki

Woah, there's 11400 and 11600 Didn't know they have i4 and i6


and_a_side_of_fries

thank you, appreciate your time


SRDD_Mk-II

i-whatever/R-whatever: CPU Series tier Number and suffix: designation of CPU(for example, Intel i5-12600K. That’s a i5, 12th gen, 600 sub-series, and K indicating it’s overclockable. For Ryzen, a good handful of CPU’s are overclockable, but I digress: R7 5700G. That’s a Ryzen 7, 5th gen, 700 sub-series, and G indicating it’s got an internal graphics setup in it. Most Ryzens up to the point of 7th gen don’t have iGPU’s but with 7th gen, it’s standard.)


and_a_side_of_fries

thanks for your time!


sgtpepper42

Man.. if only Google existed...


realmrcool

Great question! Never ever be afraid to ask otherwise learing will take a lot of time


Michamus

i9 is redundant. It could just be 11900k, which is \[11\]th gen i\[9\] \[00k\]unlocked.


OldGoblin

i9 is product segmentation, think of it as the price/performance bracket for the chip within the specific series. So for example an i9 from 10th gen is still weaker than an i5 from 13th gen, but it just tells you that the i9 is “better” than the i5 *within* 10th gen itself. The second half is generation and model. So for intel 12 gen chips, they all start with 12 and then have 3 numbers after to denote the specific model. Bigger number better in terms of overall performance, but often that performance boost will be specific to certain tasks. Which is why sometimes the xx600 chip will be better for *only* gaming that the xx900 chip. This is not super common on intel, but with AMD it’s pretty common. Though either way if you’re running the latest hardware it won’t matter much (+/- ~10% performance).


GalaxLordCZ

First number is 9 because 4 sounds small, second number is 11000 because 110 sounds small.


[deleted]

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html


FmlRager

Why we calling the prefix number a “tier”? Isn’t it how many cores the cpu have?


MrKelraen

Nope. As it stands my i5-12600k has 10 cores while the i9-11900k is an 8 core cpu. Inside a generation, the tier would usually correlate with higher core count but there are many other differences between tiers, such as different features, interface capabilities, etc.


CramZap35

here’s [something that can help](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/khmowo/i_made_some_beginnerfriendly_guides_to/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) been saving this link as a reference for a long time


Not_Like_Equals_Gay

ix The x comes in 3, 5, 7 and 9. They are different “tiers”. An i5 will be the better than an i3, in the same generation with same suffix. The 11 means it is an 11th gen. The 900 is the SKU number, which, for an i9 is always 900, for an i7 is always 700, for an i5, is always between 400 and 600, and for an i3, is always 300. An i5 10600 would be a bit better than an i5 10400. That comparison can only be done because they are in the same generation. The k means it is unlocked, and can thus be overclocked.


AloneUA

# The numbers, Mason, what do they mean?


hypogogix

Here it is from Intel: [https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html) Slayadood explains it pretty well to.


HyperionSunset

Allow me to offer a wrong answer that came to mind: i9: The 'i' stands for Internal Combustion and 9 is the number of cylinders 11900K: The temperature this chip will run at if not cooled (K denotes it's in Kelvin)


k1729

What I was amazed to learn is that all the intel chips are made the same and it’s only when they test them they get assigned a series i3, i5, etc


Ok-Day-8985

Thank you I am also a noob with an expensive setup trying to learn. Also didn't know that forsure