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Differences Between Intel® Desktop and Mobile Processors

Content Type: Identify My Product   |   Article ID: 000098127   |   Last Reviewed: 12/10/2024

Intel® Desktop Processors:

  • Desktop processors are primarily for desktop form factor, characterized by constant power need and mostly separate display, keyboard and mouse type of peripherals.
  • Available as box and tray.
  • For desktop boxed processors: Sold by retailers for users who want to build their own systems.
  • For desktop tray processors: Available by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
  • Available with locked and unlocked processors for overclocking.
    • Unlocked processors include the “K” or “X” letters in their processor number. Examples: “K”, “KF”, “X”, and “XE”.

Intel® Mobile Processors:

  • Mobile processors also called laptop processors.
  • Mobile processors are primarily for laptop form factor, characterized by built-in battery, screen, keyboard and mouse type of peripherals.
  • Available as tray only.
  • Available by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and sold as laptop computers and 2-in-1 PCs.
  • Available with locked and unlocked processors for overclocking.
    • Unlocked processors include the “K” or “X” letters in their processor number. Examples: “HK”, and “HX”.

Refer to understanding Intel® Core™ Processor suffixes in A Brief Guide to Our Latest Processor and Naming Updates.

How to know if you have desktop or mobile processor

  1. Identify your Intel® Processor, or the processor you need to find the information for.
  2. Go to the Product Specifications page.
  3. Enter the processor number in the Search Intel.com field located upper-right corner. 
  4. Click the processor's link from the search results page.
  5. Once you are on the processor specification page, click Essentials section.
  6. Look up the Vertical Segment.

Here is an example of two processors, one is mobile and one is desktop.

Processor examples

Related Products

This article applies to 82 products.
Intel® Celeron® Processor J Series Intel® Celeron® Processor 4000 Series Intel® Celeron® Processor 1000 Series Intel® Celeron® Processor 2000 Series Intel® Celeron® Processor 3000 Series Intel® Celeron® Processor N Series Intel® Celeron® Processor 5000 Series Intel® Celeron® Processor G Series 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 Processors 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 9th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 9th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 Processors 9th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 5th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 5th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 5th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 8th Generation Intel® Core™ m Processors 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 7th Generation Intel® Core™ m Processors 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors Intel® Core™ X-series Processors Intel® Core™ i7 processors (14th gen) Intel® Core™ i3 processors (14th gen) Intel® Core™ processors (Series 1) Intel® Core™ i5 processors (14th gen) Intel® Core™ i9 processors (14th gen) 5th Generation Intel® Core™ M Processors 9th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 6th Generation Intel® Core™ m Processors 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors Intel® Core™ Processor N-series Intel® Core™ processors (Series 2) 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 Processors 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 Processors 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 Processors 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 Processors 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 1) Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor Series Intel® Pentium® Processor J Series Intel® Pentium® Processor 2000 Series Intel® Pentium® Processor 3000 Series Intel® Pentium® Processor 4000 Series Intel® Pentium® Processor 1000 Series Intel® Pentium® Silver Processor Series Intel® Pentium® Processor D Series Intel® Pentium® Processor G Series Intel® Pentium® Processor N Series Intel® Processor U-series Intel® Processor N-series Intel® Processor for Desktop Intel Atom® Processor C Series Intel Atom® Processor E Series Intel Atom® Processor X Series Intel Atom® Processor N Series Intel Atom® Processor S Series Intel Atom® Processor Z Series Intel Atom® Processor D Series

Discontinued Products

Legacy Intel® Celeron® Processor Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors Legacy Intel® Pentium® Processor Legacy Intel Atom® Processors

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