Pro/Con of Desktop Processor in Laptop?

Hi All.

I was wondering if some tech experts could list the Pros & Cons of putting a desktop processor inside a laptop (as opposed to the mobile version).

I am going for a desktop replacement. Battery life doesn't matter to me, but speed/performance does.

I tried searching this but couldn't come up with results that addressed this topic, but maybe I didn't use the right keywords.

Thank you

 

Pro: Performance.
Cons: Heat, noise, laptop weight.

 

I'd also add that desktop CPUs are typically cheaper and you have more selection (easier to get a desktop CPU than notebook one too).

 

Here is a list of cons:
1. A desktop processor requires more voltage and your laptop might not be able to supply enough power. You could fry your own laptop because it wasn't made for a desktop processor.
2. A faster desktop processor runs very hot and requires efficient cooling. You could actually melt some components in your computer if it gets too hot.
3. A desktop processor and a laptop processor usually have different pins and different sockets, so most of the time they are not compatible.
4. Most mobile processors are "almost" as fast as desktop processors now, especially the Intel Core i3, i5, i7 series. So, it would be pointless to use a desktop processor in a laptop, when the laptop processor performs about the same and cooler at the same time.
5. A normal laptop processor has a TDP of 35W and the normal desktop processor has a TDP of 75W. So the battery life would be like 30 minutes or less on a 6 Cell Li-ion battery using a desktop processor.
6. Your fan on the laptop would constantly be on to cool the desktop processor and the laptop would be very noisy.

 

aylafan, I think this is more of a buy a laptop with a desktop processor (ie Sager/Alienware) vs put a desktop processor in your laptop since that obviously won't fit in the socket in most cases.

Also mobile processors are slower. Try to find a i7-m with the same clock speeds available on desktop variants.

Another disadvantage of the "desktop replacement" laptops in general is the huge power bricks they usually come with.

 

Considering the OP is looking at a desktop replacement, I don't think most of the cons are applicable. While it's true that if there is a laptop CPU inside, it won't support a desktop one - if the CPU does fit the socket then it would be designed to handle the power and heat.

I also disagree about the laptop CPUs being as fast as desktop CPUs, especially considering similar price points. Also, the OP doesn't care about battery life, though power consumption won't that different (as compared to TDP as TDP doesn't denote power consumption).

 

He did not specifically list what model laptop he has and if his laptop is even upgradeable. He only asked what are the pros and cons of putting a desktop processor in a laptop. I just listed those.

Also, not everyone needs a Core i7. Have you tried the low-end Core i3? It's still faster than the high-end Core2Duo's clock by clock. Remember, the days when we all said the Core2Duo is blazing fast. The Core i3 is even better. I was surprised when I tested my friend's Core i3 and could barely see any performance difference between his processor and my Core i5-430M.

For a normal person, even a gamer, a mobility Core i3 in a laptop is plenty for most tasks.

TDP gives you an idea on how long the battery life would last. It's obvious a 10W-15W Ultra-Low Voltage mobility processor would give you 5-10 hours of battery life when a 35W normal mobility processor would give you around 2 hours of battery life. Now, consider a 75W desktop processor in a laptop... You can't tell me that "TDP doesn't denote power consumption."

 

mobile processors may be 'slower', but show me a desktop computer that is running an operating system and applications with less wait states/idle time than a mobile processor with the same load.

point being, most computers, be they mobile or desktop, spend a very very high percentage of their time in idle/wait states.

obsessing over clock speeds is a quick way to spend money and generate heat.

 

"Need" doesn't make statement #4 anyless false. The desktop equivents are faster period.

"4. Most mobile processors are as fast as desktop processors now, especially the Intel Core i3, i5, i7 series. So, it would be pointless to use a desktop processor in a laptop, when the laptop processor performs about the same and cooler at the same time."

 

Just so you know, laptop and desktop processors are incompatible, so you're not going to be able to take a laptop processor out and put a desktop processor in, if that's what you're thinking. There are very few laptops designed with desktop processor sockets.

 

I forgot to put "almost" in the first sentence? Are you satisfied now that you corrected me? Seriously, why would you argue with me if you didn't read the sentence below that? I obviously stated that "the laptop processor performs about the same." You should have known what I meant besides correcting me on that one error that I had out of all the paragraphs I wrote.

You don't need to give me a lecture that desktop processors are faster than mobile processors because that's just common sense. If I know this much about laptop processors, why wouldn't I have sufficient knowledge about desktop processors?

 

That is what I was suggesting, I apologize if I wasn't clear.

There are a handful of high end desktop replacements out there nowadays. Some, from Clevo for example, offer configurations with desktop components, while others, such as Alienware m17x, offer only the mobile counterparts.

I assumed desktop parts would perform better and that had me wondering why it wasn't done more often in desktop replacements where I don't feel mobility/battery are big issues.

 

The only laptop i seen that uses a desktop cpu is the SAGER NP9280 (D900F), but its heavy bulky and poor batterylife, it should deal with heat fine as it was design for it, with a really impressive and big cooling setup ( pic).

To me its all about what you need, when i look for a laptop is because i want mobility, else a desktop will be cheaper and more powerful. I do have a i7 destkop at home where i do work on stuff like editing and encoding.

Most people will be more than fine with current c2d (some even with low clock voltage cpus), not to say the new i3/5, most dont need even a mobile i7, but if you don't mind the weight/bulkiness, bad battery life, and you really need the power of desktop i7, then go for it. I don't doubt some people might need something like this, else clevo would never design it or support it.

 

What are you using the laptop for? Are you going to be doing extensive video editing or something else that is processor heavy? Most people will have enough processor power using the mobile i series cpu's unless they are doing hardcore professional work.

 

I only need semi-mobility, not daily. With the rate and the distance I move around, a desktop isn't practical. Honestly, I move massive distances at least once a year. In a few months I'll be moving internationally. Basically, my entire life must be able to fit onto on airplane. Can't say I've ever seen somebody throw down a desktop when going through security checkpoint!

I was actually thinking of the Clevo X7200 by the way, not out quite yet.

 

I don't think you need to limit yourself to buy a laptop that uses a desktop processor. The Intel Core i laptop processors are very fast and responsive. These processors are on a whole new level of performance when compared to the last generation of processors. You'll be happy with a Core i3 or faster processor, a mid-end or high-end dedicated videocard if you play games, and a 15.6" or larger screen if you want to use it as a desktop replacement.

For instance, the new Core i3 is a dual-core processor with hyper-threading (4 threads). This should satisfy the majority of people and gamers.

 

The second post in your thread more or less answered your question. The pro is that the performance for the price is greater by about a factor of 2-3 (more at the high-end) and of course there are desktop processors that their mobile counterparts simply cannot match (all of the Core i7s as well as the Core i5 750). The cons are noise, heat, weight and power consumption. The last three are more or less irrelevant to you, but when thinking about noise, keep in mind that your ears will be much closer to the laptop than most people's are to their desktops.

The reason it is not done more often is that the cooling solution required is not trivial: the performance for the price of desktop CPUs is higher, but the performance per watt is almost always lower. Desktop CPUs typically require 3-5 times as much power as their mobile counterparts and stuffing one into a laptop is pretty difficult. By the time you're done, you end up with a niche product: it winds up too big, too heavy and too pricey for most people, particularly since the CPU is rarely the bottleneck of applications laptops are used for.

 

I feel like odds are, if it was a good idea to stick a higher-end desktop processor in, Clevo/Sager would have done it. The limitations are usually power and heat. Power can be addressed with a fatter power brick and some circuitry magic. Heat, not so much, unless you stick an impractical water cooling setup in there. (Yes, they've been tried many times in the past, with little success. Unless you're Ben Heck)

 

You can't put desktop CPU into just any notebooks, in face, Clevo is the only notebook maker with the only one notebook capable of using the desktop processor as their D900F with X58 desktop architecture is specially designed around using a desktop processor.

As for sticking a high end desktop processor in, The fact is that Clevo/Sager had already done it, you can put a 980X, the top end i7 desktop processor into a D900F/9280.

Also, the difference between desktop and notebook processor is actually quite large, the top end desktop i7 980X is more than 100% faster than the top end notebook i7 920QM in cinebench.

 

Never said you couldn't. Just meant to say that it's probably not advisable unless you see someone else do it first, whether it's a manufacturer or the first risk-taker to try it. Regardless, I think the socket is mostly linked to a very small wattage range on the desktop i7s, so it's really unlikely that anything would actually melt down.

 

Actually, I can and will. That last statement is false. Last generation (mobile C2Ds), there were comparisons on NBR of users with similarly clocked 25W and 35W CPUs, which had no battery life difference (within reasonable standard error) since TDP is more of an Intel marketing thing. On idle, similar generation CPUs will not consume much different power since they will all downclock to similar speeds. I'm not saying that a desktop CPU will have equal battery life as a notebook one but I'm just saying be wary with using TDP to measure power consumption (and hence battery life).

 

As I noted earlier, I was specifically wanting the x7200 which appears to offer desktop components, as found in some pre-configurators at least.

The laptop I am currently using has a desktop processor in it, but it is 5 years old and way too slow. I am happy with how my laptop has been for the most part... it is on nearly 24/7, no sleep mode, and has survived with no hardware problems after 5 years (A bit more than 5 actually).

I've confirmed what I needed to here, thank you. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't some sort of reasoning beyond my understanding. I'll tentatively read some reviews once people start buying, and check out the heat temps! It is gearing up to be a powerful rig though.

 

You can put it in, but it won't work, the mobile and desktop mobo chipset are completely different and incompatible. The only reason why a desktop works in a Clevo desktop replacement is because it uses a X58 desktop intel mobo chipset.

It will have it, Clevo had desktop CPU notebooks for like... forever. If you don't want the wait though, you could get their current lineup the D900F, the only difference is that X7200 will have dual GPU with the same X58 architecture, so if you don't need massive graphics power D900F is good as it is.