Intel, AMD or Nvidia: CPU and graphics brands explained

These three companies produce the most important chips for the vast majority of laptops.

This guide gives you a brief overview of the three brands, what they do and how they might impact your computer buying choices. 

Whatever your budget, our lab tests reveal which models are worth your money and which aren't. See our expert pick of the best laptops.

CPUs: Intel and AMD

The CPU (short for 'central processing unit' and often simply referred to as a 'processor') is the brain behind everything your computer does. Your choice of processor is the most important factor when considering how fast you need your computer to be and how much to spend.

Cheaper laptops and desktops

Intel and AMD are the two main companies that make CPUs for laptops and desktops. 

You’re more likely to find an Intel processor in a laptop than an AMD one, although if you’re shopping around for a machine at around £400 or less, you’ll find plenty of AMD choices. Here you’ll find AMD A4, A6, A9 and A10 processors that’ll compete with Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 laptop chips. 

The good news is that at the low-end of the market, both companies manage similar performance. You shouldn’t be short-changed whichever you choose. 

An AMD E2, for example, will perform similarly to an Intel Celeron or Atom processor. An AMD E1, which can still be found on some laptops, is one of the slowest processors you’ll find on any computer and are typically best avoided, even if your needs only consist of basic office work, email or web browsing.

Upmarket desktops and laptops

At the higher end of the laptop market, where you start to see Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 chips, the differences can be more stark. The equivalent AMD chips are Ryzen 3, 5, and 7. While there are differences in how the two brands' processors are designed, they can largely be considered like-for-like when making a buying decision, unless you have very specific needs with specialist software that works better with AMD or Intel for example. Our reviews reveal any shortcomings with a given laptop's performance so it's always worth checking these first to help narrow down your choices. 

Read our Intel processor naming guide for more information.

The following table helps explain the equivalent AMD and Intel processors.

Other manufacturers also make processors for laptops, including Rockchip and Qualcomm. Qualcomm processors are becoming more common in ultra thin and light laptops. Rockchip processors are typically reserved for ultra-cheap Chromebooks.

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Graphics: Intel, AMD and Nvidia

A graphics chip controls what you see on your monitor or screen and every computer has one. They are either ‘integrated’ into your processor or a separate, ‘discrete’ or ‘dedicated’ chip that handles the workload all by itself.

All three of these big companies produce graphics chips. If you work with 3D modelling, video editing or like playing new 3D games, you’ll want to pay more in order to get better graphics performance, as this can make a big difference.

Intel is the most popular graphics chip maker simply because its ‘HD/UHD Graphics’ processors are built into practically every CPU it makes. This is known as ‘integrated’ graphics and is fine for basic tasks and basic 3D gaming but not much else. There are some Intel chips known as the ‘G-Series’ that are somewhat more capable and are marketed at people who like to play games, but these are relatively uncommon because they are new.

Dedicated graphics

If you do 3D and video work or gaming, you’ll want to buy a laptop or desktop with a ‘dedicated' graphics card, as explained above. This will usually be clearly stated in the specifications sheet, but in case it isn’t, here’s how to tell what you’re buying.

Like Intel, AMD makes modest integrated graphics chips for its processors. You can tell the difference between these and its more powerful dedicated graphics because they’ll often be called:

• Radeon R3, R5 or R7.

In gaming desktop PCs and laptops, they’re typically called:

• Radeon RX  with higher numbers denoting more powerful models. 

Finally comes Nvidia, which is the simplest to explain because the company currently only makes dedicated graphics cards. Models from the current generation are easy to spot. They’re called ‘Nvidia GeForce’ and start with generational numbers, with 3000- and 4000-series models the most recent generations. After the generational numbers, look for the final two numbers; the higher these are the more powerful the graphics card. 

In the market for a new monitor? Don't miss our computer monitor reviews or our guide to the best computer monitors to help you choose