Within the technology scenario over time, there are many types of hardware that appear on the market and often become a reason for confusion on the part of consumers when purchasing a new product.
One of these cases is the processor, which does not always manage to have its function well understood, whether in a cell phone or a PC. After all, for both cases there are a number of fundamental differences.
Want to know how to differentiate a smartphone CPU from a computer CPU? O Detective TudoCelular separated the main information for you.
What the processor?
No wonder the processor is also called “Central Processing Unit” – or simply CPU. It is considered the “brain” or “engine” of a device or machine.
Its main function within the device is to transform data into information. In other words, the component is able to read applications or programs, carry out operations and commands, in addition to generating a response at the maximum possible speed – which is measured by the Megahertz (MHz) frequency unit.
However, not always speeds – called clocks – solely determine whether a processor will be good or not. It is necessary to add this to other information, such as the number of cores.
different architectures
Here’s the big difference between a cell phone processor and a PC processor: the architecture. In smartphones, chips use the ARM type, while in computers, we have x86 or x64.
An ARM component is based on RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer), an architecture that aims to function in a more simplified way. On the other hand, an x86, for example, has its development from the CISC (Complex Instrucion Set Computers), designed to provide more complex structures.
Therefore, a PC CPU will demand a higher clock speed than a cell phone – up to three or four times more, depending on the models being compared –, apart from the need for a larger cache.
On the other hand, mobile processors have the advantage of using less energy and occupying less space. Thus, a large cooling system is also not necessary to avoid overheating.
And in practice?
To understand the differences in practical terms, a good example is using a browser. Computer hardware allows you to work with more tabs open at the same time, splitting the screen efficiently, playing multimedia content combined with other tasks at the same time without major problems.
On the smartphone, it is clear that the most advanced already allow working with a series of simultaneous resources. However, on average, the number of functions that the component allows the user to work without crashes suffers a decrease. Whether in the number of tabs, or the speed at which each command will be answered.
Platform/chipset on processor
An important detail here has to do with the nomenclatures used. Many people understand that components known by cell phones, such as a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, or Dimensity 9200, are the processors of a device – like an Intel Core i9 or an AMD Ryzen 6000 in a PC, for example.
However, these components are not equivalent. The examples mentioned for the mobile world, in fact, are the so-called System-on-a-Chip (SoC), also known as “mobile platform” or “chipset”. And what’s the difference?
A SoC consists of an integrated circuit which contains a series of essential components for the operation of a smartphone. They are where the CPU is contained, but there are also other parts in the set, such as the GPU and the modem.
By taking the two models mentioned, we were able to understand the difference. On the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, Qualcomm Kryo CPU is contained. Already in the Dimensity 9000, you find the Arm Cortex processor.
Arm em PCs
Over time, the technology industry began to create processors with the Arm architecture for PCs. More specifically, in notebooks with a greater focus on portability. Among the most recent chips of this type, we can mention the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, from Qualcomm, and the Apple M2, destined for Macbooks.
They bring a series of advantages to a portable PC, such as the reduction of machine size, low energy consumption, long battery life and, in many cases, the absence of the need for cooling systems.
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