How to know if an Intel processor is a 4th or a 5th Core Generation Processor

The term Generation is loosely applied to Intel processors to mean new and significant developments in processor architecture or functions.

• A second generation Core processor is the family of processors known as Sandy Bridge, which among other things introduced shared cache and placed the memory controller, graphics and CPU on the same die. The first generation was composed the Core i3, i5 and i7 processors launched early last year.

• The term can also be seen sometimes applied to processor families. The Core family of processors can sometimes be talked about as having had 3 generations (Lyndfield, Clarkdale and Sandy Bridge). But some processors like the i7, had more or different families (the Bloomfield and Gulftown). Example.

• It can also be used to name different factory models within a similar architecture. Again, sticking to Core processors, The Core 2 Duo, Quad and Extreme being mentioned as one generation different than the i3, i5 and i7, while the sandy Bridge being the 3rd generation of Core processors. Example

All in all the term is not officially connoted to the media. Intel does seem to favor the term as meaning significant architecture and factory processing changes within the same family of processors. And they are ultimately the ones deciding what is named 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on generation. They do it often. But the term has come to mean other things too, since Intel itself has never tried to enforce it. Hence being a term that can have both official and loose connotations, depending on the context.

So, for comparison - I took two 2-core Haswell i7 processors with... same numbers - 4600M and 4600U. It may be wrong, but I couldn't find pair of M and U processors with same cache and similar clocks.

U-series is very diffrent. It's not just M-series with lower core voltage.

• There is no PCI-express 3.0 support
• PCI-express (2.0) only in 4x1, 2x4 modes (no 1x16)
• USB and SATA controller is built-in
• diffrent memory controller (supports low-power memory)
• in some low-power devices with U-series CPU may slow down under long and heavy load (throttling, less Turbo etc.)

These are only few differences. There is a lot more, but my question seem to be not popular, so there is no reason to list them all.

My final verdict about performance differences between M and U series is:

U-series performance (per 1GHz) is same as M-series, but PCI-e limits may reduce system performance if you want to use GPU somehow (3d or as coprocessor).