Intel i7 vs Xeon – Processor Differences Explained

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.

Mobile processors are for use in mobile computers, that is computers that are mostly carried around by their owner from place to place rather than being left, unmoving, on a desktop for most of their life.

Mobile processors are obviously optimised for use in laptop/notebook/netbook computers.

• Low current consumption to avoid quickly draining the laptop battery flat.
• Low heat output to avoid overwhelming the limited cooling available in a laptop.

The Processors used in mobile phones (cellphones/feature-phones/smartphones) are a different category (they are mostly ARM processors) and are optimised for even lower power and cooling resources.

Tablets/slates/pads/fondleslabs form a middle ground where traditional desktop/laptop CPU architectures (e.g. x86) and traditional small-device architectures (e.g. ARM) are both used. You can view this as convergence from both directions.

A necessary consequence is that mobile processors are slower but they probably incorporate power-saving tricks that are not so much used in desktop PCs (I think variable CPU clock-rates started in mobile processors).

I wouldn't be surprised if a laptop with a workstation-class CPU had a very short run-time on battery and ran very hot (reducing the overall life of CPU and other components)