How to find your laptop's processor and its generation
On a Windows laptop the processor generation is the single biggest thing behind its second-hand value. A ThinkPad with a 12th gen Core i5 and the same ThinkPad with an 8th gen Core i5 look identical from the outside and are priced very differently, because one will run happily for years and the other is close to the end of its useful life for most buyers.
That is why the calculator asks for the processor before almost anything else. The good news is that the generation is written into the model number itself, so once you have found the name of the chip you can read the generation off it directly. Finding it takes under a minute, and the decoding section below shows you how to read what you find.
Windows 11 and Windows 10: Settings
- Press the Windows key and I together to open Settings.
- Choose System in the left-hand menu, then scroll to the bottom and choose About.
- Under Device specifications, read the line labelled Processor.
Look for: A line such as Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1145G7 @ 2.60GHz. The part that matters is i5-1145G7. The clock speed after the @ sign does not affect the generation.
Windows: Task Manager
- Press Ctrl, Shift and Esc together to open Task Manager.
- If it opens in the small view, choose More details.
- Open the Performance tab and choose CPU on the left.
- Read the processor name in the top right-hand corner of the graph.
Look for: The full chip name, for example 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1265U. From 12th gen onwards Intel writes the generation into the name for you, which saves the decoding step.
Windows: System Information (msinfo32)
- Press the Windows key and R together to open the Run box.
- Type msinfo32 and press Enter.
- Stay on System Summary and find the Processor row in the right-hand pane.
- While you are there, note the System Model row too. It gives the exact laptop model, which the calculator may also ask for.
Look for: A row reading something like Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10210U CPU @ 1.60GHz, 2112 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s). The model number is i5-10210U.
A laptop that will not boot: the labels
- Look at the palm rest beside the trackpad for an Intel or AMD sticker. It usually shows the tier, such as Core i5, and sometimes the generation.
- Turn the laptop over and find the regulatory label or the printed model and serial number.
- Search the manufacturer's support site with that serial or model number. Lenovo, HP and Dell all list the original processor for a serial number.
Look for: On the underside, a model or type number such as ThinkPad T14 Gen 2 Type 20W0. The support page for that type lists which processors it shipped with. Remember that we only buy working Windows laptops, so this route is mainly for checking before you repair or recycle.
Mac
- Click the Apple menu in the top left-hand corner of the screen.
- Choose About This Mac.
- Read the line labelled Chip.
Look for: A line such as Chip: Apple M2, or Apple M3 Pro. On a Mac the chip name replaces the generation entirely. If you see Processor with an Intel name instead of Chip, it is an Intel MacBook, and those are not priced on this site.
How to read an Intel model number
Intel model numbers follow a pattern. After the tier (i3, i5, i7 or i9) comes a number of four or five digits. If it has five digits, the first two are the generation. If it has four digits, the first one is the generation. The remaining digits identify the specific chip within that generation, and the letters at the end describe the type: U is a low-power laptop chip, P sits in the middle, and H or HX is a high-performance chip, common in gaming laptops. G1 to G7 on 10th and 11th gen chips describes the built-in graphics.
In 2023 Intel changed the naming. Core Ultra chips, such as the Core Ultra 7 155H, belong to Core Ultra series 1, and chips such as the Core Ultra 7 258V or 255H belong to series 2. The calculator lists Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 separately from the older generations, so you only need to know that it says Ultra.
The tier matters as much as the generation. Core i3, Celeron and Pentium chips are entry-level parts that sit below Core i5 and i7, regardless of generation. A 12th gen Core i3 and a 12th gen Core i7 are very different machines, so pick the tier carefully in the calculator.
AMD Ryzen chips follow their own scheme. In a name such as Ryzen 5 7530U, the 5 after Ryzen is the tier, the first digit of the model number (7) is the model year, and on Ryzen 7000 series names the third digit (3) indicates the underlying architecture, which can be older than the model year suggests. Newer chips are named Ryzen AI, such as Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. Because the mapping between AMD and Intel generations is not one to one, the calculator will tell you whether we price your Ryzen machine, and if you are unsure, send us the full chip name on WhatsApp and we will confirm.
- i5-8350U
- 8th gen
- i5-10210U
- 10th gen
- i7-1165G7
- 11th gen
- i7-1265U
- 12th gen
- i5-1335U
- 13th gen
- Core Ultra 7 155H
- Core Ultra series 1