Laptops that are powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU are some of the best laptops available in the market today. Major laptop brands have already started harnessing the power of the Intel i7 CPU and have released some of the most powerful laptops, suitable for those who require a lot of computing power for high-demand applications and need portability on their side.

Intel is currently on the third generation of Intel Core i7 mobile and desktop processors, also known as Ivy Bridge CPUs. So before rushing out to buy an Intel Core i7 laptop, it is good to familiarize yourself with all the i7 CPU series to avoid any confusion you may have.

the first generation of Intel Core i7 mobile CPUs, also known as “Clarksfield” and “Arrandale”, were introduced to the public in September 2009, one year after the first desktop CPU based on the same microarchitecture, Nehalem.

Clarksfield Quad Core i7 Mobile CPUs:

• Core i7-9xxXM Extreme Edition
• Core i7-8xxQM
• Core i7-7xxQM

“Arrandal” Dual Core i7 Mobile CPUs:

• Core i7-6xxM
• Core i7-6xxLM
• Core i7-6xxUM

the second generation Intel Core i7 mobile CPUs, also known as “Sandy Bridge”, were introduced in early 2011. These processors have been some of the best CPUs at the time, with great success among the public.

Sandy Bridge Quad Core i7 Mobile CPUs:

• Core i7-2xxxXM
• Core i7-2xxxQM
• Core i7-2xxxQE

SandyBridge Dual Core i7 Mobile CPUs:

• Core i7-2xx0M
• Core i7-2xx9M
• Core i7-2xx7M

the third generation The Intel Core i7 mobile CPU, also known as “Ivy Bridge”, made its appearance in April 2012 and brings some improvements over Sandy Bridge, including less power consumption, higher clock speeds and better integrated graphics.

Ivy Bridge Quad Core i7 Mobile CPUs:

• Core i7-3xx0QM, i7-3xx0QE
• Core i7-3xx2QM, i7-3xx2QE
• Core i7-3xxxXM

Now that you’re familiar with all the i7 processors, all you have to do is find a laptop that uses one of these. And the easy way to do this is to go to your favorite online store and filter the available laptops by processor type. Be sure to check the processor model number to see if it is a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation i7 CPU.

Some things I need to mention:

Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs have an integrated GPU and there may not be a discrete graphics card present in the laptop configuration. If your main tasks don’t involve video transcoding, 3D graphic design, and intense gaming, you’ll be fine with integrated graphics; otherwise, you should look for a laptop that has a discrete graphics card.

To get the most out of the i7’s power, also make sure the laptop has at least 4GB of DDRAM, though most have at least 8GB.

For fast boot, a 64GB or 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD) is required.

The rest of the features, like HD webcam, 3D display, Blu-ray drive, etc., are up to you to decide what you need and what you don’t.