Is the laptop, desktop, or tablet you plan to buy stuck with a last-gen CPU? That may be a reason to wait — or a way to get a great deal. Here’s how to tell.
by Dan Ackerman August 22, 2013 8:33 AM PDT
(Credit: CNET/Sarah Tew)
Editors’ note: This article was originally published June 27, 2013, and was updated August 22, 2013, to reflect that many more systems are now available with Intel’s latest processors, with still more to come later this year.
Before swiping your credit card on a new ultrabook, all-in-one, or convertible, you’re going to want to dive a little deeper into the spec sheets. That’s because the latest Intel CPU upgrade, introduced in June and code named Haswell (but officially known as “fourth-generation Core i series”) offers significant battery life improvements in the laptops we’ve tested so far. So, unlike the more ho-hum Intel updates we’ve seen in years past, there’s a real-world payoff in seeking out a Haswell-equipped laptop.
But, many popular laptops, such as the Lenovo Yoga 13 and Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display, still use third-generation Intel CPUs, with no official upgrade plans yet announced. If better battery life isn’t a …
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