i7-8565U Processor

[khaldrojo]

Would a 8565U I7 be good enough for running most games at 100%? I know it's a U but it has a high STP rating (2364 on CPU benchmark) Also it would be combined with a 250mx graphics card. Thoughts?

[DJBarry004]

It is fast, yes. But it´s also designed for light gaming. It won´t be able to keep up the boost clocks once the thermal throttling kicks in, unless you´re playing inside a freezer.

[khaldrojo]

So would you recommend getting a different laptop? The one I'm looking at is the hp envy 13t for a great price ($750)

[Shonumi]

I'd always consider the base frequency (1.8GHz for the 8565U) to be what you should always use for your expectations. Any higher turbo boost frequency is just a bonus, one that may or may not happen depending on the thermal situation of hardware. 1.8GHz is pretty low for most games. Aim for something higher if you're going with a Gen 8 or 9 Intel CPU. 2.2-2.4GHz for a base frequency should do fine for a large number of games (not all, but you'll be covered for quite a bit).

[khaldrojo]

Is GPU important at all for these two emulators? If I got a laptop with 2.2ghz but it had a Intel UHD 620 or 630, would that be sufficient?

[TKSilver]

The biggest issue with U series intel CPUs is not their STP or boost clock it is that the CPU is designed for burst performance. So it does something really fast so the computer stays responsive and then clocks back down to save power. This is great for a lot of different workloads of an average consumer and allows for good battery life even with only a modest battery size.

The processor you want is a 8300h or 9xxxh i5 or a 8750h or 9xxxh i7 (not exactly sure the 9th gen numbers). The H series is better designed for sustained performance and "usually" has the cooling necessary to maintain demanding workloads over longer periods of time.

You can usually find an acer nitro 5 8300h with a mid range gpu (1050ti or so) in the a little below or a little above $700 price range depending on options, where you find it, phase of the moon, sales, ect. It will probably not be as thin or as light or as quiet as the HP, but there is a holy trinity of laptops (size\noise, performance, and price) and you only get to pick 2 out of 3.

[Shonumi]

Is GPU important at all for these two emulators? If I got a laptop with 2.2ghz but it had a Intel UHD 620 or 630, would that be sufficient?

The GPU determines the maximum resolution you can play games at. If you go past that limit, you're asking too much of your GPU, and it can slow down the system even if you have an adequate CPU.

The Intel UHD 620 should be able to do up to 2x IR in most games. I know the previous HD 620 struggled to maintain fullspeed at 2x IR (720p) on a handful of games though. For 1x IR (480p) both won't have any issues as far as I can tell.

[Helios]

So, the reason we are always so touchy about ULV CPUs even though they generally perform fine is because it is extremely dependant on how well the laptop can manage the thermals, as ULV CPUs are designed around small thermal management solutions. And that can vary wildly from laptop to laptop. A Broadwell ULV CPU with effective cooling can outperform a Coffee/Whiskeylake ULV CPU with awful cooling.

And theres pretty much no way to figure out how well a laptop will cool a ULV CPU without, well, buying it, so yeah.

[khaldrojo]

So, the reason we are always so touchy about ULV CPUs even though they generally perform fine is because it is extremely dependant on how well the laptop can manage the thermals, as ULV CPUs are designed around small thermal management solutions. And that can vary wildly from laptop to laptop. A Broadwell ULV CPU with effective cooling can outperform a Coffee/Whiskeylake ULV CPU with awful cooling.

And theres pretty much no way to figure out how well a laptop will cool a ULV CPU without, well, buying it, so yeah.

Sweet, good to know. Thanks to everyone for their advice and the work you guys do on this!

[khaldrojo]

Thanks for the help. Update: I ended up buying a lenovo yoga 720 with a 7700hq, 1050 gx, brand new for $700. Hopefully it works out well!