Hi,

it's an old, but always interesting question. Yes, for Studio (2021 seems to be not more demanding than 2019) the processor is important.
I'd like to add my twocents of experience. Two years ago I bought a new HP ProBook and now exchanged it for the gaming Desktop of my daughter, she built around the same time two years ago when I bought my laptop. Both computers naturally had 16 GB  of RAM and an SSD. 

The main difference - my laptop had an i7 U (optimised for mobile computing) and my daughter's a normal i5. From my observations in the task manager when working on my laptop I knew that Studio uses all processor cores and threads to the max. A bit unexpectedly for me, the desktop's i5 beats the laptop's i7.

The reason is the cores: the difference between a normal i5 and i7 is that the i5 has got 6 coress and 6 threads and the i7 has got 6 cores and 12 threads. A doubled thread means the unused computing capacity of one core is virtually split in two "threads". But it's not really a doubling of computing capacity, rather adding 15-30%. Since laptop processors get always a bit less cores and less electric current to avoid thermal issues, my "i7 U" with it's around 5 effective threads was actually less powerful than my daughter's i5 with its full 6 cores and 12 threads. 

The core and thread count can change from one processor generation to the next, so you really don't have to ask for "i5" or "i7", but for cores and threads. The full name of a processor gives you the "power grade" and the generation (i7-10510u is an i7 from the 10th generation, "51" an internal stepping and "u" one of the letters which indicate mobile, heat improved or without built-in graphics card and so on). With that number you can google how many cores it has got.

My recommendation: never buy less than 6 cores, if you can - buy more. There are laptops with 6-core i7 processors with an "H" at the end of the number. They normally are offered as workstations (HP ZBook e.g.)
I'm looking forward to my next computer - I'm dreaming of a core monster with at least 12 cores. When I will get it, I will get back to this thread and tell you!

Have a nice buildung (or buying), y'all!

Jörn

PS#1: Never think about a seperate graphics card, if you're doing only translations and non-graphical office work on your computer! I threw my daughter's NVIDIA card out and it never hurt me. The built-in graphics card of an Intel processor is always enough for Studio, Word and Netflix in 4K. Most Intel processors have got one, AMD processors rarely 
PS#2: Doubling my RAM on my laptop from 16 GB to 32 GB didn't really give me anything but the initial impression that the respoinse was even "softer", stickier somehow..

Hi,

it's an old, but always interesting question. Yes, for Studio (2021 seems to be not more demanding than 2019) the processor is important.
I'd like to add my twocents of experience. Two years ago I bought a new HP ProBook and now exchanged it for the gaming Desktop of my daughter, she built around the same time two years ago when I bought my laptop. Both computers naturally had 16 GB  of RAM and an SSD. 

The main difference - my laptop had an i7 U (optimised for mobile computing) and my daughter's a normal i5. From my observations in the task manager when working on my laptop I knew that Studio uses all processor cores and threads to the max. A bit unexpectedly for me, the desktop's i5 beats the laptop's i7.

The reason is the cores: the difference between a normal i5 and i7 is that the i5 has got 6 coress and 6 threads and the i7 has got 6 cores and 12 threads. A doubled thread means the unused computing capacity of one core is virtually split in two "threads". But it's not really a doubling of computing capacity, rather adding 15-30%. Since laptop processors get always a bit less cores and less electric current to avoid thermal issues, my "i7 U" with it's around 5 effective threads was actually less powerful than my daughter's i5 with its full 6 cores and 12 threads. 

The core and thread count can change from one processor generation to the next, so you really don't have to ask for "i5" or "i7", but for cores and threads. The full name of a processor gives you the "power grade" and the generation (i7-10510u is an i7 from the 10th generation, "51" an internal stepping and "u" one of the letters which indicate mobile, heat improved or without built-in graphics card and so on). With that number you can google how many cores it has got.

My recommendation: never buy less than 6 cores, if you can - buy more. There are laptops with 6-core i7 processors with an "H" at the end of the number. They normally are offered as workstations (HP ZBook e.g.)
I'm looking forward to my next computer - I'm dreaming of a core monster with at least 12 cores. When I will get it, I will get back to this thread and tell you!

Have a nice buildung (or buying), y'all!

Jörn

PS#1: Never think about a seperate graphics card, if you're doing only translations and non-graphical office work on your computer! I threw my daughter's NVIDIA card out and it never hurt me. The built-in graphics card of an Intel processor is always enough for Studio, Word and Netflix in 4K. Most Intel processors have got one, AMD processors rarely 
PS#2: Doubling my RAM on my laptop from 16 GB to 32 GB didn't really give me anything but the initial impression that the respoinse was even "softer", stickier somehow..