Looking for an affordable PC with a high performing processor? Consider a Lenovo laptop with an Intel® CoreTM i3 CPU. It's the budget version of Intel's highly popular Core i processor series, and it powers millions of home and office computers around the world.

Like all Core models, the Intel Core i3 is a multi-core CPU, with each core acting as separate, discrete processor unto itself. This approach effectively multiplies the computing power of the processor and has made multi-core chips the predominant force in today's PC marketplace.

Core i3 laptops aren't built for super-fast PC gaming or advanced number-crunching. Those activities are better suited to Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which have higher core counts and other advanced features. Still, Core i3 laptops are ideal for most home and office computing tasks. Surfing the web, managing spreadsheets, making video calls. You can do it all on a Lenovo laptop with an Intel Core i3 processor.

Core i3 laptops: Getting better all the time

The first thing to know about the Core i3 processor -- or any Core processor, for that matter -- is that it keeps getting better with each new release. In other words, the fact that the Intel Core "i3" name uses a lower number than Core "i5" or Core "i7" doesn't mean the Core i3 is old technology. Far from it.

Intel launches new, faster versions of all its Core processors -- i3, i5, i7, and so on -- almost every year, with some high-end PCs already boasting the company's 10th generation Core microarchitecture. It takes awhile for such late-generation CPUs to find their way into mainstream laptops built for affordability. However, you'll find multiple 8th generation Core i3 laptops in the Lenovo line-up, delivering impressive performance by any measure.

Advantages of a Core i3 laptop

There's a lot to like in an Intel Core i3 laptop from Lenovo. What, exactly, makes these models so popular?

·       Cost: Core i3 laptops are among the least expensive Intel Core laptops on the market. This makes them ideal for students, families and small businesses on a tight budget.

·       Capability: Core i3 laptops are comparable in price to some high-end tablets. Yet they provide full PC functionality, ease-of-use and lots of ports for peripheral devices.

·       Convenience: Core i3 laptops generally run longer on each battery charge than comparably equipped models whose CPUs have more cores. So you get more unplugged work (or play) time.

Sure, a Core i3 laptop can't do some things that a Core i5 or Core i7 model can do. But most PC users won't notice the difference. A Core i3 laptop can run all of the popular web browsers and office software programs. You can use it for online banking, streaming movies, posting on Facebook, and writing college term papers or business proposals. Best of all, a Core i3 laptop lets you do all of this with a lower up-front cost than many competing models.