computer help: laptop question? - Help.com

just because it’s a faster processor doesn’t necessarily mean it uses more power.
newer CPU’s have more advanced power management systems and can perform more operations per cycle as well as redundant processes.
so an old single core processor might be using 50 - 70% of it’s resources to do what a quad core can do with 10%

not to mention, as well as a more advanced battery, and more energy efficient components, the computer also has the ability to throttle itself up or down depending on the size of the computation load.
just because it’s quad core doesn’t mean all four cores are active.
ATM, just running windows and performing light tasks, the system is only using 5-10% of its capability. therefore only one or two cores are in use.