Simplify your laptop buying
Community Newsletter: Q&A: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds
- 7/20/07 11:31 AM
Liq Cooled
by gjbeaudin - 7/16/07 7:48 AM In reply to: To Fredrica C. regarding different processors. by Bubba_GumpCan you recommend some liq cooling products?
Overclockers would know best
by cnetmessageman - 7/16/07 10:46 PM In reply to: Liq Cooled by gjbeaudingjbeaudin, I suggest you try this link:
http://www.overclockers.com/articles373/
You can also try "googling" Liquid Cooler Review or Overclocking
Unless you are into serious gaming though, why would you want to mess with this.
Selecting a Processor
by elpich - 7/6/07 11:39 PM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Fredrick C, I am glad you posted your question, as I am very interested to know myself!
Eleanore
You are purchasing a New- Computer
by lotus_25 - 7/7/07 1:19 AM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My advise is never go in for a DELL machine.Two weeks back I purchased a DELL Dimension E520, with Core 2 Duo, E6420. The order was for a Graphic card having 256 MB RAM .But they supplied me with a Graphic card having only 128 MB RAM . All my Emails complaining about it did not produce any response.My advise is never touch any DELL product even with a barge poll.
I recommend you , Intel Core 2 Duo E 6420 which is reasonably fast.The price will definitely come down as the time passes.Go for HP machine , one of their computer model with the same processor is sold out.The prise was really tempting, featers were facinating.
milo499
Dell service is poor
by barkeypf - 7/13/07 8:03 PM In reply to: You are purchasing a New- Computer by lotus_25I could not recomend Dell to anyone. There customer care and service has been the worst i have ever experenced by any company I have ever delt with.
It's not just Dell service .. it's all customer service
by dbldibble - 7/14/07 6:51 AM In reply to: Dell service is poor by barkeypfAs I posted to a previous comment, "Beware of bad customer service" .... I am a computer consultant and I personally have had experiences with both Dell and HP customer service. Neither one provides good customer service. But, this is happening all over the customer service world! I feel bad for all the consumers out there who are unaware at the time of purchase that their particular product will not be supported after the warranty has expired. The deal is, after a certain amount of years (with computers it's about 3), they obsolete the product so that the parts/software are unavailable, and you have to buy something new. This is how they now make their money. Along with Vista being a sucky product, uninformed consumers get sucked into something they don't understand, and when the product doesn't work, they have to spend more money to get it working -- it's a viscious circle! <<dbldibbleconsulting off soapbox now>>>. Good luck and get informed!
If you are purchasing a new computer
by dbldibble - 7/14/07 6:49 AM In reply to: You are purchasing a New- Computer by lotus_25Beware of bad customer service .... I am a computer consultant and I personally have had experiences with both Dell and HP customer service. Neither one provides good customer service. But, this is happening all over the customer service world! I feel bad for all the consumers out there who are unaware at the time of purchase that their particular product will not be supported after the warranty has expired. The deal is, after a certain amount of years (with computers it's about 3), they obsolete the product so that the parts/software are unavailable, and you have to buy something new. This is how they now make their money. Along with Vista being a sucky product, uninformed consumers get sucked into something they don't understand, and when the product doesn't work, they have to spend more money to get it working -- it's a viscious circle! <<dbldibbleconsulting off soapbox now>>>. Good luck and get informed!
VRAM confusion
by Igiveup2 - 7/15/07 7:04 PM In reply to: You are purchasing a New- Computer by lotus_25On the 128Mb/256MB issue, that particular card is 128 dedicated/128 shared. So Dell is technically correct in reporting the total VRAM as 256, even though the true amount of dedicated VRAM is less. Even though I agree that their reporting is a little cheesy, Dell does introduce dedicated VRAM at a lower price point than their competitors.
Processor Madness
by Joosh88 - 7/7/07 2:17 AM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Tough job picking a processor out of that big bunch that's out there isn't it ?
Though it's relatively easy once you know what's going on.
First you can sort out the big boys:
Amd and Intel. Those are the 2 biggest CPU manufactures of these days.
When you're done with that you sort out dual core or not.
As soon as you see: "X2" "Duo" or plain "Dual core" you're dealing with
2 cores.
That's the easy reading part when you're looking at the specs.
Then it comes down to the gHz's. There used to be a time where the amount of gHz's were the "power" of the CPU like in the "old" Pentium 4 days. This is where AMD came with the K6 i believe (the first Athlon's). They showed that not everything is gHz related.
That's why they models those days showed a "P-rating" or power rating.
Ex; A 3400+ Athlon model could compete with a 3.4+ gHz Pentium 4 equivalent. Even though it's speed was lower namely 2.4ghz.
This still continues these days but the "P-Rating" is quite off.
Now we come into the Dual (and later Octo and more) cores era.
This introduces the 2-cores-on-one-cpu to the market.
Which means that if you buy a 2gHz Dual Core cpu you in theory have the power of a single 4gHz.
The biggest problem though these days is the lack of Dual Core support in most programs and in the OS's.
So you buy a CPU with 2 cores while even the most programs these days can't use the advantage of the second core that's around. Some programs do, but they need to be patched or you have to buy them again.
The only big thing that matters for you is what you want to do with your computer.
If you're planning to use it as a daily home computer to internet on and instant message, or use it as an entertainment system or even to game on.
It it's the first you can still go with a Single core CPU from 2.4 to 3.0 gHz. They are cheap, fast, and efficient enough for the tasks.
If it's the second thing you have 2 options.
Lower price and good performance: AMD X2's.
Higher price and better (not saying best) performance: Core 2 Duo.
So that's what you need to keep in mind. What do I want to do with my computer.
Is it high-tech gaming/entertainment system ? Or a plain easy to use desktop computer.
I hope you can see the CPU's through the woods now.
Have a fine weekend!
PC IS PC
by hlpler - 7/7/07 2:17 AM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
FREDRICA: ANY OF THE COMPUTERS OUT THERE WILL DO BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WILL BE USING IT FOR. A CELERON D WITH HYPERT THREADING IS GREAT FOR SURFING THE WEB AND WORD PROCESSING. HIGH ENE COMPUTERS WITH HIGH TECH GRAPHICS CARDS ARE GREAT FOR GAMING. RIGHT NOW THE COMPETITION IS BETWEEN THE ATHLON 64 X2 DUAL-CORE AND THE INTEL CORE DUO OR CORE 2 DUO. THAT IS LIKE HAVING DUAL PROCESSORS WORKING FOR YOU. I LIKE THE ATHLON 64 X2. IT PERFORMS AS GOOD AS THE INTEL AND WILL ALLOW YOU TO KEEP MONEY IN YOUR POCKET. IT TAKES MORE THAN GHZ FOR SPEED. IT TAKES A COMBINATION OF THINGS,e.g.THE FRONT SIDE BUS, PROCESSOR SPEED, GOOD FAST MEMORY AND ENOUGH OF IT AND BANDWIDTH. YOU CAN GET A DEAL NOWADAYS FOR AROUND $700.00 USUALLY WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BEGIN WORK.. HOPE THIS HELPS.
Processors/speeds/reliability
by mrtazmania2 - 7/7/07 2:44 AM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In response to your question about processors....yes there are alot of names to go through but the most important thing is the overall speed and stability of the processor. What you want to get when looking for a pre-built pc, is the fastest processor/most memory/largest hard drive configuration you can afford. Other "stuff" like cd drives, monitors, and video cards can be easily upgraded or pieced together later......of course the memory can also be upgraded as well but for the average pc buyer, you just want to get the most bang for your buck. The various models of processors are just the versions of them, kind of like cars.....an Intel processor is different than an AMD and the various models are configured to work slightly different within the context of their configurations. For instance, an Intel Celeron D is made for the overall pc use, meaning its setup for for day-to-day computing, whether in the home, classroom, or office. A dual core Intel is made more for multi-tasking.
AMD processors have different numbers and models and they too have various applications.
Overall, as I stated before, what you want to get is the biggest, meaning highest number, and try to find a pc that has either a dual core Intel or an AMD dual processor, the most memeory and largest hard drive you can afford. Since you did not mention what you are going to use the pc for, wether its for average use (email, docs, some pics, etc.) or more for gaming, or if you just want to upgrade to a newer pc. The best rule of thumb is to set a budget, and go from there. To really get a low-down on what types of processors to get and what the numbers/models mean you should go to the Intel site and also the AMD site to compare the different models and specs......then shop around for the rest of your system.
processors...
by sdf632 - 7/7/07 5:23 AM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Actually, as much as you'll hate to hear, all those names actually do mean something. Nowadays, in terms of processors, a faster speed does NOT necessarily mean a better processor. This is because the many different types designate whether the processor is 64 bit, dual core, etc... Let me give some simple types as to what to choose. First off, avoid all celeron d or sempron type processors. These are the most basic, budget level processors out there. Ideally, you want the best processor you can afford on a computer; this would mean an Intel Core 2 Duo (best choice) or an Athlon/Turion 64 X2. Both of those are dual core, 64 bit processors, which will last you a while. From there on, it goes downward with any other processor available, like the Pentium dual core, intel core duo, etc. Just keep in mind when buying that you preferably want an Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.0 ghz; if that's too much, then at least get a core 2 duo or the athlon/turion 64 x2. If you want more information on this, just go look it up on wikipedia. Good luck.
Get a Macintosh
by Gringras - 7/7/07 5:28 AM In reply to: Ugh! I need help deciphering all those PC processor names and speeds by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Get an Apple Macintosh and you won't have to worry about it.
Mac... my thoughts exactly
by ehwah wah - 7/15/07 10:28 PM In reply to: Get a Macintosh by GringrasAfter 10 DOS or Windows based PC's, I took the advice of my two sons and bought an iMac and put 2 GB RAM in it running OS 10.4.x I also bought a Gateway AMD 64x2 with 2 GB RAM fearing the Mac might not work. Well...The iMac is in front of me a gets 98% of my attention while the "Windows machine" is just off to the left plays rock/music videos when it isn't busy crashing. I think in a year, I have had to reboot the iMac about 4 times for a cursor problem. A SUPERIOR system and OS. My daughters plan to trade in their PCs this year for Macs.
Although I do know something about processors, etc., with a Mac, who cares! Macs just work very reliably and are fast! A mac.com subscription is also worth every dime. Everything is upgraded with no hassle without all that fuss that B. Gates makes you go through.
AND, don't try to ruin an excellent OS by installing that "run windows too" program.
Not particularly helpful
by rhythmace1 - 7/16/07 2:06 PM In reply to: Get a Macintosh by GringrasI hope I'm not taking your comment too seriously here, but surely you realise it is no more helpful than saying "Get an Intel Core 2 Duo and you won't have to worry about it"? At least with a PC there is a choice, which for many/most people is an advantage rather than a disadvantage.
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