The central processor unit (CPU), often called just the'processor', is the heart of the PC. It controls everything that happens in thecomputer, but its overall performance is determined by a couple of factors. Thefirst is clock speed which is measured in Ghz (billions of clock cycles persecond). The second is the size of the L2 cache that the processor uses.
L2 cache is a special memory that the processor uses frequently. It is locatedless than an inch or so from the processor. It is a very fast memory and sharesdata with the processor on a private connection known as the back side bus.
Faster clock speeds and bigger L2 caches translate into higher performance. TheIntel Pentium class of processors are the most popular type found in PCs, andare offered in a couple of versions:
The Celeron is an entry level processor. It is really a Pentium 4 that runs ata slower clock speed and uses a smaller L2 cache. A smaller L2 cache guaranteesmore overall cache misses which results in lower performance.
A Pentium 4 runs at it's full rated speed and uses a large L2 cache.
AMD makes processors that directly compete with Intel, see below.
Recommendation:
The chief competitor for Intel is AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). They make theAthlon processor which competes with the Pentium 4 and the Duron which competeswith the Celeron.
If you want to surf the web, send and receive e-mails, create basic wordprocessor and spreadsheet documents, then a 1.7Ghz or higher Celeron or Duronwill work fine for you.
For those who want to run high performance applications that require seriousnumber crunching and fast graphics, then a Pentium 4 or Athlon processorrunning at or above 2Ghz is the way to go.
We've used AMD and Intel processors and both are excellent processors. Youcan't go wrong with either one.