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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Which Processor to Buy?

When deciding on a computer, the processor is the most critical part of a system, as it determines the maximum possible speed that the computer can run at.

There are many sockets that CPUs are made for, and many processor models for each socket. The sockets that are currently available are:
AMD AM3
Intel LGA775 (soon to be phased out)
Intel LGA1156
Intel LGA1366

The actual models are:
Athlon II X2
Athlon II X4
Intel Core 2 Duo
Intel Core i5
Intel Core i7

So which is the best? What one do you need for your application? As a general rule of thumb, the AMD X2 processors are the cheapest, and still fairly fast for office work, web browsing etc. If you want to play games, work on 3D drawings, or process large amounts of data, go for the Intel Core i5 processor (our best seller!), as these are considerably faster, and even though more expensive than AMD, the best value for money. If you want the top of the range and don't mind spending the dollars, go for Intel Core i7. They are the fastest processors out, but you do pay for the privilege!