Processor

This is the most advertised product on the market today. Most of your larger PC companies actually use older outdated or substandard proprietary motherboards and the newest processor to attract unsuspecting customers (Most motherboards will accept a higher processor then it is capable of supporting and run it at the highest speed it can support, essentially making it work, just not at the performance the processor is

capable of). This is how they keep prices so low. Truth is that processor speed is second to overall buss speed. The processor can only process the data it is given and buss speed determines how much data it is given.

Example: You buy a motherboard for a Pentium 4 with a 533 buss speed and a max processor speed of 2.8. Then you buy a Pentium 4 3.2 with an 800 buss speed. The processor will work in most cases, but it will perform at 2.8 with a 533 buss speed at max, and when really pushed it will be even slower. When PC components call for more information then the motherboard can deliver, it stresses the motherboard and causes backups, slowing the data down! See Buss Speed for more info.

The two main processors on the market are Pentium and AMD. There a lot of models under each brand that have distinct characteristics other then speed. Some processors are better for single application load time, some are better at multiple applications. Some processors offer outstanding performance for the money, but (for reasons I will explain later) are terrible at some specific tasks.

Processors are marvels of technology, one of the most advanced electronics on the planet. I will try to summarize this section to address the facts that are most advertised. This should allow you to determine on your own what processors will be good at what tasks. I would recommend you seek to advice of professional when choosing a processor. I would also like to stress something I wrote in the “How to Choose a PC” section of this website. When you buy from the “big guys”, you will most likely get a motherboard that will not support your un-needed, over powered processor. Even if you don’t buy from us, if you are serious about a balanced, well performing PC, please look at one of the specialty shops. They are not hard to find (have to excuse me not wanting to advertise for my competitors, but if you ask me or one of my sales rep’s, we will recommend one).

Features of a Processor:

·         Clock Speed: This is the most recognizable statistic of the processor. For example: A Pentium 3.2 would mean a 3.2 clock speed although an AMD 3200+ is a model number, the clock speed is 2.2. These two are considered comparable processors. How is this possible if the Pentium is so much faster? The AMD has a 20% faster FSB (Front Side Buss). Buss speed allows more data to flow into this processor and be, well.. processed. The Pentium in this case was faster in the majority of games due to its overall architecture; while the AMD did have some winning benchmarks in games, it really shined when it came to business applications. There are a lot other factors that lead to these results that I will expand upon later in this document.

This comparison is only an example of the complexity of processors; AMD and Pentium have been going back and forth on the benchmarks for years with no clear winner. Although Pentium is the more well known name, AMD has a achieved a cult following that Pentium could never achieve.

·         Caches: Pronounced “cash” is the number of busses, or lines of data that exist on the chip. L1, L2 and L3 represent 1,2 and 3 caches respectively. Depending on the chip, the Cache can be internal or on the motherboard between the processor and the main memory or RAM (Random Access Memory). Internal and external caches both offer advantages and disadvantages. In addition to the amount and placement of the Cache, there is the type of RAM that powers the Cache, after all the Cache is just RAM allocated for that specific buss or data line. This is RAM on, or allocated for the chip itself. This is not to be confused with the main system memory. See the section on RAM for a description of what type of RAM is used for what application.

·         FSB: (Front Side Buss) Is a recognizable statistic that is usually the total of the caches data transfer in one large number. For example, the above-mentioned P4 has an 800Mhz FSB. That is not one data line or Cache; it is a 200Mhz FSB with quad speed architecture (200FBS multiplied by 4 data lines =800FSB). This is one of the major reason it out performed the AMD in gaming. Specifically gaming with heavy 3D shadowing and AI (Artificial Intelligence, used to control “computer characters” within the game) that are very processor intensive. This statistic can be misleading unless you know the architecture of the subsystems controlling it and the type of RAM used.

Where to now? Articles on computer components - How to Choose a PC