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Getting the Most CPU “Bang for the Buck”
In choosing your mainboard, price
and CPU type will probably be the key factors. Never purchase the fastest
CPU because the prices rise rapidly with CPU speed. Backing off just
a bit from the fastest processor in a CPU family will save you considerable
money. And, in a few short months, you’ll probably be able to buy
a much faster processor even more inexpensively!
To put the above into perspective,
let’s compare prices for Pentium 4 CPUs from the same source (www.insightcomponents.com).
We see the following Pentium 4 options:
- 3.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 Processor
@ 800 MHz FSB - $758.99
- 2.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 Processor
@ 800 MHz FSB - $221.99
- 1.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 Processor
@ 800 MHz FSB - $161.99
And for the very budget conscious:
- 2.2 GHz Intel Celeron Socket 478 Processor @
400 MHz FSB - $88.99
For a modest 33% increase in CPU
speed in going from a 2.4 GHz CPU to a 3.2 GHz CPU, you pay almost three
and a half times more money! The average builder could select the
slightly slower CPU and pay for all the other PC components from the
cost difference of $537! And, for many purposes, selecting the lower-end
Celeron for under $90 is even a better option.
If you really need a very powerful
PC at a budget price, consider a two-processor mainboard. Two 2.4 GHz
processors tag-teaming a 3.2 GHz processor will beat it. The mainboard
and the operating system will both need to support two processors working
together. For example, Windows XP Professional supports two processors,
while Windows XP Home Edition doesn’t. Linux will support dual
processors. Most builders will only need one CPU on their mainboard.
In five years, the speeds and types
of the CPUs will be completely different. But, the advice of not selecting
the fastest CPU currently available is timeless.
If you know what kind of CPU you
want, then you can examine mainboards that support that CPU. Usually,
builders will select the type of CPU they desire and then find a mainboard
to support it. Be sure that the mainboard also supports the CPU speed
of your chip. For example, a board that supports a 2.4 GHz processor
might not support a 3.2 GHz processor from the same family.
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How to Build Your Own PC (http://www.PCGuide.com/byop/) on PCGuide.com
Version 1.0 - Version Date: May 4, 2005
Adapted with permission from a work created by Charlie Palmer.
PCGuide.com Version © Copyright 2005 Charles M. Kozierok. All Rights Reserved.
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