Most new computers sold are in the 2 to 3 gigahertz (2,000 to 3,000 MHz) range. The two leading manufacturers are AMD and Intel. Usually an AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) CPU of the same MHz rating is faster than the equivalent Intel CPU because it gets more done per clock cycle. AMD uses model numbers to account for this, e. g. the Athlon 1600+ is roughly equivalent to a Pentium IV 1.6 gigahertz CPU, though it runs at only a 1.4 gigahertz clock speed. They roughly approximate the power of the equivalent Intel CPU. On the other hand, some software is tuned for Intel and may not work as fast on AMD or may not work at all. This is less of a problem than it was in past. Clock speed is misleading. A CPU with double the clock speed may run only marginally faster, because it spends most of its time waiting for RAM which is no faster. A dual CPU may run only marginally faster than a single one because the two CPU s have to keep waiting for each other for common hunks of RAM.
Intel’s value line is called Celeron. AMD ’s value line is called Duron.
Intel’s premium line is called Xeon, and AMD ’s premium line is called Athlon.
Intel’s 64-bit server line is called Itanium. AMD ’s 64-bit server line is called Opteron.
| Intel chip | bits grabbed
at once |
bits calculated
at once |
|---|---|---|
| Intel 8088 (XT) | 8 | 16 |
| Intel 8086 | 16 | 16 |
| Intel 80286 (AT (Advanced Technology)) | 16 | 16 |
| Intel 80386sx | 16 | 32 |
| Intel 80386dx | 32 | 32 |
| Intel 80486 | 32 | 32 |
| Intel Pentium (586) | 64 | 32 |
| Intel Pentium Pro (686) | 64 | 32 |
| Intel Pentium II (796) | 64 | 32 |
| Intel Pentium III, AMD Duron | 64 | 32 |
| Intel Pentium IV, AMD Athlon | 64 | 32 |
| Intel Itanium | 128 | 64 |
| AMD Opteron | 128 | 64 |
CPUs (Central Processing Units) prices are sometimes quoted without fans. Cooling fans mounted on the CPU are mandatory. If one is not included, you will have to buy one separately for about to . When you upgrade a machine, monitor the temperature of the CPU, RAM and support chips and add fans/cooling as needed.
$97.99 |
recommend electronic⇒AMD FX-4100 CPU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| asin | B005UBNL0A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It has 4 cores, 3.6/3.8GHz, L1 cache:512Kb, L2 cache:4Gb, L3 cache:8Gb. Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
recommend electronic⇒AMD FX-6100 CPU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| asin | B005UBNKWO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This is the CPU I have ordered for myself. It runs cooler than some of the other options and consumes less power. It has 6 cores, 3.3/3.9Gz, L1 cache:768Kb, L2 cache:6Mb, L3 cache:8Mb. Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
recommend electronic⇒AMD FX-8120 CPU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| asin | B005UBNKZG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It has 8 cores, 3.1/4.0GHz, L1 cache:1Mb, L2 cache:8Mb, L3 cache:8Mb. Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If you don’t keep your CPU clean, it will overhead. With the power off, give a blast of canned air to the CPU fan and CPU cooling heat sink. Pick out any dust with a toothpick or a pair of tweezers. While you are at it, blast the dust off all components and fans. Blast the dust out of the power supply. Dust accumulation will be much worse if you keep your computer in a carpeted room.
 |
available on the web at: |
http://mindprod.com/bgloss/cpu.html |
optional Replicator mirror
|
J:\mindprod\bgloss\cpu.html | |
 |
Please email your
feedback for publication,
letters to the editor, errors, omissions, typos, formatting errors, ambiguities, unclear
wording, broken/redirected link reports, suggestions to improve this page or comments to
Roedy Green :
 .
If you want your message, your name or email kept confidential,
not considered for public posting, please explicitly specify that.
Unless you state otherwise,
I will treat your message as a letter to the editor that I may or may not publish
in the
feedback section.
After that, it will be too late to retract it.
If you disagree with something I said, especially when sending an ad-hominem attack,
a rant composed mainly of obscenities or a death threat, please quote the offending passage
and cite the web page where you found it, tell me why you think it is wrong,
and, if possible, provide some supporting evidence.
I can’t very well fix erroneous or ambiguous text if I can’t find it. | |
| no blog for this page | Canadian
Mind
Products
IP:[65.110.21.43] Your face IP:[50.17.109.248] |
|
| Feedback | You are visitor number 31,016. | |
