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The CPU or Central
Processing Unit is the component of the computer system
that habitually is used to describe what 'type' of computer
you have (i.e. a Pentium 166 MMX System, a Celeron 566 System,
a Pentium III 800 System). Many people make the mistake
of assuming that the CPU is the most important component
in the system because of this habit.
While the CPU is
the true 'brain' of your computer, it requires a 'body'
and 'appendages' to function effectively. Even if you have
a fast processor, the rest of your components must be able
to handle the output of that processor or you will have
a system with poor performance. Keep this in mind when deciding
upon what is the right CPU for you.
There are a number
of manufacturer's of CPUs including AMD, Motorola, and of
course Intel. However, due to the alliance between Intel
and Microsoft, the most reliable CPUs have been Intel (as
most people run either Windows '95 / '98 or Windows NT /
2000 / XP as their operating system). However, the AMD line
of CPUs (economy Duron and high-performance Althons) have
become increasingly popular as they have a lower cost and
comparable performance to the Intel line.
Currently, Intel is promoting the Pentium III line of CPUs
from their Pentium-III 600 MHz to the Pentium-III 1000 MHz
and the Celeron line of processors from 566 MHz to 900 MHz.
There is a big difference between the Original Intel Celerons
(266 and 300) and the New Intel Celerons. The original Celerons
had no 2nd level cache, and used the Deschuttes design.
This combination severly reduced their performance and effectiveness,
especially in office applications and internet browsers.
The new Celerons
have a 128K 2nd level cache which is in a new design called
the Mendocino core. This design is superior in that the
cache module actually on the same silicon as the CPU, resulting
in a cache which can run at the same speed as the CPU. This
makes the new Celerons an excellent buy, as long as you
are not running full-screen high-resolution 3-D graphic
applications (i.e. games and auto CAD programs), or using
voice recognition software. The main remaining disadvantage
of the Celeron processors is that they run at a 66 MHz speed,
which also limits the RAM and motherboard speed.
The Pentium-II CPUs have a larger (512K) external level
2 cache which runs at half the speed of the CPU. This results
in superior performance for certain types of operations,
especially office applications. In terms of raw processor
power and performance Pentium-II CPUs are very comparable
to Celerons. For multimedia applications, the Pentium IIs
start to demonstrate their value relative to Celerons.
Pentium III CPUs
have the same 512K external level 2 cache as Pentium IIs
but contain an extra 70 instructions built in to the CPU.
These instructions generate a noticeable increase in performance
in 3-D graphics (higher polygon count/more detail, advanced
lighting/shadow effects, realistic animation, increased
frame rates/color depths), and also for streaming video
applications (online and offline) and speech recognition
systems. If you are use any of the above tasks on your computer
on a regular basis, you should consider purchasing the Pentium
III over the Celeron. In addition, as the prices of processors
continue to fall, the value of a Celeron is decreasing.
Pentium IV CPUs
have been a largely ineffective release by Intel (along
with the 850 chipset required on motherboards to support
these processors). They have high speeds (1.4 - 2.0 GHz),
however the performance has been less than spectacular when
compared with the supposedly significantly slower Pentium
IIIs. In addition, until recently Pentium IVs have required
RamBUS (an unpopular expensive type of RAM called RDRAM).
Recently Intel has released a new chipset (the Brookdale
or 845) which allows people to put standard SDRAM DIMMs
on a Pentium IV motherboard. This attempt at offering a
'value' or 'economy' chipset to go with its flagship product
is an indicator of how flawed the architecture it from its
inception.
There is a new processor
which has recently been released which is called the Tualatin.
It is a Pentium III processor which runs at 1.1, 1.2 and
1.3 GHz, and tests have shown that it outperforms Pentium
IVs in the majority of processor performance tests. This
has breathed new life into the Pentium III line.
AMD
has made great strides in the last 2 years in terms of reclaiming
its position as a valid alternative to the Intel line of
processors, however, Micwil Computer Consulting still recommends
using the Intel offerings for now, although if AMD continues
producing stable processors, soon we may offer standard
systems which are powered by AMD (Duron and Althon).
Here
are some CPU comparisons (Reproduced from Tom's Hardware
Guide)
As you
can see, the Tualatin 1.1 GHz processor holds up very well
when compared to faster processors (be they AMD or Intel
Pentium IVs). As such, Micwil Computer Consulting recommends
remaining with the Pentium III architecture and purchasing
either classic Pentium III (for standard systems) or Tualatin
Pentium III (for high performance systems) processors.
Keep
in mind that most programs on the market today (and even
for the next 12-18 months) will work fine on a high end
Classic Pentium or Pentium II with a good motherboard and
components in the system (64 or 128 MB DIMM RAM, 8 MB SGRAM
Video Card, etc.). Certainly many of the cutting-edge games
will run smoother with a faster CPU, but the cost of getting
anything more than an entry level processor in the Pentium
III series is rarely justified.
For
33% of consumers (and businesses), a Classic Pentium 166
MMX or 200 MMX meet their needs just as well as a Pentium
III. For another 33% of consumers (and businesses) a Pentium
II processor will meet their needs just as well as a Pentium
III. However, availability of these processors is very restricted,
so for most people an entry level Intel Pentium III is the
ideal choice (on a motherboard that allows future upgrades
to future Tualatin Pentium IIIs).
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