DISCOUNT CPUs / PROCESSORS BUYING GUIDE
If motherboard is the backbone of the computer, the CPU is the heart.
CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. It is the device that performs
all the mathematical calculations of your tasks.
Interface
The 1st aspect that you should check is the interface that
your motherboard supports. For compatibility purpose, there are 2
leading manufacturers of CPU Intel and AMD. The interfaces that AMD
and Intel support are:
-
AMD: Socket A,
Socket 754, Socket 939 or Socket 940.
-
Intel: Socket
370, Socket 478 or Socket 775
Make sure
your motherboard supports the CPU you are choosing !
CPU Clock Speed
After determining the maker, AMD or Intel, you can now choose the speed
of CPU made for the maker. Examples of CPU speeds are 1.7 GHz, 1.8 GHz,
2.0 GHz, 3.0 GHz. The slowest clock speed is sufficient for word
processing, web surfing, and e-mailing.
Cache
You may notice that Intel has the same clock speed for some of its
Celeron and Pentium 4 processors. Take Celeron 2.4 GHz and Pentium 4
2.4 GHz as an example. Although their clock speeds are the same,
Pentium 4 has a better performance. Its faster because Celeron offers
only 128k of cache while Pentium 4 has a cache of 512k / 1MB.
Cache works like RAM, which stores frequently used data so that the CPU
can access it faster.
Packaging Versions of
CPUs
There are 2 packaging versions of CPUs:
|
Version |
Characteristics |
|
White Box /
PIB (Processor in a Box) / OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
|
It is meant
to be pre-installed into computer systems by the OEM.
Pro:
-
Cheaper
than retail box (because its bought in bulk)
Cons:
-
Offers
shorter warranty period (1 yr, because its covered by the
OEM)
-
Less
descriptive manual (Meant to be installed by technical
experts)
|
|
Retail Box
|
Meant to be
installed by purchasers.
Pros:
-
Offers
longer warranty period (3 yrs)
-
More
detailed manual
|
|