Processor Speeds & more.

6ix

I'm looking at buying a new laptop, and have been using Dell's website as the basis for my enquiries. My basic question is about the processor speeds. Several of my friends have Dell laptops which are basically Desktop replacements, with 2.8/3.0 Ghz P4 processors and 512/1GB RAM, good graphics cards etc etc.

However, on the Dell site, the only processors currently available are 1.6-2GHZ. Isn't this a step backward? Perhaps its something to do with weight, and they want to use the light processors but surely there should be a choice for larger processors like there used to be.

However, maybe it doesnt really matter. Do I need a fast processor? I plan to use the machine for multimedia work, sound/video editing etc. I'd also have some games I guess so I'd like if it had a fast processor.

Anyone know what's the story/have any advice?

Peteee

This is because most laptops nowadays run on specialised mobile chips (Pentium M and AMD Turion)

These run at lower clock speeds, due to heat and power output (A pentium 4 clocked at about 3.5GHz will give out about 100W of heat energy)

A 2.0GHz Pentium M is about equivilant to a 3.0GHz Pentium 4.

In other words, clock speed dosent matter as much an intel would have you believe, because these mobile processors can do more in one clock cycle then the pentium4. (Think of a car carrying 5 people going every 20 minutes to somewhere, and a bus going every hour but carrying 15 people. They both carry the exact same number of people from one place to another in the same time, but one does trips more often but carries less people and vice versa. The pentium M can be considered the bus, and the pentium4 the car in this analogy)

A fast processor is important for video and sound editing, although more RAM would be more helpful then a faster processor in this situation.

A graphics card is more important then a fast processor for games (Especially in a laptop, where lots of laptops come with integrated graphics cards)

kaimera

lay off the coffee peter

aye, Pentium M is a solid chip ~ of a faster ghz P4 and less heat from it.

Peteee

/me judders

W-w-what coffffeee

kasintahan

You're bus analogy is a bit off. It would better suit the newer 64 bit chips, not processors with larger caches which is what centrino's really are.

A better analogy would be the same car carrying the same number of people but having a much shorter trip to make (fewer longer trips to RAM or the HD, more shorter ones to cache).

Peteee

Okay, you make a good point. But it's not all about the massive cache.

These can do more instructions (people) per clock cycle (car/bus)

Anyway, fact remains, they are good processors!

kaimera

it's not the size of the cache, it's how you use it.

that right pete?

eh? eh??

6ix

ok that's great, thanks for all your help! So any tips on where to buy? Bought desktop from Dell before, was happy with service etc, so I would have no problem buying there again.

Where would you recommend?

Peteee

I dunno, why dont you ask malachy eaton about it

6ix

You mean

Malachy Eaton B.E. (NUI), M. Eng (Computer Systems)(NCEA),Ph.D.(UL), Grad. Dip. (Comp.)(NCEA), Cert. Systems Analysis, M.I.E.I., M.I.E.E.E. ??

Seeing as I googled him, I cant see him being of much assistance

Peteee

He may have lots of, what I can only assume are bought degrees and phd's after his name, but I assure you, he cant tell you if a Pentium4 clocked @ 3.0 Ghz with 512kb of L2 cache is better then a Pentium4 @ 2.8GHz with 1mb of L2 cache!

We had him for comp org second year in comp sys