Purchasing a PC - The Processor

So, you’re buying a new PC and can’t decide what to get…Pentium, AMD or Celeron?

The processor is where most calculations take place and is the most important part of a PC. Every process on a PC involves mathematical calculations completed by the processor. Processing chips contain millions of tiny transistors, in many cases huge sections of these are never used by the Windows operating system, therefore manufacturers can cut down on price by reducing the amount of transistors to an amount where the processor’s ‘brains’ aren’t wasted. This is where you will find the difference between processors. The more transistors a chip has, the more calculations or functions it can handle. BUT do you really need the extra power?

The Pentium

The Pentium processor is Intel’s workhorse; it performs functions that most users don’t even require or think about. The Pentium is the ‘brains’ of the bunch it is great for the more technical aspects of computing (running as a server, multiple operating systems, graphic rendering etc.) The Pentium 4 has approximately 55 million transistors.

The AMD Athlon

The AMD Athlon processor is the ‘competition’ for the Pentium and Celeron. This processor is able to do everything that the Pentium can do, but it does it just a tad bit slower. Basically the AMD could be considered as the average user’s machine, it can run multiple operating systems, games, online audio/video streaming etc. without difficulties and can also render just as well as a Pentium when using AMD based software. The AMD has approximately 37.6 million transistors and is therefore cheaper than the Pentium.

The Celeron

The Celeron processor is tailored to the Windows system, it has really good graphics and sound capabilities but is without the more technical aspects of a processor. The Celeron chip is a “streamlined” chip that focuses on multimedia. With the Intel Celeron processor you can expect an affordable and reliable PC for your home or home office to meet your basic computing needs, such as e-mailing friends and relatives, tracking home finances, and running interactive or educational software for your kids. The Celeron is the cheapest processor to purchase and is made specifically for people using a Windows operating system. Mainly it is good for web browsing and data processing.

There you have it folks, your processors. When purchasing a new system keep in mind that if all you are really doing is web browsing and word processing then get the processor that can handle it without the waste. If you are a single unmarried person you don’t need a large family car right? You wouldn’t utilize the space/capabilities. Same thing with a PC.

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