Confused by processor terminologies, can anybody help?

Question

I am not a computer guru. I want to buy a very good laptop that will serve me atleast the next 5 years. I am sort of confused by the terms: celeron, pentium and Intel Core Duo processor and honestly I dont know which is which. Can anybody out there be kind enough to explain to me the difference between the three and how they affect output and the usefulness and durability of the computer? Thanks

Answer 1

They are all the same quality, but you pay for speed. The dual core are the state of the art, Pentium 4 is basically all the intel currently out, Celeron is the slowest and cheapest, but still good if you are on a budget. If you want a laptop that is still good in 5 years you need the dual core.

Answer 2

(Might as well make a stab at a legitimate answer here.)

(The following statements are generalizations based upon consideration of the processor by itself. There are many different configurations which, utilizing the proper components, could nullify these statements.)

The Celeron/Celeron M (AMD equivalent = Duron/Sempron) processor is going to be the basic, budget model. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but it gets the job done. As long as all you're planning to do is surf the web, listen to MP3's and play the occasional Yahoo game, this processor will prove more than adequate.

The Pentium/Pentium M (AMD equivalent = AthlonXP/Athlon64/Turion) processor is the mainstream CPU. These are for users that are considered middle-of-the-road... basically on a budget, but still want performance and are willing to pay a little bit more for it. The vast majority of people will fall into this category. These processors will most generally be used in mainstream gaming machines, and family PC's that are used for occasional photo/video editing.

The Intel Duo Core (AMD equivalent = Athlon64X2) is a high-end CPU utilized for heavy gaming, moderate-to-heavy video editing and business-class machines (used for CAD, etc). These processors are generally more than enough for most users and can accomplish most anything you could ask of it... and the price tag generally reflects this.

The Pentium Xtreme (AMD equivalent = FX series) is the enthusiast class ("flagship") processor. If you absolutely just have to have the most powerful computer available, accept no substitutes. Be prepared to pay a hefty sum for all the extra performance, though. These processors are most commonly used in exotic gaming machines, or professional video editing rigs.

~*~

Any way you slice it, all of these processors will be updated/eclipsed within months of launch. The best way to boost the longevity of a new purchase is to think ahead... figure out what you are primarily going to use the computer for, determine the processor that you feel will best suit those needs, and then buy a processor that is a half-tier or full-tier higher. It may be a little more money up front, but you'll save quite a bit more money over time as you won't have to upgrade as often.

==========EDIT==========

Don't listen to Sneha_Sunel or im.in.college.so.i.know.stuff - for the most part, they don't appear to have a clue.

Answer 3

AMD and Intel are the major chipset makers. AMD chips include Celeron, Sempron, Turion, Athlon.... while Intel makes the Pentium 3, 4,... chips. Dual core is the new type of chips that run a lot faster by processing things simultaneously.

Similar priced chips have near equal power, but the AMD and the Intel chips are measured differently, which is why they gigahertz are higher for intels'.

To maximize your notebook's lifespan you need to make sure you get a good processor because they are very difficult to upgrade. What's a good one? Go with the one about 2 or 3 steps down from "the best" you can put in the laptop and you'll be fine.

Answer 4

Celeron and Pentium have different math coprocessors. Basically if you want to do high volume stuff like gaming then a Pentium is better. A dual core processor is supposed to be able to handle two sets of instructions simultaneously, kind of like having two processors built into one. So a Celeron is like buying the Hyundai, the Pentium is like buying the Corvette and the Dual Core Pentium is like getting the Vette with a Nitrous kit. Savvy?

Answer 5

intel is the company that makes the best processors, most people choose them. celeron and pentium is two types of intel processors. i am not sure of the difference, but i have heard that pentium is better. duo core is a feature, instead of your processor running one operation at a time, it runs two. it increases speed of your computer finishing tasks by 25% i heard, and single core processors are considereed old now no one ahs one, so get duo or higher if there is such a thing.

Answer 6

If you want 5 years out of it go for the newest, Core2 Duo. The Celereon is practically a dinosaur now. Pentiums come in 3 or 4, again, 3 is pretty useless, 4 is about standard now.

If buying a new computer, your processor is extremely important, the most, in my opinion.

Here's a link to detailed explanations from Intel

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/index.htm

Answer 7

Well... most of those just different kinds of brands.... I have pentium 4 which is better since the average is pentuim 3... but sorry i hav never heard of Core duo processor... unless its a dual processor..... which i would have to assum is the best because dual... obviosly means 2... so have 2 processers would be pretty fricken fast....

Answer 8

Celeron --> processing speed is 2.8 Ghz
Core duo processor --> 1.67 Ghz
Pentium 4 --> 3.73 Ghz

pentium 4 is better And u also get it with highest capacity RAM. Cos RAM memory is what truly determines speed at run time

Answer 9

** edit never mind answered above

and AMD does not make celeron Intel does

Answer 10

Please read the following links carefully because I am pretty sure they will help you at least a little bit.

http://www.intel.com/design/intarch/

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/index.htm

The following ones here are for laptop comparisons, I don't know if they will help you or confuse you more but here they are just in case.

http://www.google.com.au/pagead/iclk?sa=l&ai=BD7qrZLnBRPa8Ip_usQLbtqxu2tHjDpKq88wBhNHbDJCSFAgAEAIYAigCOABA9A9IlzlQn-q_ogKYAaWQBqABzJWN_wOqARlTVU5BK1NVTkE6MjAwNi0yNitTVU5BOmVuyAEBlQIWO0wK&adurl=http://www.choice.com.au/shop/choiceLinkup.asp%3Fsku%3DOA105192%26rid%3DKQBU5A3R8L9K9HE78G99C0AHEMAHDJQB

http://www.vgcomputing.com.au/notebookcompare.html

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/hard17.htm

http://www.laptopadvisor.com/

http://www.notebookreview.com/price/default.asp

Yes there are a few here, and if you want to look at th hole list just do a google search with the following "laptop comparison"

Hope this help you a bit.