The processor can be safely considered a heart or brainany PC - it is from this small "gland" in many ways depends on the performance of the computer in general. Therefore, the choice of the processor can be called the most important and difficult step when buying a system unit. Let's look at which CPU options are the most popular nowadays, and on which model of this important detail you should choose.
At present, the market for processors is practicallycompletely divided between the two manufacturers - Intel and AMD. These American companies produce many models of integrated electronics and have long divided the market. Each of the companies has whole product lines that fill certain niches in the computer components industry. Therefore, before you start choosing a processor, you should familiarize yourself with those brands and names, from which you will have to choose in the future. And to start acquaintance with the CPU world it is desirable with the products of the leader in this field, which Intel has been for many years.
The choice of Intel processor should begin withstudying the rulers of this manufacturer, which can be conditionally divided into several large groups. The most simple and affordable Intel processors are the Celeron family. Most often, this marking can be found on the CPU of office machines or PCs for typing and solving simple tasks. As a matter of fact, the "targets" are truncated Pentium chips, which Intel is famous for.
"Pentiums", which can be found both in simplehome computers, and in the most powerful machines, are also divided into several subgroups. Single-core processors with this logo are marked with three digits (for example, Pentium 4 631), and on dual-core processors one can find the notation D or E - this depends on the kernel model used in the CPU. E are considered the best due to the fact that under high loads less heat. Dual-core Intel processors can also be labeled Core 2 Duo.
The choice of the processor for games from any gamerbegins with the study of the "Pentium" lines Core 2 Quad and Core i7. This is how the quad-core processors of this manufacturer are designated, which are rightfully considered to be one of the best in the world for performance at the moment. If you need a powerful computer to solve the most complex problems, then you should choose a processor with the logo "i7" or "Core 2 Quad" on the package.
The main competitor of "Intel" products onthe CPU market is AMD chips. For a budget computer, the choice of the processor of this manufacturer should begin with the study of products labeled "Sempron". Due to its low cost and reliability when used sparingly, this line has long been a direct competitor to Intel's "tseloronov".
The most common processor from AMD,certainly, is Athlon. In this line you can find both single-core (they are denoted by the letters LE) and dual-core (marked with letters BE) CPU. "Athlons" are considered to be direct competitors of "Pentiums". If you are looking for an alternative to Intel's high-performance processors, the cost of which will not hit hard on your pocket, then you should pay attention to the chips with the Athlon logo.
The most powerful in the AMD family are the CPU forthe name "Phenon". At the moment, the manufacturer produces three- and four-core chips under this brand. "Phenones" are great for the most powerful computers, which will have to solve the most difficult tasks and work with the most modern 3D graphics.
The choice of processor is not an easy task even forthe most advanced users. Finally I would like to remind you about what characteristics you should pay attention to before buying this important part of your PC:
- maximum and "working" core frequency;
- the frequency at which the data bus operates;
- The size of the L2 / L3 cache.
Good luck with your choice!