You bought an i-what?

The hardware in computers has changed dramatically in the last year.  The new processors out there come with new names, and old names, and it seems like no one can really decipher what is what.  I recently looked through the Sunday newspaper and saw no less than 16 processor models advertised, not different speed processors, 16 different model names, including some that were just plain obsolete.

How does the average consumer know what they are buying? 

Mostly they don’t.  You are depending on the sales person to guide you to the right product for you.  In the big box stores, that’s a pretty big gamble.

I intend to try to show you at least a simple guide on what you are looking at, so you can make more informed decisions when shopping for computers.  Let’s start with the basics.  There are two main companies that make processors.  Intel, and AMD.  There are a couple of smaller companies that make processors, but they are usually chips specifically designed to meet certain commercial criteria and they should not be considered for a home or business PC. 

Now with just the two manufacturers to consider, I should point out that we are an Intel shop, and my bias will be towards that product line.  AMD is a fine company, and my bias is based on marketing and distribution factors.  In other words Intel just does a better job of getting product to the market and backing up the product once it gets to the consumer.

I’ll start by breaking down the current models of processors from each company.  Remember that there are some obsolete models that may still be lingering around on store shelves, and these should be avoided.

Intel makes four series of processors, the Set top, the Mobile, the Desktop and the Enterprise.


Intel’s Set-top Processors


The Set top processors are designed to run devices like DVRs, Tivo and other multimedia machines, and they have been approved for the little netbooks you see being sold in the sub $400 range.  These are called Atom processors, and they come in single and dual core varieties.  A dual core Atom will give pretty good performance to a netbook, considering its limited functionality in the first place.  However, they are really not suitable for desktops and Intel does not support them in that capacity.  The Atoms come with names like the N450 and N470, generally speaking the higher the number, the faster the processor, always look for the dual core models, and remember, only in the netbook portable market.

Intel’s Mobile and Desktop Processors


The mobile processors are, as you may have guessed, for the notebook (laptop) market.  There are several current Intel processor models for notebooks, and the same brand names exist for desktops. The names include the Celeron, the Pentium, the Core2Duo/Quad, the i3, the i5 and the i7. 

The Celeron is a value chip although they are available in dual core configurations, these chips are weak and really should be avoided.  The Pentium is a dual core value chip with good performance for basic users.  These are great in low end desktops and student notebooks where no heavy computing is required.  The Pentium chip will probably replace the Celeron in the long run.  Pay attention to the name though, there are chips called Pentium M, and Centrino, these were fine chips in their day, but are obsolete now.  Watch for the dual core models with names like T4400, or E5400.


The Core2duo and Core2Quad were the king of the hill in 2009 but are being phased out now.  They are excellent processors, the higher the processors model number the faster the chip i.e. a Q8300 is faster than a Q6600.  If you find these in stock you should be able to get a great buy on them. 

The i3 is the new chip designed to replace the Core2Duo, it is a dual core chip and some even have Hyperthreading which simulates 4 cores.  I personally avoid the i3 because pricing on the i5 is similar and the performance is much better.  The i5 is also a dual core or four core chip, some with Hyperthreading.  As I mentioned pricing is similar to the i3, these things make great business class computers! 

Lastly the i7 is the high performance chip, these come in several grades, all have 4 cores, and some have Hyperthreading simulating 8 cores.  If you have the money, this is as good as it gets.  An i7 notebook will be a pricey item, while the desktops are a little more reasonable. Note that there are more than one series of i7, the 800 and the 900 series. The 800 series is based on the i5/i3 platform and takes a pretty big performance hit when compared to the 900 series. Again the difference in cost does not justify the performance hit, so stay with the 900 series if you can. 


AMD’s Processors


As I mentioned, I stopped using AMD processors several years ago.  As you can see from Intel’s product line the array of names is very confusing and as a result, I will make no attempt to recommend AMD processors to you.  I will list the names, and point out the value chips and other tidbits you might find helpful when shopping for AMD products.


AMD’s brand names include: Opteron, AMD V, Phenom, Phenom X3, Phenom X4, Phenom II, Phenom II x4, Phenom II x6, Athlon, Athlon X2, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64, and Athlon 64 X2, Athlon II, Athlon II Dual Core, Athlon II Neo X2, Athlon II X3, Athlon II x4, Sempron, Turion, Turion 64, Turion 64 X2, Turion II, Turion II Dual Core, Turion II Ultra Dual Core, and Turion II Neo. 

The Opteron is a high end 4 core server type processor, while the Phenom II comes in 3, 4, and 6 core varieties.  The Athlon and Sempron and AMD V are single core and the Turion comes in both single and dual core models.   The dual core Turion II roughly equals an Intel Celeron dual core, and we would avoid it.   The AMD V is equivalent to the Intel Atom, which should be considered only in very low end netbook applications.

We would also stay away from Sempron and single core Athlons.  Stick with Phenom II x2, x3, x4 and x6 or Athlon II x2, x3 or X4 models with multiple cores. 

The AMD processors are roughly equivalent to the Intel processors and the warranties are backed by the computer manufacturer, not the processor manufacturer, so don’t be afraid of AMD processors.  Just stick to the multi-core Phenom II and Athlon II series and you’ll be good to go.

~Steve