Solved: Question about Processors

[xonoma]

Ok so I have been looking into getting a new PC and I have seen price differences between processors that just does not make sense to me because I am still used to the old 3.2 Pentium 4 days and any number that is higher than the previous was obviously better like a 3.2 is obviously better than a 2.8. But where as dual core is I see things such as.. And ill just copy and paste this.. 6MB,3.0 GHz, 1333FSB is not as good as 12MB,2.66GHz, 1333FSB . I see the difference is the 6MB as opposed to the 12MB but can someone explain to me what the signifigance of that is? How does having a 2.66ghz with the same front side bus as ta 3.0 and 12mb have over a 6mb with a higher ghz? Im not quite understand that. I appreciate help.

 

[BG-0]

The 6 and 12 MB are level 2 cache (L2) on the processor. I think (this might be utter nonsense) that level 2 cache acts a bit like a super-fast memory, linked directly to the processor. Having more of it will speed things up... I'm not really familiar on the precise physical and technological nature of this... Propably half of the guys here know more. Well, that was my assumption for a first aid

 

[xonoma]

Yeah I am just trying to figure out if getting the 2.66 Ghz with the 12mb cache would be faster/better than getting a 3.0 ghz with 6mb cache but 1333 fsb

 

[BG-0]

Well. I'm 95 % positive the one with 12 MB cache would be faster, and even if it isn't bt stock, they both propably overclock to about the same speeds, making the 12 MB one better.

 

[xonoma]

Ok so I think I might have figured it out and I wanting to see if anyone can clarify and see if I am correct in assuming "Intel® Core&#8482;2 Q9550 (12MB,2.83GHz, 1333FSB)" <--- That is a QUAD core because of the "Q"9550 correct? I figured this out because I was looking at toms hardware 3dmark rendering charts and I could not find that processor anywhere and I kept seeing the q9550 but it kept listing it as a quad and I was under the assumption that the "2" ment duo as in 2 processors and not 4. So am I correct in assumeing that, that means that is a QUAD core? Because that would answer my question as to why it was more expensive than the 3.0 because the 3.0 is "Intel® Core&#8482;2 E8400 (6MB,3.0 GHz, 1333FSB)"

 

[xonoma]

Well it wasn't 3dmark I dunno what I was looking at

 

[BG-0]

Core 2 is a generation of CPUs. Next will come Core 3, which will propbly have 6 and 8 core CPUs. Q9550 is a quad-core. E8400 is dual. They are soo much out of each others' league that they shouldn't propably be even compared. E8400 fights with Q6600 (2.4 GHz, 8 MB cache)

 

[xonoma]

Well guess that settles that one. Ill be getting the quad core lol. Problem Solved.