Dual core Intel... how hot?

[Colin McGregor]

--- Lennart Sorensen <lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/FfD2ys at public.gmane.org>
wrote:

> Right now it looks like when I build a new machine
> for my farther this
> fall, it will be a Core 2 Duo based system.  His
> previous two machines
> have been Athlon based, with a PPro200 and 486
> before those.  Have to go
> with what is the best after all.  The Pentium 2, 3
> and especially 4 were
> never considered an option by me.

While the numbers do vary somewhat over time plus
things vary somewhat between AMD and Intel there is
something that seems to stay constant. Namely, of
CURRENT generation CPU chips, the cutting edge has
about 1.5 - 2 times the performance of the trailing
edge. Yet, the cutting edge chip will be 4 - 8 times
the price of the trailing edge chip. In other words
you pay a MASSIVE premium for a fairly modest
performance boost.

This explains why ALL of the boxes I have put together
(starting with a AMD 386SX-25, back a lot of years ago
:-) ) have been current technology, but near the
trailing edge of the technology curve. 

While I am sure there are a FEW situations where going
to the cutting edge is cost effective, that doesn't
apply to 99% + of desktop users.


Colin McGregor
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