Dual core Intel... how hot?

[Jamon Camisso]

Colin McGregor wrote:
> --- Lennart Sorensen <lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/FfD2ys at public.gmane.org>
> wrote:
>> On Wed, Aug 02, 2006 at 03:33:11PM -0400, Colin
>> McGregor wrote:
>>> 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.
>> The thing is, I consider the cost and performance of
>> the whole system
>> when deciding what parts are worth it.  If you are
>> going to spend say
>> $3000 on the base components of a system, then a
>> $200 cpu that runs half
>> the speed of a $800 cpu, may still not be a good
>> deal, if you can use
>> the speed, since the slow system will cost you
>> $3200, while the system
>> at twice the speed will cost you $3800.  It all
>> depends on how much the
>> other components cost.  In a bargain system for
>> $500, upgrading the cpu
>> is often not cost effective.  Mixing high end
>> components into a low end
>> system generally isn't.
> 
> One computer magazine columnist 10+ years ago noted,
> tongue in cheek, that the PC you want was always about
> $5,000 U.S. (i.e.: the box with ALL the high end
> goodies). Now, these days I am sure that number has
> dropped, even with $500+ video cards, and top of the
> line CPUs, etc..
> 
> Still, the question comes back to where/when can you
> reasonably justify such costs? If you are talking an
> engineer doing high end CAD work, where saving say 30
> minutes per day at $N per hour, well, the numbers can
> be crunched and likely a top of the line CPU (or
> CPUs)can be justified over the course of a year (in
> which case go as nuts as the numbers justify). On the
> other hand a shipping clerk who needs to type up
> Fed-Ex shipping labels, well, forget it, a faster CPU
> will not make him type any faster, and that will be
> the speed bottleneck. In other words for ALMOST all
> business applications the sub-$1,000 no-name PC clones
> will do just fine.
> 
> Likewise, for home use what, besides some games, will
> come even close to taxing trailing edge current
> generation CPU chips? Again, unless one is doing
> something BIZARRE I can not see any need/point in
> using a high end CPU/system for home use...

Why aren't we all driving smart cars and riding motorcycles instead of
Lincoln Navigators, BMW X5s, or Acura MDX's? It's not a matter of what
people need in a computer, because when you think about it, that old 266
can run firefox and thunderbird just fine.

Also that (hypothetical) $5000 266 machine lasted you 7~8 years or more,
which when you think about it, means that the $1000 you'd spend a year
(high estimate i know) keeping your old system up to date with new
processor, ram, hdd's, dvd's etc. adds up to more in the end. It's a
longterm or short term problem, that in the end, comes back to Wall
Street and Bay Street -- marketing and sales, profit margins are all
that matter. If that means selling people a new computer every 3 years
even though they don't need one, then so be it.

I do commend those who are still driving their mid 80s or 90s Toyota and
still hacking on their old Commodore for holding out against the
temptation to condemn that old unit to it's seemingly escaped built in
obsolescence. I haven't purchased a "new" system for years, and I've
never spent more than $500 in a year on new equipment, even with my
shiny amd64 3700+ processor :)
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