PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Our Picks

Although processor makers probably hate us for saying so, the processor actually plays a relatively minor role in overall system performance. The difference in absolute processor performance between a $50 processor and a $500 processor may be a factor of two or less. Nor does buying a $500 processor make your system run twice as fast because processor speed is only one element of system performance. Before you plunk down $500 for a processor, consider instead spending that extra money on more memory, a faster video card, a SCSI hard drive, or all of those.

Inexpensive system ($750 or less)

AMD Athlon XP. In this price range, spend $75 or so on the processor. We recommend choosing the least-expensive Athlon XP you can find in retail-boxed form. Low-end Athlon processors provide incredible bang for the-buck. Your system won’t be quite as fast as one that uses a midrange or faster Athlon XP or Pentium 4, but it won’t be all that much slower, either.

Warning

Be very careful when buying inexpensive processors. A price much lower than $75 may mean that you’re being quoted on discontinued inventory. That’s fine if you know what you’re getting and are willing to accept the older processor. A lowball price may also mean you’re being quoted on an OEM version, which does not include the heatsink and fan, and may have only a short guarantee rather than the three-year guarantee on the retail-boxed model. By the time you buy a separate heatsink and fan, you’ll probably spend more than ...