The central processor unit (CPU), often called just the
'processor', is the heart of the PC. It controls everything that happens in the
computer, but its overall performance is determined by a couple of factors. The
first is clock speed which is measured in Ghz (billions of clock cycles per
second). The second is the size of the L2 cache that the processor uses.
L2 cache is a special memory that the processor uses frequently. It is located less than an inch or so from the processor. It is a very fast memory and shares data with the processor on a private connection known as the back side bus.
Faster clock speeds and bigger L2 caches translate into higher performance. The Intel Pentium class of processors are the most popular type found in PCs, and are offered in a couple of versions:
The Celeron is an entry level processor. It is really a Pentium 4 that runs at a slower clock speed and uses a smaller L2 cache. A smaller L2 cache guarantees more overall cache misses which results in lower performance.
A Pentium 4 runs at it's full rated speed and uses a large L2 cache.
AMD makes processors that directly compete with Intel, see below.
Recommendation:
The chief competitor for Intel is AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). They make the Athlon processor which competes with the Pentium 4 and the Duron which competes with the Celeron.
If you want to surf the web, send and receive e-mails, create basic word processor and spreadsheet documents, then a 1.7Ghz or higher Celeron or Duron will work fine for you.
For those who want to run high performance applications that require serious number crunching and fast graphics, then a Pentium 4 or Athlon processor running at or above 2Ghz is the way to go.
We've used AMD and Intel processors and both are excellent processors. You can't go wrong with either one.