Guide to the current crop of CPUs from Intel and AMD

This page discusses the current crop of CPUs so you can decide which one best suits your needs and budget. I've found some fantastic prices on Intel CPUs. I have looked around and I don't think you will find better prices or a more reliable service.

There are three main types of CPU based on what connector they have to the motherboard. You must use the right motherboard with the right CPU.

1. Socket 478:

This is for the Intel Pentium 4 CPU. You can get 1.6 to 2.4 gigahertz Pentium 4s. The higher numbers correspond to faster CPUs. There are huges increases in price as you go up in speed so I recommend you always buy at the middle of the row. These processors are very expensive and the motherboards for them are also costly.

If you are interested in getting a Pentium 4 processor then check out the CPU prices here.

Pentium 4s are very fast processors. In fact the 2.4 gigahertz Pentium 4 is the fastest processor you can currently get. Pentium 4s are especially good at dealing with audio/video editing.

2. Socket 370:

This is for the Pentium III/Celeron CPUs. This type of CPU is on the way out now. The Celeron CPU has much less performance but is also much cheaper. Both the Celeron and Pentium III are currently the slowest CPUs around. However some good deals can be had on these parts if you shop around.

If you want to get the best value CPU around then click on the link below. You won't find a better deal.

This type of CPU is great for word processing, playing games and surfing the net. If you can get a good price and don't need top of the line performance then you can't go wrong with a Celeron.

3. Socket A:

This is for AMD's Athlon XP and Duron processors. The Duron is a cheaper and slower version of the Athlon. Currently these chips offer the best price, performance ratio. I currently use an Athlon and I have been totally happy with it.

I found some sweet prices for AMD Processors here. Click the link to browse AMD products and prices.

Final thoughts:

You always have to pay a great deal more if you want extra performance. The golden rule is to never buy the top model. The prices for the best are always way out of line with the extra performance you will recieve.

If you are after a really cheap computer then I recomend getting a Socket 370 based Pentium 3 or Celeron. If you want to play games then spend some of the money you saved on getting a better graphics card.