Types of Processors - Essay Example

Processor Comparison Processor is the heart of any computer system. The two major s in the world of Processor manufacturers are Intel: Intel was started way back in 1968 and offers a wide range of processors so as to suit the needs of the clients.2. AMD: Advanced Micro Devices which was started in 1969, is the biggest competitor to Intel with a relatively affordable range of processors.The table below shows a comparison between four latest processors from AMD and Intel, for the desktop system, upon various parameters:-AMD Phenom™ X4 Quad-Core Processor Model 9750BIntel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q9650AMD Phenom™ II X3 Model 720Intel® Core™2 Extreme Processor QX9775Clock Speed(MHz)2400300028003200FSB Speed-1333-1600Slot/Socket TypeAM2+LGA775AM3LGA771Cores4434Voltages1.05-1.3V-0.850-1.425V-Max. Temp (C)70-73-L1 Cache Size (KB)128-128-L2 Cache Size (KB)412000614412000The most important criteria to judge the performance of a processor is the clock speed.

The more the clock speed, the better it is. However it is wise to invest in a higher processor, only if you need to do a lot of application programming, otherwise even a low processor speed will suffice for web browsing and normal usage.The FSB, an acronym for front side bus, is used to fetch the data and connects CPU to RAM and other components on the motherboard. This is also called as system bus as it connects processor to rest of the mother board. Obviously higher the speed for FSB, better it is.

Another important criterion to measure processor performance is the L1 cache and the L2 cache. L1 cache is a small cache integrated in a processor to provide quick access to most recently used data. L2 cache also has the same purpose but it is not integrated into the processor.The rest fields indicated in the table are self explanatory. One should be prudent in the selection of PC in a way that he need not pay exorbitantly for fetching the highest speed processor or getting a very fast FSB speed, in case he needs a PC just for web browsing and movie watching.

These terms are crucial when a person is required to do a lot of programming and gaming on his machine. Work cited:“Processors.” intel.com. Intel. 11 March 2009 .