Athalon vs Celeron?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 29 Jun 2004 4:56 pm

Just returned from the computer store and was going to buy a well-priced, refurbished HP desktop with a Celeron 2.7 processor, but the salesman asked me if I planned to use it over a high-speed line, like cable modem or DSL and when I said "yes", he advised me strongly against the Celeron processor saying it was really made just for word processing and email and, on a high-speed connection, would be choppy and unsatisfactory with things like video streaming etc. He said I'd be MUCH better of with a computer with an Athalon processor, and that the Athalon was much closer to a Pentium 4 than the Celeron... like 100-times better (or maybe he said 10x better, but you get the idea).

Was he feeding me BS to get me to buy a higher-priced computer (he is on commission, after all), or was he telling me the truth?

Thanks,
jc

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 29 Jun 2004 5:27 pm

Jim:
Check the memory cache for the Atholon. Most Celeron chips are 128.

In comparing a 2.7 Celeron against a Pentium4 for example, the Celeron is 128, the P4 is 512 or has 4 times the memory capacity onboard, which makes it faster at handling data then the Celeron even though they are both 2.7 chips.

------------------
Rebel™
ICQ 614585
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

William Peters · Post by **William Peters** » 29 Jun 2004 5:33 pm

This laptop I am using is a 1.2 gig Celeron, and it has no trouble keeping up with my cable modem, or anything else I throw at it.

I use it with Band In a Box, CD writers, DVD, etc.

So, yeah, the Athlon might be faster, but you only need "fast enough"

The only thing which slows this computer down is Winbloze, which is the worst virus ever invented.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 29 Jun 2004 5:53 pm

Both the Athalon and Celeron were rated at 2.7 speed and the RAM is 512K on both computers. Is that different from the "memory cache" of the chip itself? <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 29 June 2004 at 06:54 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 29 Jun 2004 5:56 pm

Lesse, Winbloze. I am not familiar with that term.

Could it be, "Every time a computer is sold with a Windows operating system, the winbloze the profits up to Bill Gates?"

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 29 Jun 2004 6:13 pm

I'm glad to see you're looking for a computer, Jim.

I agree that a Celeron is good enough, unless you're doing video edits.

Find a store that has a DSL connection and try them side by side. I suspect ypu won't see a difference.

Bill Bosler · Post by **Bill Bosler** » 29 Jun 2004 6:31 pm

Hello, Jim:
I use Intel Pentium 4 chipsets in my computers only because of the CADCAM software I use in my business. The Celeron chip is simply an Intel chip that has had the clock speed reduced until it can pass the run-in tests. Simply put, it might be a 3 gig chip that didn't pass the tests, but will run just fine at 2.3 gigs.
For everyday computing needs any reasonably fast processor chipset will do just fine. My wife has an E-Machine desktop with a Celeron chipset in it and it's marvelous on DSL internet service.

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 29 Jun 2004 6:31 pm

Jim:
Yes it is different. It is the cache size on the chip you have to look for.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_865_1042,00.html

This will give you an idea.

------------------
Rebel™
ICQ 614585
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html