What processor should I get?

[packerfan128]

ok so i understand that there are certain brands of processors and i understand what a processor does its just i need some help...

1) what does it mean by dual-core/quad-core processor? Is this good?

2)I am getting a new computer and i want to make it completely custom built... what processor do you suggest i get?
I want a VERY fast computer... i am a person in a family of 5 and we need a fast family computer...

PLease i need a reliable, fast, somewhat cheap processor( i am not saying it has too be cheap, it just can't be CRAZY expensive)

Thanks in advance

 

[raybay]

The answer is mainly one of cost. The faster the processor, motherboard, and video card, the greater the cost, that can go up in big leaps to $2000 just for parts and components.
You can save money by considering AMD first, or the lower cost Intel like the E4600... the top one, in my opinion, is the E8500.
Fast components require better motherboards, significantly better power supplies, and tremendous upgrades in Video graphics cards.
You might want to get a good start by doing a Google search for Video Graphics cards until you know a fair amount about the differences between ATI and nVidia brands. Then do the same intensive searches for information on AMD vs Intel Processors.
Then read up on power supplies. There is a very good guide on this forum that will be helpful on which power supplies are good.
If you are on a budget, you can still get a very fast computer for $700 to $900 in components. But you will not be able to satisfactorily play the games on the leading edge.

 

[skymead87]

could you tell me where the power supply guide is located?

 

[Tmagic650]

Power Supply Buying Guide:
http://www.how-to-build-computers.com/computer-power-supply.html

 

[skymead87]

Thanks for the link

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

For a good price to performance ratio, I'd recommend looking at the E4xxx series of Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. They deliver great performance without breaking the bank.
As for the dual-core\quad-core moniker it indicates how many cores are present in a single CPU 'package'. A dual-core CPU has two processing cores, while a quad-core has four. This effectively gives you multiple processors to work with, which helps immensely when multitasking, since it enables you to separately load each processor and keep things running smoothly. For example, on a quad-core CPU, you could encode a video, run a game, and rip music at the same time without much of a slowdown.

 

[Tmagic650]

That is very true Rage. I was given a Intel Q6600 quad core processor, so the price was right for me. As you say, the E4xxx CPU series is very good too, at a lower price. I have built several systems using the E4xxx series. I was amazed at the multitasking performance

 

[packerfan128]

thanks guys, very helpful.

Still don't really know what it means by the quads

Thanks agian