The first specification listed for all computer systems on the market tends to be the processor that is the heart of the computer. Typically it will say the brand, model and speed of the processor in the spec sheet, but the marketing information may only list its speed rating. This can make it very difficult to determine how good a machine is. After all, one processor running at a specific speed may not run as well as a different model from the same manufacturer. That is why I've pieced together this list of categories to let you know how functional each processor is.
Outdated Processors
Processors that fall into this category are generally no longer in production by the manufacturers and are typically sold in either budget systems or older refurbished systems. Machines with these processors will typically take longer to run application and possibly might not even run some of software on the market today. It is best to try and avoid systems with these processors unless you want to use a computer for the very basic functions such as word processing and general web browsing.
- AMD Athlon 64 (Non-Dual Core/X2 Models)
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Older Socket A Models/DDR Memory RAM Models)
- AMD Athlon XP
- AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 to BE-2400
- AMD Sempron LE
- Intel Celeron
- Intel Celeron Dual-Core
- Intel Pentium 4
- Intel Pentium D
- Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2000 Series
Budget Processors
These are processors that may or may not be in production anymore by the manufacturers but are very inexpensive and functional. There are typically two types of processors that will fall into this category: older high-end processors no longer manufactured and new low end budget processors. Discontinued high-end processors typically provide a better bang for your buck functionally. While they may have a slightly lower clock speed, their architecture of the processor tends to allow them to actually perform better at most computing tasks than newer budget processors.
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ and Higher (Socket AM2/AM2+)
- AMD Phenom X3 8450 and Higher
- AMD Phenom X4 9650 and Lower
- AMD Phenom II X3 710 and Higher
- AMD Phenom II X4 810
- Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 and higher
- Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 and Higher
Middle Processors
This is the segment of the market that is probably the best overall value for your computing dollar. While they are not the fastest processors on the market, they still perform very well in all aspects of computing. They may not have the total functional lifespan of the highest end processors, but the price to performance ratio tends to outweigh their longevity.
- AMD Phenom X4 9850 and Higher
- AMD Phenom II X4 920 and Higher
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 and Higher
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 and Higher
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 to Q9650
- Intel Core i7 920 to 940
Top of the Line Processors
This is the cream of the crop when it comes to processing power. If you absolutely must have the best thing out there for your new computer than this is what you want to look at. It will cost you though. Generally the most recent processors from the manufacturer's come at a price premium of about double that of the middle processors. While the price is over double that of the middle processors, the performance tends to be only about 25-50% more at the best of times from their counterparts in the middle category.
- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and Higher
- Intel Core i7 Extreme 965
