1.6 GHz good enough?

ok the question is should I get a T7300 processor 2.0 GHz or would I be fine with the T5470? the reason is, if I get the T5470 I could order now but with the T7300 It would take a little while.

I dont think Im going to run any processor intesive programs, just gaming, web surfing, AIM, Gimp. Do you think Ill need the T7300 for this?

 

1.66 is fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No, definitely not (EDIT: To clarify, this is meant to be in response to 'Do I need the T7300, not the thread title, so no, you definitely do not need the T7300, the T5470 will be fine). A faster processor is typically more useful in things like multimedia encoding and scientific applications (although Photoshop can benefit from it, when using complex filters, so GIMP may see some benefit).

However, do realize that aside from speed, you're also losing hardware virtualization support.

 

ok, any more comments?

EDIT:

O please, my desktop from 2000 can run GIMP FINE, it has 1.87 GHz although its a single core

 

Get the quicker processor, multi-tasking becomes less troublesome. As well re-sale value increases a lot more. Just my two cents though

 

What kinds of games do you play? CPU speed definitely affects performance, but CPU/GPU reliance varies depending on the game. For example, Unreal Engine 2 based games run poorly if you match a weak CPU with a fast graphics card. Other games need a fast graphics card, and the CPU speed has little effect on performance as long as it's a reasonable speed.

I always tend to pick the fastest CPU before prices go crazy (Like, a 3Ghz dual-core is $300, while a 3GHz quad-core is $1500. The 3GHz dual-core used to be that $1500 CPU).

 

im not intending to re-sell, but will multi-tasking improve alot?

 

I'm not saying it won't run FINE. You asked if the T7300 would be a better choice for the apps you listed. I notified you of a possible benefit in GIMP. If you'd rather not receive comments, I'd suggest you not start threads asking for it.

 

T5470 will be fine. But what about the T7100 or T7250? Couldn't you get one of those?

 

nope, lol i mean I have 770$ and I can afford the T5470 RIGHT now, and If I start to save the deal could just slip away.

 

Personally, i'd drop the bluetooth and lower the screen resolution before getting a slower CPU.

 

So your only response to "is this enough" is basically "faster is better!"? ANY Core 2 Duo chip will be fine for what he listed. It is not worth the extra cost Dell charges on the low end system to get a CPU that can encode a DVD movie 5 minutes faster.

If you want to make a noticable, all around improvement in the performance of the notebook, get 2+ GB of RAM, and a 7200 RPM hard drive. Those will be far more noticeable then getting a faster version of the same chip, when the chip was not the bottleneck anyway.

The OP is obviously working off a budget, and for his purposes, the T5470 is very likely the best choice for cost/performance.

And what normal users care about hardware virtualization?

 

haha, loved that reply ocellaris.

+rep4u

 

Buddy, did you forget to read my first sentence, ie the part where I say, no, definitely not? I go on to clarify why a faster processor could be useful.

I work with virtual machines. I care. I'm merely passing on information. Too much is probably better than too little.

 

One could easily assume that your "no, definitely not?" was answering the question in the thread title

 

Hrm... I can see how that could be misinterpreted. But I was attempting to answer his question of 'Do you think I'll need the T7300 for this'. I've edited my post for clarity.

 

ok thanks for clearing this up, I thougth thats what you meant when I wrote my response.