interpreting CPU and memory specs

[neurotrash1982]

I'm not very good with hardware. So when the time arrives to buy a new machine, I get this feeling I cant do much more than buy what I'm offered. I mean when I look at specifications for hardware, all I can tell is more probably means better... probably?? But that usually just means it costs more.

Of course I do realise that the CPU and the memory are the most important. But they also have the most mystifying specifications.
So what does it all mean?

For example, what are L2 and L3 cache memory of a CPU? How does this affect what in the end your machine can pull off? what does "i3-350M" mean and why would it be better if there was a 4 digit number behind that dash instead of 3 digits (yeah, someone told me that)? Or am I just supposed to look at the amount of hertz? And what does that stand for? Is it the amount of a certain type of calculation your CPU makes per second? Does that mean that a CPU that makes different types of calculations could be "smarter" than one that has the same Mhz? Because that would matter if you were to buy either of the two, right? Or is better to just "know the brands" for you to know what to buy?

I half expect to get a response about how there is no straightforward way to explain this to someone who hasn't studied/worked with computers, which is perfectly acceptable to me. However in that case I would appreciate some kind of reference as to what's a reasonable way to learn about these things, because I'm willing to learn and wouldn't mind investing some time into it (eventually).
Sincerely,

Neuro

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

I'll take a stab at this one.

I cannot stress this enough. Google. Google. Google. If you want to see information on an item, try searching for it. There is so much information out there it is staggering. As a person that doesn't know much about computers, you can learn a lot from just a simple search. If you can find the CPU models of others, you can do a "side-by-side" comparison of the parts. As with everything, take the information you get with a grain of salt, unless it comes from Intel or AMD directly.

The stats on an i3-350M
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43529

GHz that you see now is the speed of the CPU. This is how fast a CPU can process information and spit it out. The higher the number, the faster the CPU. The higher the number of cores the faster the CPU. The Intel Core 2 Duo has two CPU cores. This means that there are two CPUs available. If you were to purchase a 2.26 dual core CPU, you would have two CPUs that run at 2.26GHz each. This will be faster than a single core 3.00 GHz, for example.

Cache is temporary storage. The higher the cache, the ability of the CPU to process increases.

Explained: 32-bit vs 64-bit CPU (the i3-350M is a 64-bit CPU)
http://www.build-your-own-computer-tips.com/64-32-bit-processors.html

 

[Abarbarian]

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

This gives clear information on cpu's and gfx cards in a clear and understandable way.

 

[neurotrash1982]

Yeah, its me again.
I still wonder why some 2.00 GHz CPU's get near 3 times the score of some 2.66 GHz CPU's. On that CPU benchmark site's charts, I mean.
Like for instance Intel Core i7-2630QM @ 2.00GHz gets about 6300 points,
Intel Core i5 460M @ 2.53GHz on the other hand gets about 2600.
Also, it just says "Core" in the name, that means they both got only one core, right? So no multiplications necessary?

So really, what gives? Seems some hertzes are more equal than others! In fact, seems like you can just forget about looking at the cycle frequency for a reference of the quality if you dont actually know more about how the particular CPU works. How come theres such a big difference? Is it the cache memory?

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/171556/intels_new_core_i7_and_core_i5_processors_explained.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core
About Hyper-Threading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyper-threading

I believe the answer you are seeking is Hyperthreading. I don't claim to be a CPU manufacturer, so this is my interpretation based on what I am reading. If there is anyone else that wishes to add information, be my guest.

A CPU processes information. A multicore CPU has one physical unit that contains multiple CPUs. It appears that the i5 is a multicore CPU, quad core to be exact. This means that the one processor unit actually contains 4 CPUs to deal with computer instructions. The i7 appears the same multicore CPU upgraded with software from Intel that allows the CPU to open multiple threads for a process, thus allowing the instructions to be processed faster. A typical system (say windows XP for example) has the ability to use multiple cores in a CPU but each core operates independently. A process goes through a core and comes out the other end. Processes never cross from one core to the other. The newer operating systems (OS for techies) have the ability to see this new architecture and apply it to getting what it wants to get done, done.

A hyper-threading, multi-cored CPU will process information faster than any system out there. You have to apply the right CPU with the right OS to obtain the maximum performance. For example, Windows XP will not recognize more than one core without SP3. Win 7 will, Windows Server lives for it.

There is also something about cache on a CPU, L3 Cache. This is like the holding cell. The bigger the cell, the more it can hold and with multi-core, multi-thread CPUs, the faster it can process it.

For comparison: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multithreading_(computer_architecture)