Member Avatar for cdt1983

Hi All. For my new motherboard I was looking to buy a Pentium 2.8-3.2 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache. I was just wondering if I would notice a big difference if I went with a processor that only had a 512KB cache instead of 1MB?
Also, I will be buying a hard drive soon. I am happy with my Hitachi ATA 160GB slave drive that I have in my current system- however, my new motherboard supports SATA drives, would it be better to get a SATA drive or stick to IDE?

Thanks.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Coconut Monkey

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For a mixed-use build like the one described by the right choice comes down to matching hardware to the parts of your workload that actually limit performance.

Cache helps when a task repeatedly touches a small set of data (tight loops, small working sets inside a single image or game loop). If your common tasks frequently fit in processor cache you will see measurable gains; if they stream large datasets (multi-gigabyte video, huge layered images) then memory bandwidth, disk throughput and overall CPU architecture become more important. was correct to focus on workload rather than raw specs — prioritize real-world measurements for the apps you use.

Storage decisions should be driven by feature needs, not just peak throughput. Modern controller features (native command queuing and AHCI-style modes) improve responsiveness for many small-file workloads and enable hot-plugging, but they do not magically speed up long, sequential writes used by video capture. If keeping the current drive is an option, clone it first so you can test boot and application behavior on the new board without committing. If moving to a newer controller, verify driver support during OS installation or set the controller to compatibility mode until drivers are installed.

Practical checklist

  1. Pick two candidate CPUs in your budget, then compare real-world tests: Photoshop batch/filter times, your chosen games at your target resolution, and a video-encode of a clip similar to what you actually edit.
  2. Check motherboard CPU support list and required BIOS revision.
  3. Confirm cooling and PSU capacity for the chosen CPU.
  4. For storage, run a simple sustained-write and random-I/O test on any drive you plan to use for capture to ensure no dropped frames.

If considering the newer chips that mentioned, wait for independent application benchmarks and thermal measurements before committing.

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Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

If space is not a problem, stick with your current drive. SATA, at the moment, only offers very small performance increases and smaller cables.

What do you plan to use your PC for?

Member Avatar for cdt1983

If space is not a problem, stick with your current drive. SATA, at the moment, only offers very small performance increases and smaller cables.

What do you plan to use your PC for?

I plan to use my new PC for some games, Need 4 Speed UG 2, Half Life 2, some graphic design (photoshop), internet, word processing, PVR, and a little video editing.

Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

For gaming, an Athlon 64 would be the best choice. However, since you plan on performing a wide range of tasks (notably video editing!) a P4 will still be very good.

For the range of clockspeeds specified, you will probably find the Northwood P4s (512Kb L2 cache) faster in most applications. However, the Prescotts would not be much slower in performance, plus they also have some extra optimisations not yet commonly utilised by software developers. Note that Prescotts run a fair bit warmer.

Member Avatar for rcrevolution

hey Coconut Monkey what do u think of the new P4 600-series intel is releasing

comes in 3.2Ghz,3.4Ghz, and 3.6Ghz speeds
all have a 2MB L2 cache
and they are all 64-bit

i think those are gonna really give AMD a run for their money

Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

hey Coconut Monkey what do u think of the new P4 600-series intel is releasing

comes in 3.2Ghz,3.4Ghz, and 3.6Ghz speeds
all have a 2MB L2 cache
and they are all 64-bit

i think those are gonna really give AMD a run for their money

We will have to wait and see, but they look promising from the specs. It's a pity I can't plug any into my current Intel setup. :(

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