Which Is Faster?

[rwinegar]

I currently have a Dell XPS Gen 4 computer. It's 3 1/2 years old. I am thinking about buying a Dell T5400 work station. Gen 4 has Pentium 4 3.4GHz processor. T5400 has Zenon Quad Core 2.0GHz processor. I know that 3.4 is more than 2.0. But with the quad core technology can I expect that it will be as fast or faster than the Pentium?

[Train]

It is not the speed of the cpu that matters so much, but how the cpu is put together inside thus allowing a much slower cpu to do things much faster than the older faster ones.

If you game, stick with a dual cpu. If not go ahead with the quad.

You can do more things at the same time. Multitasking in other words.

The Hertz is definately not the main thing any more!

[Welshjim]

rwinegar--The first three references here all say QuadCore is faster (last ref even has some statistics), but there are some considerations when you put it into an existing PC.
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...han+pentium%3f

[lgbpop]

Do you want a fast or faster processor, or do you want to get more work done? The P4 is faster but the Xeon can accomplish more with four cores working vs. the P4's one. Also, since the Xeon's running slower it's running cooler, adding to the lifespan of the CPU and therefore the system; since it runs cooler, it needs less-intensive cooling so it uses somewhat less power as well.

Some people might say that the Xeon is designed for server use so it's not as capable as a Core2Duo, but I think that holds as much water as the Opteron vs. Athlon X2 argument. The Xeon has 6MB L2 cache capacity vs. the P4's 1MB, so a lot more work is done by the CPU rather than using the RAM. The drawback - if there is one - is that the T5400 uses ECC (error-correcting) RAM which I understand is slower but more desirable for servers and workstations where speed isn't the primary concern.

I guess it all boils down to what you plan to use the system for, whether it's for comfort or speed. Now, if that Xeon would work in a Socket 775 that might be interesting.

[rwinegar]

OK. So slower is the new faster. I think I understand that. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't taking a step backwards by going from a Pentium 4 3.4GHz to a Zenon Quad Core 2.0GHz. It looks like I am moving forward.

Thanks everyone.