Difference between Intel CPU's

Can someone tell me what the actual difference is between Intel CPU's as I have had a search , a Google and come up with data sheets and they all look basically the same in their specs except for the bus and CPU speeds.

Ones I have been looking at are used Pentium D/Pentium 4/ and the E#### series to use on Intel boards D945GCNL – it currently has an E4500@2.2Ghz but the machine runs slowly (Vista) and D985GF/D965SS/DQ963GS/DQ986LL (all four refs are printed on it although the processor sticker on the board - DQ963GS which comes up in a Google search as the board!?) for a refurb of my old Dell to take Win7.

As a matter of interest a Google shows there are no such board/s as those four that are inlaid on the board I quoted?

Of those listed, the Pentiums are the slowest.

The E line of chips have different series.
Celeron, Pentium, and Core2 Duo


Of the E-**** chips:

The E3*** are Celerons. These are the slowest of the E series.

The E5** through E6*** (I think), is also a Pentium Class CPU.
But, a revised version based on Wolfdale series.
So, of the Pentium chips, these would likely be the best. These are also the middle line for the E-series.

From E7** up is also the Wolfdale series, but a Core2 Duo. Core2 Duo are the fastest of the bunch.

Each series is a bit different, and generally speaking faster clock for clock and more effecient as you move up the line.

Meaning, a E8400 Core2 will be faster then a E3400 Celeron at the exact same speeds.
The Wolfdale Pentium class sit in the middle of these two.



As far as what you can upgrade to, it will be hard to say without knowing the motherboards specs, and CPU compatibility.

You may need to upgrade the Motherboard to support a faster CPU. However, if you are going to go through that, you're better off skipping all of these CPUs, and move up to i3 at least.

Many many thanks to you both I just knew I'd hit the simple pay dirt that I need in here as I was so confused with the incredible number of processor formats that I floundered through.

Now I see is that it follows that the E4500 is a 64bit processor and that board must be able to take say an E6600 / E7500 or something a little faster even though she has a 32bit OS (Vista ) on the machine.

I did enable both cores through msconfig at someones suggestion but it hasn't made much difference - if at all.

Again many thanks - so appreciated.

Comp Cmndo said:

Your perceived slow speed is not due to the CPU. I have 2 computers with Pentium 4 3.0GHz, neither are slow, even compared to my laptop shown in my specs.

Well it must the Vista then cos the other machine I am cleaning up for another one of the girls at work - an old but beautifully constructed Packard Bell (XP SP3 on it) -had the same CPU as your machines and knocks spots off the Vista.

As a matter of interest the laptop I gave to my son had Vista and an i5 two core in it and it has always been slow.

Mind you the hard drive as I think I might have mentioned before is making noises as if it was having to work really hard. So I reckon you're right there Comp re the CPU.

"Slow" is a subjective term. Everybody is going to define slow in a different way. For example, I have an Intel Q9550 quad core CPU. Many will call that CPU slow by todays standards (Sandy Bridge Core i5/i7)...and they are right. But for me personally, my Q9550 is still blisteringly fast and I don't do anything that requires significantly more grunt...or at least the savings in time wouldn't justify the cost and hassle of assembling a new PC.

I'm sure your older P4 3.0Ghz computers are fine for what you use them for. But I bet if I tried to use your CPU with my video rendering projects in Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD 10...it would take far longer for me to re-encode my 1080p vidoes that I shoot with my camcorder. Thus I would define them as slow.

Ok CC I'll try that drive test and see what I come up with as it does make a constant scratching / scaping noise especially when it's "looking" for something and even at idle bit that might be just the security doing an update or whatever.

The only time it's quiet is when the machines asleep.

PP the CPU in this Vista is an E4500 @2.2Ghz the Pentium 4 @ 3.0Ghz is in the older XP machine. But I take your point re relativity - because my i5 2500 Sandy Bridge build running all four cores through msconfig is slow from logon to desktop, but lightning when tabbing and such. Actually that older XP is faster from post to desktop than it.

No CC mate came up ok. Well just have to accept it as it is I suppose the only other alternative is to put in a faster CPU? But I've got to put in a new PSU as it is and she hasn't got a lot of disposable income to play with on account of her only getting casual work at where I work.

Unless I can get one from Ebay and pay for it myself to help her out.