Prices last updated: 13 December 2008
Processor / CPU
New CPUs:
Intel LGA775 - Core 2 Duo \ Core 2 Quad \ Pentium Dual Core
Intel LGA1366 - Core i7 - New Nehalem!
AMD Socket AM2 / AM2+ - Athlon 64x2 \ Phenom
Used CPUs:
Intel Socket 478 - P4/Pentium 4 \ Celeron
AMD Socket A / Socket 462 - Athlon and Sempron
Intel Socket 370 - Celeron
About CPUs:
About the processor / CPU
Clock rate / speed / GHz
Cache
Front Side Bus / FSB \ QPI \ DMI
What CPU should I buy?
About Intel Core i7
Current and future Intel CPU architecture
Intel Core 2 Duo \ Core 2 Quad \ Pentium Dual Core
- LGA775 |
Speed/ Cache/ Front Side Bus |
$AU |
| Intel Pentium Dual Core | ||
| E2200 | 2.2 GHz/ 1 MB/ 800 FSB | 167 |
| E5200 | 2.5 GHz/ 2 MB/ 800 FSB | 198 |
| Intel Core 2 Duo | ||
| E7300 | 2.66 GHz/ 3 MB/ 1066 FSB | 242 |
| E8400 - IN STOCK |
3.0 GHz/ 6 MB/ 1333 FSB | 317 |
| E8500 | 3.16 GHz/ 6 MB/ 1333 FSB | 369 |
| Intel Core 2 Quad | ||
| Q6600 | 2.4 GHz/ 8 MB/ 1066 FSB | ask |
| Q8200 | 2.33GHz/ 4 MB/ 1333 FSB | 398 |
| Q9400 | 2.66GHz/ 12 MB/ 1333 FSB | 488 |
| Q9550 | 2.83GHz/ 12 MB/ 1333 FSB | 547 |
| Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme | ||
| QX9650 | 3.0 GHz/ 12 MB/ 1333 FSB | ask |
| QX9770 | 3.2 GHz/ 12 MB/ 1333 FSB | ask |
- LGA1366 |
Speed/ Cache/ QPI |
$AU |
| Intel Core i7-920 | 2.66 GHz/ 8 MB/ 4.80 GT | 566 |
| Intel Core i7-940 | 2.93 GHz/ 8 MB/ 4.80 GT | 1077 |
| Intel Core i7-EE965 | 3.20 GHz/ 8 MB/ 6.40 GT | ask |
- Not all processors kept in stock, lead time approx 4 days
- 3 year manufacturer warranty on new processors
Refurbished CPUs
- Used CPUs for Intel & AMD
- Refurbished CPUs in stock until they run out!
- 60 day warranty on refurbished CPUs
What is a processor / CPU
Clock rate / speed/ GHz
Cache
Front Side Bus / FSB \ QPI \ DMI
What CPU should I buy?
About Intel Core i7 / Nehalem
Current and future Intel CPU architecture
What is a processor / CPU
The processor/CPU is like the brain or control centre and performs the main calculations inside of the computer. Every time you give a program or Windows a command it is the CPU that does the work and controls what your computer will do.
The Central Processing Unit processes instructions given by programs that are run/executed on the computer.
Most new computers in 2008-2009 are Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad (Conroe \ Wolfdale) but the Pentium brand lives on with the Pentium Dual Core maintaining the budget position, previously held by Celeron.
Computers based on AMD CPUs have become less popular since the release of the Intel Cores but can still offer good value for money at the bottom end using Athlon 64 CPUs. The older Athlon XP offered excellent value for money but arguably the Core 2 Duo offer better performance for the price.
Clock rate / speed / GHz
The CPU has a maximum clock rate measured in gigahetz/GHz. 1Hz is a frequency meaning 1 cycle per second. A 3GHz CPU can perform 3 billion calculations per second, but the number of calculations needed for each instruction given by a program may be different depending on CPU architecture.
A newer CPU such as a Core 2 Duo will do more work than a Pentium running at the same clock rate so you cannot compare different types of CPUs based just on their speed.
Most CPUs have a clock rate of between 2-4GHz but new CPUs are also dual core or quad core. This means that there are actually two or four CPUs (now termed cores) in the CPU chip running at that speed, but most programs cannot properly take advantage of four CPUs therefore dual core CPUs are usually a better value option.
Cache
The cache is superfast RAM (Static RAM) that acts as a data buffer to improve overall CPU speed. As data is fetched from RAM it is copied into the CPU cache which is a temporary holding place, even faster than system RAM (Dynamic RAM). Cheaper CPUs may have a similar speed/clock rate but usually a lower amount of extremely expensive cache.
The budget Celeron CPU was mostly just a Pentium 4 with less cache (often half the size) but since Core 2 Duo CPUs have been released it seems the Pentium has been relegated to this position.
Intel Core 2 CPUs actually have 2 levels of cache on the CPU and it is the L2/level 2 cache that is usually referenced. Nehalem CPUs use a different CPU archicture with 3 levels of cache.
Each lower level of cache is faster but but smaller and more expensive to manufacture.
Front Side Bus / FSB \ QPI \ DMI
The front side bus/FSB transfers data between the CPU and northbridge, the main group of computer chips on a motherboard. The bandwidth of the FSB is measured in MHz, being the number of (million) times per second that data can be transfered from CPU to motherboard.
The actual frequency of the CPU is determined by multiplying the FSB bandwidth with a clock multiplier in the CPU. For example a 3GHz/3000MHz Core 2 Duo CPU with quoted 1333 FSB would run with a 9x multipler because 3000 MHz = 333 MHz x 9. (First divide the quoted FSB by 4 to give 333 MHz, see below about quad pumped)
Overclocking is when a PC user forces an increase in either clock speed or multiplier (if available) in their motherboard's BIOS settings, which in turn increases the frequency/GHz of the CPU. This will increase CPU speed, but will void any warranty and monitoring of CPU temperature is essential because more heat is produced.
FSB MHz vs. QPI MT/s vs. ?x DMI
Core 2 Duo and Pentium 4\D CPUs are quad pumped (have a quad data rate) because they can perform four data transfers per cycle. Athough the FSB is quoted as e.g. 1333MHz FSB it actually only runs at base speed of 333 MHz but this is multiplied by 4 because it does four transfers each time.
A more accurate measurement is 1333MT/s or megatransfers per second. This figure measures the actual number of transfers instead of a mix of the true bus speed times the number of transfers per cycle.
The new Core i7/Nehalem CPU (Bloomfield) uses a different CPU design, moving the memory controller from motherboard to CPU, while replacing the FSB desing with Quick Path Interconnect/QPI . Core i7 CPUs and motherboards currently give gigatransfers per second (GT/s) as the measurement of speed for QPI , e.g. 4.8GT/s.
The mainsteam Nehalem based CPUs named Lynnefield \ Havendale are due in Q3\Q4 2009 (or later...) and will integrate most of the northbridge into the CPU, while what's left of the northbridge is now named an I/O Hub.
These CPUs will integrate the DMI\Direct Media Interface into the CPU - which has existing for generations (since P4) transferring data between the northbridge and southbridge. In the next Nehalem based CPUs, the rate of DMI becomes important as the CPU now uses DMI to talk directly to the southbridge, and will replace the FSB and QPI specifications.
What CPU should I buy?
The most popular CPUs as we go into 2009 are Intel Core 2 Duo. The E8400 has proven itself in the latter half of 2008 as great value for money and the slightly faster brother called E8500 is also rising in popularity as it drops price in comparison.
The E7x00s series have recently been released in Australia which are very similar to the E8x00s but run a little slower due to a lower amount of cache and slower FSB. Considering their price, the new E7x00 CPUs offer excellent value for money to invest in Core 2 Duo CPU technology.
Lower range PCs now usually use the cheaper Pentium Dual Core CPUs, which have taken over Celeron as the budget brand. These CPUs are still dual core and are fine for general Internet browsing, email and basic use of programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
Users of quad core have the new Q9x00 and Q8x00 options with the Q8200 effectively finally retiring the old faithful Q6600, which remained a constant bargain for Core 2 Quad in 2008. The Q8200 has a quicker 1333 FSB but also smaller 4MB cache than the Q6600 that it replaces, while the Q9x00s have both faster FSB and a larger 12MB cache.
Although quad core CPUs include a total of four 4 cores/CPUs, they run at a lower clock speed/GHz than dual cores at the same price range. You should only get into quad core if you use multi-threaded software that is able to take advantage of the extra CPUs, mostly video/audio encoding and a growing number of new 3D games - to most we recommend a faster Core 2 Duo.
AMD is another CPU manufacturer and a competitor of Intel. The previous generation AMD Athlon eventually beat the Intel Pentium 4 (P4) for performance vs. price. Intel soon fought back and won the price/performance lead again with the release of the the Core architecure, which was actually based on Intel's laptop CPUs due to their high efficiency and low running temperatures. Since dropping in price compared toIntel's offerings, AMD CPUs such as the Athlon 64 are a more popular choice for ultra-budget PCs.
Intel Core i7 / Nehalem
Intel recently released Core i7 CPUs, also known as Nehalem. Upgrading to Core i7 will be expensive until the platform gets more popular and prices are reduced. These CPUs will be expensive for some time compared to Core 2 Duo until other mid and low end versions come out. When Intel release a new generation of processors, only high-end CPUs are released first. The current performance Nehalem CPUs are named Bloomfield.
Most benchmarks seem to indicate 10-20% increase in speed compared to similar (Extreme) Quad Core CPUs for most tasks, but Core i7 really does come to life with software which can actually use all four cores/CPUs.
Mainstram Nehalem CPUs are due to be released in the second half of 2009. The first CPUs will be named Havendale but will still be quad core. Near the end of 2009 or in 2010, the Lynnfield family of CPUs are due and will be dual core.
Core i7 uses a new socket called LGA1366 which means needing a new motherboard, also requiring DDR3 RAM (Core2Duo uses LGA775 and usually DDR2 RAM). Although the Core i7 CPU is comparable in price to high end Core 2 Quad CPUs, and DDR3 prices are fairly reasonable, the final blow is that LGA1366 motherboards are very expensive.
As more people invest in Nehalem, all prices will drop, and also lower cost LGA1156 motherboards and CPUs will be released in the second half of 2009 for mainstream computers. If you were going to buy a high-performance quad core CPU then Core i7 may be worth looking into instead of Core 2 Quad.
Current and future Intel CPU architecture
Future CPUs made by Intel will folllow what they have called a tick-tock cycle over two years. Every two years (tick) Intel will release a new architcture, such as the current Core or new Nehalem. But in the alternate years (tock) the current architecture will be improved upon and the fabrication/manufacturing process used to make the CPUs will shrink.
Core 2 CPUs are based on the Core architecture but were originally manufactured using a 65nm/nanometer fabrication process. At first laptops were released with Core CPUs, then the desktop computer CPUs were labelled as Core 2. The Core 2 fabrication size of 65nm was shrunk to 45nm during 2008 and the new refresh is named Penryn.
All E5x00, E7x00 and E8x00 Core 2 Duo CPUs are newer Penryn CPUs, as well as the Q8x00 and Q9xx0 Core 2 Quad CPUs (see table below). Some original Core based CPUs are still available including the Pentium Dual Core E2xx0 CPU.
The next family of CPUs will use the same Nehalem architecture and are named Westmere. The fabrication process will shrink from 45nm to 32 nm and these CPUs are due at the end of 2009. Laptop/Mobile CPUs are planned first, then performance CPUs in the first half of 2010. It won't be until the second half of 2010 that mainstream desktop CPUs are released for Westmere, and this trend by Intel will likely continue.
Following Westmere, the next new architecture due end of 2010/2011 is named Sandy Bridge, with Ivy Bridge shrinking this to 22nm technology. Around 2012 the following architecture called Haswell is planned.
Code Name |
Allendale |
Allendale |
Conroe |
Kentfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Intel Brand |
Pentium Dual Core |
Core 2 Duo |
Core 2 Duo |
Core 2 Quad |
CPU Model. |
E2x00 |
E4400 \ E6x00 |
E6xx0 \E6x00 |
Q6x00 |
Socket |
LGA775 |
LGA775
|
LGA775
|
LGA775
|
No. Cores |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Die Size |
65 nm |
65 nm |
65 nm |
65 nm |
Cache |
1MB |
2MB |
4MB |
2x4MB |
Front Side Bus |
800 MHz |
800 MHz |
1066 MHz |
1066 MHz |
RAM |
Single-channel DDR2 |
Dual-Channel DDR2 |
Dual-Channel DDR2 |
Dual-Channel DDR2 |
Penryn - 45nm, based on Core
Code Name |
Wolfdale |
Wolfdale |
Yorkfield |
Yorkfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Intel Brand |
Pentium Dual Core |
Core 2 Duo |
Core 2 Quad |
Core 2 Quad |
CPU Model |
E5x00 |
E8x00 \ E7x00 |
Q8x00 |
Q9xx0 \ Q9x00 |
Socket |
LGA775 |
LGA775 |
LGA775
|
LGA775
|
No. Cores |
2 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Die Size |
45 nm |
45 nm |
45 nm |
45 nm |
Cache |
2MB |
6MB / 3MB |
2x2MB |
2x6MB / 2x3MB |
Front Side Bus |
800 MHz |
1333 MHz |
1333 MHz |
1333 MHz |
RAM |
Single-channel DDR2 |
Dual-Channel DDR2 |
Dual-Channel DDR2 |
Dual-Channel DDR2 |
Nehalem - 45nm, new architecture
Code Name |
Bloomfield |
Lynnfield |
Havendale |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Intel Brand |
Core i7 |
Core i7 |
Core i7 |
|
CPU Model |
i7-9xx |
due 2H 2009 |
due Q4 2009... |
|
Socket |
LGA1366 |
LGA1156 |
LGA1156 |
|
No. Cores |
4 |
4
|
2
|
|
Die Size |
45 nm |
45 nm
|
45 nm
|
|
Cache |
256KB L2/8MB L3 |
256KB L2/8MB L3 |
256KB L2/4MB L3 |
|
QPI / DMI |
1x QPI 4.8 GT/s |
2x\4x DMI |
2x\4x DMI |
|
RAM |
3-channel DDR3 |
Dual-Channel DDR3 |
Dual-Channel DDR3 |
Future:
Westmere - 32nm, based on Nehalem
Sandy Bridge - 32nm, new architecture
Ivy Bridge - 22nm, based on Sandy Bridge
Haswell - 22nm, new architecture
The tables above only include most common desktop PC CPUs, not extreme, server or laptop CPUs.
Intel processor numbers - Intel CPU roadmap presentation
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