speds on laptops

[mollymoo]

hi i NEED SOME ADVICE ABOUT PROCESSOR SPEEDS ON LAPTOP.

Do you look at them the same as computers?

HP seem to do 3.0ghz but for the same price most laptop by other top brands seem to be 1.7 still. Is it just that HP get prices down quicker or is it infact a much more faster machine.

Would I be better off getting a 1.7 rather then the 3 form hp.

[bobjim1705]

It all depends on the type of the processor. Both Intel and AMD do low end processors (Celeron, Sempron respectively), and though the clock speed of the processors may look the same, the actual operating efficiency will be pretty different.
For example, with regards to PC processors, an Intel Celeron 2.8GHz won't perform as well as an Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz.

What sort of processor is in the laptop you're considering?

[mollymoo]

they would be a pentium 4 such as the HP8123EA up against same one of the sony's with a smaller screen at 15.4 but the processor for sony's seems to be 1.7.

[bobjim1705]

If both have the same processor, then you'd be better off with the faster one. But don't forget about wireless capabilities, and a DVD+-RW drive.
Also, having a fast processor won't do you much good if you don't have a decent amount of RAM to go with it.

[mollymoo]

is 512 Mb ok for ram now adays as that seems to be teh average or 1024. it the double really worth it, or should i just upgrade this at a later stage.

[OBonio]

See how you get on with 512Mb then you can upgrade later. I'd suspect 512 would be enough though. Depends what you want to do with it.

[mollymoo]

it would be used for editing video footage occasionally and mainly for large photo files

[MargeB]

RAM it up. And get a good vid card. You can get PCMCIA ones also.

[mollymoo]

so is a 128 for a vid card OK

[bobjim1705]

A 128mb video card is plenty for editing video footage and photoshop files, although it might struggle a bit with the latest games.

[Ralph]

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, so about your processor speeds:
For laptops, there are a few different types of processor used (just talking about Intel for the mo). You'll see Pentium 4, Pentium 4M and Pentium M.
Pentium 4 is just a desktop chip put into a laptop. The desktop processors haven't been designed to preserve power since they're attached to the mains, so when you put the same chip in a laptop, you get either excessive heat or spectacularly short battery life or both. Avoid these unless you're only going to use it plugged in all the time. They're also the cheapest. Speeds around the 3GHz mark.

Pentium 4 M is the mobile computer version of the Pentium 4 chip, hence the "M". This has been designed to use less power, but really only as an afterthought. It will reduce it's clock speed when unplugged, so giving extra battery life. The speeds of this chip are also around the 3GHZ mark, maybe slightly less.

The Pentium M was designed from scratch to be a power saving laptop processor. Since the way it is built is completely different to a normal pentium, you can't compare the speeds on a like for like basis. These are usually around the 1.7GHz mark but will perform similarly to a 3GHz pentium while using less power and making your battery go further. They're commonly seen in Centrino laptops. They tend to be the most expensive option, but the best if battery life is a high priority.

[mollymoo]

Hi that is a great answer and now explains everything. I know know what I need to look for. Thanks a lot.