Ask A Geek

Q: What temp should my AMD Phenom 9150e CPU be running at?

A: AMD Phenom processors usually have a max temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. This means you want to stay below that to make sure the system does not throttle the processing power of your CPU to keep the temperature down.

Q: What temp should my CPU be running at?

AMD Phenom 9150e
Ruby Orb
Gigabyte GA-MA790X
1066 OCZ 2 GB Ram (2x 1 GB) running at 800 Dual channel

Q: Which is better, an Intel Celeron 585 2.16GHz or an AMD Athlon 2650c 1.60GHz?

Q: Which is better, an AMD Athlon XP 2000+ or an Intel Celeron 1.3 GHz?

A: The AMD Athlon XP 2000+ is about 25% faster than the Intel Celeron 1.3 GHz processor. Keep in mind that both processors are about 5 years old at this point in time and they will both struggle with the latest software.

If you are thinking about upgrading from the Celeron to the Athlon I would suggest against it. The upgrade would require, at minimum, a new motherboard. This might also require a new case and/or new RAM as well. If you did the upgrade you would probably still be unhappy with the performance of your system. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: I would like to know which processor is better. An AMD Athlon xp 2000+ or an intel celeron CPU 1300MHz. If the AMD is better how can I swap out the intel CPU for the AMD one?

Q: I’m building my first computer and I was wondering which CPU would be a better choice. An AMD Phenom X4 9950 with an MSI Mobo or and Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 with an Asus mobo. This computer will be used for mostly media, web design, World of Warcraft, and Spore.

Q: I am looking at purchasing a laptop for personal and work use. I only need basic MS office functions and internet. I am confused with all the terms thrown around at me. What features do I need? What does Intel Centrino 2 Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, 4GB RAM, 640GB HDD, DVD Burner, 512MB Graphics, TV Tuner, 17″ Screen, Windows Vista Home Premium mean?

A: I find that the best way to prevent confusion when shopping for a new computer is to divide the computers into categories:

• Both Intel and AMD make good processors. So it really doesn’t matter which brand you choose. I recommend that you purchase a laptop that has a 64-bit processor. Most processors today are 64-bit. Also, many of today’s processors feature multiple “cores”. A core is sort of like a brain within a processor. So dual-core means two brains, quad-core means four brains, etc. I feel that dual-core technology is probably the best option for you.
• You need to purchase a laptop that has at least 2 GB (gigabytes) of RAM. Furthermore, be sure that any laptop with 4 GB of RAM or more includes a 64-bit operating system. Microsoft clearly labels the 64-bit versions of Windows.
• HDD is an abbreviation for hard drive. The two main considerations with hard drives are size and speed. I advise that you purchase a laptop that has a 160 GB or larger hard drive. You might run out of space for your computer files with a smaller hard drive. I also recommend a hard drive speed of at least 5400 RPM, as slower speeds will impede your laptop’s performance. I recommend that you avoid so-called “solid state drives” at this time, because they are very expensive yet they hold less data than normal hard drives.
• DVD burners are standard equipment on most laptops today. Stay away from laptops that only include CD burners. If you have lots of money you may want to get a BD burner in you laptop, which will allow you to burn Blu-ray disks in addition to DVDs.
• There are two kinds of graphics solutions in today’s computers. Shared/Integrated graphics are inexpensive. But they don’t work with some games and will decrease the available amount of RAM in your computer. Discrete graphics are more expensive. But the work with most games and don’t decrease the amount of RAM that your computer can use.  Discrete graphics come in sizes. I recommend a minimum size of 256 MB. Whichever kind of graphics you choose, you will need to make sure that your new laptop is fully compatible with Microsoft’s DirectX 10 technology. The laptop’s manufacture can give you more information on that. NOTE: Unlike a desktop computer, it is not possible to upgrade a laptops graphics after you buy. So when in doubt, purchase the best graphics you can afford.
• Unless you want to watch and/or record television on your laptop, you do not need a TV Tuner. If you decide to include a TV as part of your laptop, be sure that the tuner supports high definition.
• Screen size is a personal decision. I personally feel that laptops with screens in the 15″ to 16″ inch range offer the best combination of viewing and portability. Smaller screens are often difficult to read. Laptops with screens 17″ and larger don’t fit well on laps, and require special computer bags.
• Windows Vista is the successor to Windows XP. There are many more versions of Vista than there were of XP. Vista Home Premium is probably the correct choice for you. You may wish to click here for Microsoft’s official comparison of Vista editions.

TIP: Much of the above information is also applicable to Apple Mac computers.

Q: I am about to rebuild my computer, which was a 3GHz socket A AMD Athlon with 2 gig of DDR RAM. The motherboard has developed a heat fault on the chipset and it is not fixable. I am looking at getting a new motherboard, processor, and RAM along with a new case with a 450w power supply. I have been looking at the AMD processors and seen that you can get a bundled deal on AMD PHENOM QUAD CORE 9500 4 x 2.3GHZ SKT AM2+ for about the same cost as an AMD ATHLON 64 X2 6400+ DUAL CORE 64 BIT SKT AM2. These both include motherboards as well. Which would be best option. The machine will only be used for small end gaming, online and video editing with pinnacle.I currently have windows vista premium home 32bit.

A: At the sub $200 price point, I’d suggest going with an Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 which should outperform both of those chips. Here is a good review of the AMD Quad chips vs their competitors from Tom’s Hardware. The E6750 outperforms both of those AMD chips for nearly all the benchmarks.

Otherwise, if you’re set on AMD you’ll be happy with either of those chips. Some software programs will take better advantage of the dual core setup, while others will handle the quad-core better and even then it’s going to be splitting hairs.