Common sense leads us to believe the faster the clock speed the better CPU but that could be a costly decision. Intel Corporation has a strong hold on the CPU market in the x86 arena and offers the user so many choices it can be daunting. Let’s try to make some sense out of the different x86 CPU available and what gives users the “most bang for the buck.”
I remember the days of the Intel 80286 (I could go back further but I don’t want to show my age). This was the introduction of a mainstream 16-bit microprocessor in 1982. Not only did it offer than twice as much performance than the 8086 or 8088 it also introduced a new generation of memory management. The 286 contained a 24-bit address bus that was capable of accessing 16 MB (yes megabytes) of RAM. The CPU (Central processing unit) supported multitasking allowing a user to work with more than on application at a time. The OS (operation system) kept track of where you are in various applications and to go from one to the other without losing information.
Life was simpler then and the development cycle was not moving at the lightning speed it is today. Not only are there a myriad of choices making a sane decision is a challenge. Now we must sort through seemingly endless about of information. Not only are there a multitude of numbering schemes, we must deal with “manufacturers’ code names. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core is a very interesting entry that explains the code names of popular CPUs. It is both overwhelming and informative.
Of course the history can get overwhelming. Not only is it interesting but boring at the same time. By today’s standards the history is just that-history. Today it is more complicated yet simple. Now the biggest decision is how long the CPU and supporting Core Logic will be on the market.
Sensible choices must be made from the beginning not emotional decisions. The Industrial PC, Inc. knowledgeable staff is more than willing to assist. We will be more than happy to guide you to a suggested product or advise where to find the absolute right solution. Industrial PC, Inc. has always made it a practice of being honest to a fault and recommending the right product.
