The Pentium D processor for the desktop is great in several respects. This CPU comes out of the box running at near 4 gigs. How does this processor stack up against Intel's Core Duo?
Core Duo is almost perfect as a CPU for laptops. It is very smooth and trouble free in all of the popular laptops. It multitasks well. It is great for networking wired or wireless.
To help you decide, here are some stats about performance, compatibility, power consumption and price.
Pentium D Features
Pentium D processors 805 to 960, 13 in all, are desktop processors. The bus speed is 800 MHz for all of them. L2 cache sizes are 2 MB and 4 MB. It uses two cores to balance out processing demands. This averages out to decrease power consumption. Each core has 1 MB of level 2 cache for a total of 2 MB.
Core Duo
This processor was created only for the mobile and laptop market. Performance-wise they speed up to 2.33 GHz. FSB offers two options at 533 MHz and 667 MHz. All Core Duo CPUs have 2 MB of L2 cache. Price is in the $100 to $200 range.
Mobile Efficiency
The Core Duo processor manages power consumption better than the Pentium D. The L2300, L2400 and L2500 are offered as low-voltage processors. The Core Duo U2400 and U2500 are in Intel's ultralow-voltage category.
Desktop Efficiency
The Pentium D processors, as desktops go, are high-voltage CPUs. However, they do have Intel's Speedstep technology. This enables the processor to scale down clock speed and minimize power draw. The Pentium D 805 and 820 don't have Speedstep.
Core Duo is a mobile-only processor.
Compatibility
The Pentium D is compatible with socket 775. Mainboards with this socket are inexpensive and easy to come by. They are capable to run 64-bit operating systems, applications and games. Yet this CPU maintains compatibility with 32-bit software. Pentium D's performance is great for gaming, multimedia and other resource-intensive applications.
The Core Duo processor is optimized for 32-bit operating systems and applications. It is perfect for 32-bit laptops and notebooks. This processor handles multimedia tasks seamlessly.
Summary
There is a healthy demand for the Pentium D processor in spite of its age. Don't spend anywhere near the original price. You could get a used Pentium D for less than $100. But word to the wise: Pentium Ds are favorites for overclocking. So get some kind of assurance that nothing is broke if you go used.
Tags: power consumption, Core processor, operating systems, operating systems applications, Pentium processor, Pentium processors, systems applications