Okay ladies you helped me out last time so I thought I would ask another question. I have narrowed my new computer search down to an Dell or an E machine. The dell that I like is a Pentium 4 Processor which dh thought for some reason was the way to go. But he doesn't really know anything about computers. LOL! So he has given me free reign to choose. So I don't want to mess this up! The E machine is only a celeron processor. The difference in price is like $300 dollars which I willing to pay if the pentium 4 is the way to go. Each has at least 256 MB, and 80 GB hard drive. So the only real difference is the processor. I have dial up so I am not expecting super fast. However, I would like something reasonably fast. So I guess my question is does anyone know what the real differnce is in the celeron and pentuim 4, which do you have, and how fast is it? Thanks in advance. I hope to have my new computer soon!!!

By Dawnk777 on Monday, April 5, 2004 - 06:52 am:

Comparison of the 2 chips

This page has a brief discussion of the different chips.

By John on Monday, April 5, 2004 - 12:02 pm:

These days the CPUs in most computers is "fast enough" to handle just about anything you throw at them. While there is a small performance advantage to the P4 over the Celeron, in most systems you may not notice it.

What does matter these days is main memory size and hard drive speed.
While Windows XP runs OK with 256MB, 512MB will give you a very noticable performance increase for about $50-$100 extra. Unlike earlier versions of Windows (like ME for example) XP will use more than 512MB to advantage and speed up things in the process.

Most consumer hard drives come in 2 speeds, 5400rpm and 7200rpm. The "rpm" stands for "rotations per minute" and indicates the rate at which the internal disk rotates.

In general, a PC can retrieve information from a 7200rpm drive 50% faster than a 5400rpm drive.

When loading Microsoft Word or Internet Explorer that can translate into a couple less seconds of waiting time.

Regarding the choice between a Dell and an Emachines, the Dell system can be purchased with an onsite warranty of up to 3 years.

My sister purchased an emachine and needed to return it to the factory for repairs...not recommended.

Because most computers today are made with very similar parts, the support you receive is what makes the difference. Without "in house" computer expertise, the Dell is probably the wisest choice.

Feona may have posted some Dell coupons on the site. See the Menu above under D (for Dell).

Good luck