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    2.1 Ghz vs 2.5 ghz

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by n00dles, Nov 17, 2008.

  1. n00dles

    n00dles Notebook Geek

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    sorri im a newbie on these sorts of issues, but is their any noticable difference between having a 2.1ghz and a 2.5ghz processor especially while gaming?
     
    n00dles, Nov 17, 2008
    #1
  2. hehe299792458

    hehe299792458 Notebook Deity

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    what are your other specs? Often, your gaming experience is hindered more by the graphics card than by the CPU.
     
    hehe299792458, Nov 17, 2008
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  3. n00dles

    n00dles Notebook Geek

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    Sager NP5793 17" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) "Glossy" LCD
    Orange Trim
    nVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS w/512MB GDDR3
    Intel® Core™2 Duo T8100 2.1GHz Processor w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
    Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
    4GB (2 SODIMMS) DDR2/667 Dual Channel Memory
    320GB SATA II 3GB/s 7,200 RPM Hard Drive (16MB Cache Buffer)
    Blu-Ray Read - DVD-CD R-RW

    well thats my specs, im probably gonna get WUXGA resolution

    btw this is off topic: but is it possible to make last second upgrades to a laptop you ordered online? im buying this notebook from powernotebooks.com so far th service has been great, but i just wanna if its possible for them to do last minute upgrades.
     
    n00dles, Nov 17, 2008
    #3
  4. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    If you're building, 2.5 is worth it over 2.1, but if you're already using a 2.1, it's not worth.

    For last second upgrades, just call them. Each company will be different.
     
    JohnnyFlash, Nov 17, 2008
    #4
  5. shoelace_510

    shoelace_510 8700M GT inside... ^-^;

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    I say if you have the extra cash for the 2.5 go for it... it's a worthy upgrade. :)
     
    shoelace_510, Nov 17, 2008
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  6. WILLY S

    WILLY S I was saying boo-urns

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    It's worth it for $150-$200 for your high-end rig.
     
    WILLY S, Nov 17, 2008
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  7. davepermen

    davepermen Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    best case: 19% performance gain
    worst case: 0% performance gain

    it will be around there. but if you're gpu limited, it will be most of the time 0%.

    still, if you have the cash and can change the order, get it.
     
    davepermen, Nov 17, 2008
    #7
  8. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    In gaming, the difference won't be much as GPU is usually limited before CPU is. Though it depends on what game. I wouldn't upgrade unless the cost is like <$150, because of little benefits - unless of course you do other CPU intensive tasks.
     
    sgogeta4, Nov 17, 2008
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  9. Melody

    Melody How's It Made Addict

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    As others have said, gaming is really stressful on the GPU rather than the CPU. I mean, my desktop has a single core and still runs just about every game I want without issue lol :p. The CPU has yet to become a bottleneck for me. Games which stress the CPU do exist, but aren't that numerous. CPU is mostly for processing lots of data, which is mostly common to calculation or rendering applications more so than games.

    Anyways, that being said, if you want to be safe, I'd suggest going for 2.5GHz, but if you're already on a budget or anything, 2.1GHz should suit your needs fine ^_^
     
    Melody, Nov 17, 2008
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  10. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Some games rely largely on the CPU for AI and physics calculations; like someone above said, you may experience anywhere from 0% to 15% increase in FPS, *but it depends on the game*.
     
    Bog, Nov 17, 2008
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  11. n00dles

    n00dles Notebook Geek

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    ohhh ok that clears up alot, thanks for all of the replies!
     
    n00dles, Nov 17, 2008
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  12. Cheffy

    Cheffy Notebook Evangelist

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    I'm quite certain your Athlon 3700+ holds back frame rates on your 8800gts. If you added a X2 5000+ you'd no doubt see anywhere from 5-15 fps boost in many games.

    The 2.1 is probably fine for the most part, but will probably show its limitations compared to the 2.5 at times, but the difference will probably be small.
     
    Cheffy, Nov 18, 2008
    #12