Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz=good enough?

I remade this thread because I didnt' get the right answers on my other one and things got screwed up. So...

I'm just curious if 1.83GHz for Intel Core 2 Duo makes for great performance and if it has good "future-proof"? I plan on getting a Dell Inspiron 1720 with this processor, which I plan on owning for at least 3-4 years. I could upgrade to 2.0GHz but it costs quite a lot of extra money and I don't wanna spend extra for something I may not need, so I'm wondering if 1.83GHz with Intel Core 2 Duo is, well, whatever I just said...

 

The 1.83Ghz processor will have enough power for your needs 3-4 years down the road from now, if you are not a gamer.
Gamers tend to want the fastest everything, so a 1.83Ghz processor may not be enough for their games.
If you use your system for homework, email, internet and light gaming, than the 1.83Ghz processor will be plenty for you.

K-TRON

 

For a Moderate user that Core 2 Duo in itself will be future proof for quite a while. The Clock speed itself is up to you.

 

the difference between 1.83 and 2.0 Ghz is practically unnoticeble. I wouldn't worry about it, it will work for a good 2 or 3 years before coming outdated.

 

I actually will be doing some gaming. Maybe some standard-spec games and will play some FPS games, which are usually med/high spec...

All together, I'm doing slightly moderate gaming, homewoork, internet, and email...

 

How much is the price jump to get the T7250?

If its more than $50-75 than I wouldnt recommend getting a T7250.

If you are gaming, a good graphics card makes more of a difference than the cpu.

K-TRON

 

like i said in the other thread...i play crysis at 1440 x 900 resolution with the settings on low and average about 35fps while playing. i have a 1.83ghz C2D and its plenty fast enough for my needs otherwise (email, internet, downloads...)

 

It's entirely dependent on the applications you run. Is it mostly word processing/web browsing, or are you a Photoshop junkie?

Note that for games, graphics card is a much more important choice than CPU, though that too depends on what you mean by "light gaming". If you're gaming, I'd make the GPU your priority before the CPU.

If you plan on doing regular heavy work with Adobe apps, medium-duty video editing or heavier, any audio/video encoding or 3d rendering/raytracing, then the upgrade makes sense. Otherwise, a 1.83 Core 2 Duo is fast enough for almost all tasks; consider that older Pentium M laptops still handle most light-to-medium tasks extremely well, and that a Core 2 Duo beats a Pentium M hands down.

Also consider that with the money you save, you could beef up the RAM in the system, which is usually a bigger benefit than upping the CPU speed. And do compare the Inspiron 1720 to the similar Vostro 1700 in Dell Small Business; it might be cheaper.