Major difference between Core 2 T5450(1.66ghz) and T7250(2.0ghz)

Hey everyone, right now i am trying to configure a gaming laptop from Dell for as cheap as possible.
Right now i have a 1520 With 1.66ghz Core 2, 256mb 8600gt for 769.00 before taxes. (200 off coupon)

I can afford to upgrade the processor to a T7250 (2.0ghz) for 50$ more, the upgrade is also from 667mhz FSB to 800mhz FSB, is the upgrade really worth it? Could i just overclock the 1.66ghz?

Will a 1.66ghz Core 2 be ok for gaming and future gaming?

oh and one more question, is this laptop from newegg a better deal/comp?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220237

thank you!

 

oh and i am intending on putting a second 1gb stick in any laptop i buy that only has 1gb installed

 

You will be OK without upgrading. It is a better buy than the "NewEgg". First the Core 2 clock for clock beats the AMD and overall wins, second with an IGP sometimes AMD goes ahead but you are getting a dedicated.

Is it worth upgrading for $50? I say yes, faster FSB faster CPU, better upgrade potential, I would do it! If I could afford I would soooo much do it!

 

If the upgrade only costs $50, then get it. You won't notice the difference [at least in everyday tasks], but at least your lappy will be a bit more ready to handle whatever intensive tasks you might have to deal with in the future.

 

Seeing as you are choosing a 2mb cache CPU definately go for the T7250 as its the highest in its range and will give you improved performance in terms of clock speed. Otherwise the T5450 will bottleneck the system when gaming.

The next one up is the T7300 but thats where the 4mb cache CPU range starts.

Hope this helps.

 

Agreed, 333 MHz for $50 is a pretty good deal. You might not notice anything today (though it will shave a few milliseconds here and there), but in a few years it may give a significant boost - and even before then you'll save a couple seconds a week at least! You did mention gaming - some games, particularly strategy games, are primarily CPU intensive, so if you're into those games you'll see a nice boost in speed right away, especially on large maps.

You can't simply overclock the 1.66 GHz, either. The multipliers are locked, and for reasons that are escaping me right now you can't just overclock the memory - might have something to do with the 667 MHz limit on the Santa Rosa chipset.

 

I would go for the T7250 myself. Upgrading the cpu later will void you warrenty so you might as well go for the T7250 and enjoy the peice of mind that comes from having a little more power when you purchase. But the T5450 will do well enough mated to a good amount of memory and a fast HDD (A large capacity 5400rpm HDD will do. But 7200rpm would be preferable).

 

The Dell is a better deal than the Asus on newegg, it has a better graphics card, faster cpu and costs less comparatively.

As for the cpu, $50 is a good price for that upgrade. I can't say whether I'd go for it or not myself, but if you're gaming it would certainly make a good upgrade.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145593

would this ram be compatible with my dell?

 

one more question, does the 300 off coupon work anymore? i am trying to apply it to my laptop and it just isnt taking.

 

Yes that memory will be compatible with your Dell. If you're getting 1GB memory, I think it's going to be configured in 2x 512MB sticks rather than one 1GB stick. Check what it lists on their site first.

In my opinion, I would opt for this: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10006106

Even if you don't have a 32-bit OS, 4GB will suffice tremondously with Vista. Especially in gaming..

-Mike

 

Usually they have a quota e.g. first 3000 uses. If your customer number 3001 to use it, it won't work.

However there are many coupons floating around, BUT if you phone the rep you may be able to get them to honor the coupon to say you won't buy it without the discount.