Picking a CPU for Dell 1420

So, trying to save a few bucks on my build. Would upgrading from a Intel Dual Core T2310 to a Core 2 Duo T5250 be worth it? By numbers the latter should be better but the only benchmark I can find puts the 2310 ahead by a bit. I'm thinking either stick with the T2310 or go all out and get something like the T7250. I plan to use it for programming/light gaming and in any case I'll have 2gb of ram (via newegg of course).

 

For your usage I'd be tempted to go for something slightly better than the 2310, but it should do ok.

 

It would not be worth upgrading to the T5250.

The Pentium Dual Core T2310 IS a core2duo Merom chip. It just has 1mb L2 cache and slighly slower fsb.

You would not notice the difference between the two chips in reality.

 

Yeah, my desktop is more than capable of the heavy work so this laptop is just to have something to take out of the house. From what I've read I think the 2310 will work for most of the compiling etc I'd need but if anyone has direct experience with it that'd be nice to hear about.

 

Also you might look at the Vostros, if you haven't already, since at times they're cheaper than their twin sisters.

 

Yeah I've been keeping an eye on both. Currently Inspirons are cheaper with a deal I recieved but it goes back and forth. Also, can anyone comment of battery life of the T2310 vs something like the T7250? Or with the stepping down will there be marginal difference?

 

all mobile processors run at ~halfspeed unless more power is needed. battery life between the "best" and "worst" processor is negligible. also, in terms of "perceived" performance... you won't notice as a user between, again, the "best" and "worst" processor available.

the only people know notice drops in times are users who stress CPUs at 100% for long periods of time... long periods of time meaning a video render that takes 3 days or something, not what most people consider "multitasking" which is *gasp* having more than 1 browser open AND listening to music at the same time OMG !!!11

 

That's been my experience too. For surfing around etc. a few hundred ghz makes no difference. The important thing is having 2 cores. It eliminates a lot of delays. Of course, now the weakness is having one hard drive with two programs trying to access it at the same time.

 

I think the other posters are right, if you do upgrade, I'd make it to something really worth it like a T7250 or better. The T5250 won't make a huge upgrade over the T2310.