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    i3 350m or i5 430m

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Woodwards Friend, Mar 31, 2010.

  1. Woodwards Friend

    Woodwards Friend Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm configuring a Dell Studio 15 and debating between the i3 350m and i5 430m processors. My computer uses are pretty basic. MS Office, web browsing, etc. I'm not a gamer or anything like that.

    Both chips have a 2.26 ghz speed and 3M cache. The i5 has a 2.53 ghz "turbo" mode.

    The price difference is $75. Is it worth upgrading to the i5 or, based on my uses, am I ok with the i3?
     
    Woodwards Friend, Mar 31, 2010
    #1
  2. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    The i3 will be fine. If you get into movie editing you may want a faster CPU, but given what you've said your usage is the i3 will have no problem keeping up. Spend the $75 on a better battery or screen or something instead ;)
     
    Pitabred, Mar 31, 2010
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  3. sean473

    sean473 Notebook Prophet

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    i'd get i5... it has hyperthreading so its a literal quad core... but if u don't want to spend the extra its allright... but it would be better to spend 75 now and get a better processor rather than upgrading in the future....
     
    sean473, Mar 31, 2010
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  4. lackofcheese

    lackofcheese Notebook Virtuoso

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    The i3s also have hyperthreading, and no, it doesn't make them "literal quad-cores". Turbo Boost is the only difference, and I'd say it isn't worth $75.
     
    lackofcheese, Mar 31, 2010
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  5. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    Yeah, HT doesn't work like that. lol

    It'd be nice if HT worked even half as advertised ;)
     
    sleey0, Mar 31, 2010
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  6. Charles P. Jefferies

    Charles P. Jefferies Lead Moderator Super Moderator

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    As noted the only real difference between the i3 and the i5 is that the i5 has the "Turbo boost" feature (and of course the i5 is available with higher clockspeeds).

    I agree with the above posters - i5 is not worth the extra money, especially considering what you do with your computer. They both have very similar clockspeeds; if the i3-330M can't run an application well, chances are the i5-430M can't either (which nixes the "future proof" argument :rolleyes:).

    The i3 is a nice CPU, you will be fine with it.
     
    Charles P. Jefferies, Mar 31, 2010
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  7. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    At least HT no longer really slows things down for the most part. That used to be the big problem with the P4's, it'd be faster with HT off than with it on.
     
    Pitabred, Mar 31, 2010
    #7