Intel Processors

[hardy]

I'm getting ready to buy a new computer. Is it worth $100 more for the new Core processors?

I am either looking at the Intel Pentium E6700 or the Intel Core i3-2100.

I can get the Pentium for $140 cheaper. Any thoughts?

[jagabo]

It depends on what you do with your computer. If all you do is web browsing, email, office applications, and video playback, no it's not worth it. If you do much CPU intensive stuff like video encoding, yes it's worth it.

But those two CPUs won't work in the same motherboard. You also have to consider the surrounding hardware.

[usually_quiet]

As Jagabo said, the answer depends on what you want to do with the computer.

The i3-2100 will be faster using some software. Depending on what the motherboard is designed to allow there may be greater opportunity to upgrade the CPU later using a socket 1155 motherboard. Socket 1155 is new. Socket 775 is older and limited to Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad. Hard to say how much longer those will be available.

[jagabo]

Note that the Pentium E6700 is really a Core 2 Duo processor.

Unfortunately, Tom's Hardware hasn't updated their CPU charts with the newer Sandy Bridge CPUs. But you may be able to extrapolate a bit:
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-2010/benchmarks,112.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/x86-core-performance-comparison/benchmarks,128.html

[JimmyS]

At Newegg the price difference between E6700 and the i3-2100 is about $40 ($85 vs. $125). Anandtech's Benchmark page has the i3-2100 in its list but the E6300 is the closest match to the E6700.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/94?vs=289


If you "fudge" in the approx. 15% speed difference between the 6300 and the 6700 (2.8 GHz vs 3.2 GHz), The E series processor does not even come close to the i3 performance. Also, if price is still your main issue, there are now several Pentium series processors that are based on the Sandybridge LGA1155 chip.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%2050001157%20600...Sandy%20Bridge

I haven't seen any benchmarks on them though. Going with the Sandybridge based processor would also give you much newer technology and a more future proof upgrade path.

[deadrats]

I'm getting ready to buy a new computer. Is it worth $100 more for the new Core processors?

I am either looking at the Intel Pentium E6700 or the Intel Core i3-2100.

I can get the Pentium for $140 cheaper. Any thoughts?

i'm a bit confused by your confusion; a Pentium is $140 cheaper than what exactly? a Core i3 2100 only costs $100, $140 cheaper would mean that they give you the cpu and another $40 on top of that.

the E6700 wasn't a Pentium; it was a first generation "core" processor, namely the Conroe architecture.

you shouldn't even be using the term Conroe (or Pentium for that matter) in the same sentence with Sandy Bridge (which is what the i3 2100 is).

Sandy Bridge all the way; assuming you're not a heavy duty gamer you'll be able to get by just fine with just the i3 2100 ($100), a supporting motherboard (about $80) and some ddr3.

[jagabo]

I'm getting ready to buy a new computer. Is it worth $100 more for the new Core processors?

i'm a bit confused by your confusion

It looks like he's talking about the entire system.