kony <spam@spam.com> wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>> kony <spam@spam.com> wrote
>>> Adam Russell <adamrussell@sbcglobal.net.invalid> wrote

>>>> Im thinking of getting a new computer sometime in the next
>>>> 3-4 months. Looking at what's new I see duo core and quad
>>>> core extreme on websites, but on tv Im seeing ads touting
>>>> the duo cores as "the latest thing". Should I consider getting
>>>> quad core with the thinking that it will have a longer lifetime
>>>> (time till new games run slow)? Or is quad core something
>>>> too bleeding edge (may have infant mortality issues)?

>>> You have not mentioned your specific computing needs.

>>> For some people, even single core is still the best alternative.

>> Not many, just those that dont plan to keep the system long.

> Not quite,

We'll see...

> most people don't reinvest in all new software every
> time they do a system replacement or upgrade.

Never said a word about all new software there.

And its obviously only the software that they care about
the best performance with that would need to be updated.

And going for a dual core processor instead of single core
would mean its more likely that new stuff purchased in the
future would take advantage of the dual core now that
those are such excellent value now. Thats why I made that
comment about how long you are planning to keep it etc.

> If their software is already significantly multithreaded,
> then they already had the benefit of dual core.

Not if they currently dont have a dual core processor.

> If it isn't, they're continuing to use software most
> benefitted from higher clock per $ from single core.

See above.

> Long is relative though, but do you really try to plan years ahead?

I do have an eye to where the industry is headed and realise
that it makes more sense to go dual core now instead of single
core if I plan to keep that system for more than a short time,
just because future software upgrades will likely exploit dual
core more in the future, because dual core is now so common.

> Never a good idea, by then it's time to upgrade the
> system again if the performance was THAT important.

Doesnt need to be THAT important to be able to benefit
from updated apps that exploit dual core processors
instead of sticking with a single core processor, particularly
if there isnt a significant saving in going single core and
at least some of what you do is where performance
matters, even if its just some occasional transcoding etc.
You might as well go dual core if you arent paying a lot for it.

>>> You have not mentioned the budget either.

>>> Don't buy anything trying to see into the future,

>> That is just plain silly. It makes a lot of sense to avoid
>> motherboards with AGP slots while those are still being run out.

> PCI Express isn't the future, it's the present.

Yes, but BEFORE today, there was a time when you could
buy both types of motherboards and it would THEN have
made a lot more sense to be buying the PCIe format for the
rather better future that would bring, particularly if you are
likely to upgrade just the video card later for better games
performance rather than just buying a whole new system.

Even if you were more likely to upgrade the motherboard and cpu
instead, you would STILL have been better off with a PCIe system
AT THAT TIME, because you could reuse the video card much
easier, say you were expecting the Core 2 Duo down the track etc.

>> ATA hard drives currently too,

> SATA, also in the present.

Hasnt always been that way, and you desperately attempted
to claim that it made more sense to be buying an ATA drive
NOW instead of SATA with a particular system very recently.

>> particularly when so few motherboards are available
>> with more than a single ATA port and when that will
>> be used for the optical drives for quite a while yet.

> Now who is stuck in the present?

Sure aint me.

> We can as easily forsee opticals moving to SATA,

Yes, but we can see that currently there are fuck all of those buyable.

> but since in the present most aren't, the
> system shouldn't be planned around one.

It makes a lot of sense to be buying SATA hard drives now
if you plan to move them and the optical drives to a new
system any time soon and are doing a gradual upgrade
while you accumulate the cash for a new system.