SpIk3y wrote:
A single 2.2GHz core would be about 30% faster than the Celeron 420 (which is quite a lot to begin with), but with two 2.2GHz cores (as there are in the 4200+ X2) you would see a huge leap in performance over the Celeron... for hardly any more money.
I see where you're coming from - she doesn't need a fast computer. But I think even a complete tech noob using a PC for the simplest of tasks (photo viewing/copying, internet, etc.) would greatly appreciate the performance boost gained in a dual core CPU. And if it's only ~$16-$20 more... why not? If it were $50-$100 more for the dual core, I would agree with you... but it's not.
I repeat myself; It's a matter of preferrence. The E1200 is 30% faster than the 420, and costs pretty much exactly 30% more. But seeing how my laptop is an 1.6GHz Pentium M that's signifigantly slower than either of those and I use it for everything ranging from gaming to web browsing without any problems, I don't see why someone who would use the computer for only web browsing and word processing would need more power.
This computer isn't going to be bought because they want an upgrade, it's because the old one simply died. Now, for some performance comparasion, I know that an 1GHz P3 runs SuperPI 1M in about 2:50 minutes. If she had a 700MHz one that's been on the edge of dying for a while, I'd say that it'd make the run in about 3:40-4 minutes. The Celeron 420 makes that run in about 45-50 seconds, which is a good four times faster than her old computer. My P4 at stock speed performs similarly, and I played through Crysis with it, without it being the limiting factor to my mega-clocked 7600GS. A CPU that performs under a minute in SuperPI 1M is more than enough for her needs, hell, it's more than enough for
my needs, if we look at my computers, and I'm a gamer.
So, in conclusion, there's no need for a faster CPU than the Celeron 420, as it's already a huge step up from what she's had. As I say:
Don't compare what you're getting with what can be gotten; Compare it to what you had before. (Sounds a lot better in swedish tbh)
That basically means that every step forwards is a step forward. I got very happy a couple of months back when I got my 7600GS to replace my 6600 AGP. Sure, there were tons of better cards on the market, but the 7600 was a huge step up. This principle applies a lot on this computer scenario, as it's not intended to be an upgrade; it's supposed to be a replacement because the old one died.
Sorry if I'm repeating myself and making a lot of drama and text walls, I didn't get any sleep tonight, 100% on caffeine.