Desktop CPU Buying Advice

(Note to the reader: The advice given in the following paragraphs applies to desktop systems and should not be used for purchasing a laptop. Those interested in buying a laptop should read our Laptop Buyer's Guide.)

If you are buying new, and want the fastest computer available for graphics, games, and Internet applications, buy an Intel Pentium 4, AMD Athlon XP, or an Apple Power Mac G5 system.

If you cannot afford a Pentium 4, but wish to be able to upgrade in the future, then buy a 2 GHz or faster Celeron system with 400 MHz bus speed. These Celerons use the 478 socket and are compatible with the 533 MHz bus Pentium 4s.

Celerons that use the 100 MHz bus use socket 370, which is compatible with the Pentium III, but not the Pentium 4.

Those that can't afford an Apple G5 Power Mac desktop system can buy an iMac or eMac G4 system. While all iMacs and eMacs now use G4 processors instead of the slower G3 processors, their video systems are relatively slow as they are based on the GeForce 4 MX chip.

Those multiprocessing should use Pentium 4 Xeons, Athlon MP, or Apple G4 processors.

Avoid systems based on Obsolete or On the Way Out CPUs unless heavily discounted, and you have no need to upgrade in the future.

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