Understanding CPU numbers

So I'm going to build a desktop computer (a rather ambitious project for me). And I've done research on processors. I've come to the conclusion that I'll probably get an Intel Core i7. But then comes the problem. As I examine options (and they seem endless), I don't know what I need when it comes to all the numbers that follow. The Duo/Quad Core, GHz, LGA, L3 and L2 cache. It's a little mind-boggling. I know what these things mean, in a technical sense, but what do they mean in terms of actual, real-life, computer performance?

I want a computer that will take me 10 years or more in the future. For now, I'll only be using it for word processing and productivity software, but I'd like the option of doing video editing with it down the road.

Can someone explain to me, in rather simple terms, what I need to be looking for (a range or ballpark would be fine - or specific recommendations) in a CPU for this purpose? In other words, what kind of Intel Core i7 would I get?

Thanks. I appreciate the advice from people who know a lot more about computers than I could imagine.

It kinda depends on your current gear, or are you buying all new.?

You'll need a motherboard that is compatible, RAM...etc.

Also, 10 years from now everything will be obsolete, so that's an unrealistic goal. Also, if you plan only on basic productivity software and normal tasks.. you definitely don't need an i7

10 years is a bit ambitious unless you drop a buttload of money into a platform now such as the 5690X. That being said I still use my 10 year old laptop for general web browsing and pen testing, but had to slim it down to XFCE to be tolerable.

From a 'general' perspective, more cache is faster, higher GHz on the same platform is faster. LGA is just a physical form factor, core count are physical processors. If you have a heavily threaded workload like video encoding, going from a dual core to a quad core will net you somewhere close to double performance.

novicegeek said:

I know what these things mean, in a technical sense, but what do they mean in terms of actual, real-life, computer performance?

Click to expand...

Wouldn't knowing them in a technical sense give you the insight into real word performance ?