processing speed vs. bandwidth

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dstebbins

Member
I understand that, in order to have fast loading times, I need both high bandwidth and high processing speed. Well, if I have a 1GHz processor, what would be the optimal bandwidth, in kb/s, so that I have no wasted hardware whatsoever? The expert at my local computer store couldn't answer it for me, so maybe one of you can.
 
^^^Does that mean, "No, you're wrong," or "No, HDD isn't an issue with Youtube?"

Anyway, have it your way: If I have a 1GHz processor, what other specs would my computer need to optimize that GHz without any wasted hardware? I have a feeling RAM also plays a role.
 
youtube streaming puts little stress to the hdd. they capped the speed at about 70kb/sec so different hdd dont make a difference.
 
If you're talking about over the internets, then the most important thing is your connection. A faster CPU, more RAM, faster HDD, none of that would make a significant difference to loading times or speed in general. If you added it all together however, buying a new CPU, more RAM, blah, it would equate to a faster connection on the net.

Off the net, RAM can help in loading times (of games/apps) but there's only so much it can do. Your CPU can be a drag on many of the new programs (old ones too!).

Bandwidth is a sketchy question.. never being able to change it (other than a system overhaul) people usually don't concern themselves with it. But the answer to your question is sporadic. Your machine may need 4gbps to have everything perfectly utilized (RAM allowing), while a newer machine may need much higher.. Bottlenecks, like slow RAM, will kill even the best of bandwidth.
 
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hermeslyre said:
If you're talking about over the internets, then the most important thing is your connection. A faster CPU, more RAM, faster HDD, none of that would make a significant difference to loading times or speed in general. If you added it all together however, buying a new CPU, more RAM, blah, it would equate to a faster connection on the net.
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So let me get this straight: If I had a satellite internet connection (the fastest around right now), I could have one of those computers that was created in 1989 or 1990, and it would still give me blazing fast speeds? Sorry, but that doesn't make a bit of sense.

Off the net, RAM can help in loading times (of games/apps) but there's only so much it can do. Your CPU can be a drag on many of the new programs (old ones too!).

Bandwidth is a sketchy question.. never being able to change it (other than a system overhaul) people usually don't concern themselves with it. But the answer to your question is sporadic. Your machine may need 4gbps to have everything perfectly utilized (RAM allowing), while a newer machine may need much higher..
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So does each piece of hardware come with the optimum amount of bandwidth that that piece will need if it itself is fully utilized? For example, does my CPU come with its own bandwidth, as well as my RAM, my HDD, my video card, my sound card, etc.?
 
Bandwidth is judged by your FSB. It's like the communication port to the entire PC, every piece of data transfered goes through it. Obviously the FSB can only be changed by getting a new motherboard, but usually the bandwidth the FSB has is sufficient for the components its designed to work with.

It's like this; You place your CPU in the motherboard. Then the RAM and all other components. The CPU can't talk to the RAM with out going through the motherboard, That is the FSB.

Also a satellite internet connection can have up to .5 lag (latency) relative to the speed of light. If you had a 20gbps bandwidth connection to that satellite then the most amount of data that would be in the air would be but a small percentage of that, 500mb's or something around that point. See it takes 7 minutes for light to travel from the sun to the earth, From the earth to the satellite back down to the earth is but a fraction of the distance but still it can very adversly affect a PP (point to point) system like the internet.

You're right a 89-90 computer would be teh suck at the internet. Obvious. I'm talking about the average computer compared with a high end one. :)
 
1. It takes 8 minutes for the sun's light to reach the earth, not seven.
2. So is the motherboard the part that holds the bandwidth? If so, does this mean that a motherboard can theoretically work with any CPU that fits into its CPU slot, even if the CPU is 9GHz; it will just be very slow?
 
Thank you and Yes, so long as the motherboard can support the CPU socket, and the developers add the support to the BIOS. Other components may have their own bandwidth but the FSB (front side bus) is usually the deciding, and limiting, factor.
 
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dstebbins said:
So let me get this straight: If I had a satellite internet connection (the fastest around right now), I could have one of those computers that was created in 1989 or 1990, and it would still give me blazing fast speeds? Sorry, but that doesn't make a bit of sense.
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Yea it will, I still have a old computer with a Duron 800mhz-512mbs of ram and a 9600pro video card and can watch a video over the net just as well as the one I,m on now. But the 1990 part is stretching it alittle
 
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Basic Input/output system. It's a group of firmware imbeded on a non-volatile space of memory that prepares the system to be able to boot. By entering the BIOS befor boot (delete, F something) you can change a number of these options.
 
It basically runs a small check on all the hardware on and attached to the board then does a basic diagnostic check memory and so on and reports whatever hardware it detects to the OS on boot
 
The only reason the computer components would become a bottleneck on the internet speed/bandwidth would be if your loading and playing flash files, videos, or large pictures.
 
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