Help With School research Project

[Justinw]

For a school research project I am required to ask a few different people questions about the topic I choose. I choose to do my topic on “what effects computer performance?” I would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes of your time to answer some questions. The answers can be very short. Thank you, and have a good day.

1. What is your name? (make it up if you want)

2. What are your credentials/experience working with computers?

3. What is the one thing that has the most effect on computer performance?

4. What are some other main things that effect computer performance?

5. How fast of a processor would you recommend for the average user?

6. How much RAM would your recommend for the average user?

7. Does hard drive speed have much effect on the overall computer speed?

8. In your opinion is an AMD Athlon processor better or and Intel Pentium and which would you recommend?

9. What is the difference between an Intel Pentium 4 and an Intel Pentium 4 with Hyperthreading technology?

10. What is the difference between a 32-bit processor and a 64-bit processor, like the Athlon 64?

11. Some computers come with integrated graphics and others come with a video card. What is the advantage of having a separate video card, and is it needed?

12. Does the brand name of a computer affect its performance?

 

[Praetor]

2. Extensive
3. Memory bandwidth
4. Memory bandwidth
5. Doesnt really matter as (a) no such thing as average user (b) budgets need to be specificied but to answer the question, anything that runs on the mobo that supports the fastest memory
6. 512 -1024MB depending on the budget
8. Athlon is better as its only 6 years old or so compared to the over-a-decade old Pentium
9. Hyperthreading technology. Between two similarly clocked chips, one with HT one without, the only difference is the price really.
10. A "32bit cpu" has 32bit external data access, a "64bit cpu" has 64bit external data access.

 

[tomb08uk]

Reply:Computer Project

Hey Mate,

Tom B

2. A student at college doing AVCE in ICT, so from college and home usage

3. Personally, i would say RAM and Processor

4. Hard disk, Graphics, Motherboard

5. About a 733MHz

6. 128

7. Generally yes it does, but only if have ideal components to run the hard disk

8. Intel, reason being never owned a Anthlon

9. HT ables you to do alot more commands at same time, i think its about double the amount of commands compared to a processor with no HT

Info on below site:
http://www.intel.com/intelinside/weblinks/english/p4pht.htm

10. Unsure to be honest

11. Advantage being if you have a seperate card means it comes with own RAM which can seriously improve the PC's performance

12. Not really, all depends on components and options installed, though i recommend staying with a known make.

 

[Praetor]

HT ables you to do alot more commands at same time, i think its about double the amount of commands compared to a processor with no HT

You sure about that? HT only kicks in if you're doing multiple, highly CPU dependent unrelated tasks simultaneously -- and if you intend to play Doom3 and encode with Premier at the same time you deserve to run a slow setup