which processor is better?

[digital dad]

Newbie here, I hope this is the right section to post this. which is better the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 or Intel Core I3-530? either of them will be in a prebuilt HP desktop that i will be using to edit HD 1080p home videos and surfing the web. I'm not a gamer so VERY little to no gaming. thanks in advance for your input.

 

[fastdude]

They'll both give roughly the same performance, The i3 is newer and consumes less power, and it's cheaper. So, the i3. Don't be fooled by how many cores something has (though it's nice to have lots)
But on paper, they look about the ssame, apart from the i3 faster clock, ratio, 32nm instead of 45nm, and hyper-threading technology. Hope that helps

 

[digital dad]

Thanks. I've heard some people say 4 physical cores are better than 4 virtual cores and vice versa. I only buy a computer for myself once every 5-6 years so I want to be sure and buy something I want regret 2 years from now.

 

[spynoodle]

Thanks. I've heard some people say 4 physical cores are better than 4 virtual cores and vice versa. I only buy a computer for myself once every 5-6 years so I want to be sure and buy something I want regret 2 years from now.

4 physical cores is better than 4 virtual ones, but it all depends on what you'll be using it for. It's predicted that in 5-6 years, the CPU world will go crazy on cores. I'm talking 20+ cores. Even with the Q8400 being a quad, though, the i3 530 is a bit more powerful in most scenarios. In fact, even in scenarios that take advantage of all 4 cores the i3 probably matches the Q8400. Besides, the clarkdales are great overclockers and are probably some of the best for things like web surfing. I'd say definitely go with the i3 530. :good:

 

[digital dad]

thank you too spynoodle. Im kinda waiting for the new model series to hit the store then go buy last year's models for cheaper. having 3 kids, a house and car payment and other expenses really keeps the amount of money i spend on my toys down. also i'd be using this for HD 1080p video editing.

 

[spynoodle]

thank you too spynoodle. Im kinda waiting for the new model series to hit the store then go buy last year's models for cheaper. having 3 kids, a house and car payment and other expenses really keeps the amount of money i spend on my toys down. also i'd be using this for HD 1080p video editing.

NP I'm pretty sure an i3 can handle that. Like fastdude said, the i3 will definitely give you great price/performance, so you can make a budget-friendly rig with some nice performance.