understanding processor speed

Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98 and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

On Sat, 08 May 2004 04:54:00 GMT, "Shdyldy" wrote:

Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98 and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

Firs tof all, I just like to say that I drank an entire bottle of Beringer White ZInfendel
10.5%...but I'm probably still give better information thatn most of the peepls here. ^_^

Let mes see...I ned to read your pst, hang on...

Her Gateway has a 267Mhz processor!?! Um...I don't there is such a thing. Are you sure it's not
like 233 or 266, cause that'd make mroe sense.

And a enw machine isnt necesarily the answer. I fher machine is running slow it could be because
hse's infected with some kind of adware or spyware virus or their system is loaded down iwth ****.

ANd yes, 1,000Mhz == 1Ghz

Not sreally sure what oyu're saying.. Maybe its cause Im paritally durnk but uh...why doe she swant
to upgrade? I mean if it's going slow, as in it used to be fast and now it's slow, then sh
eshouldn't upgrade, she just needs to have all the **** cleaned off her system.

If she's doing stuff and it's not doing it fast enough, then buying a new system is problby a good
idea.

No offense, but oyu and your friend sound like idiots when it comes to computer technology. Not
sayin that to be mean, jsut a fact, liek I'm an idot when it come s to auto repait, I don't really
know much of anythign about it. SO anyway, if she really wants it faster, it'd probably just be
best ot buy a new box peecee at like Staples, I wouldn't try and "upgrade" anythign if I were you,
it'll just cause you more headaches.

Hope that helps!

--

-sdrunken Hatter...YAY!! ^_^

Onideus Mad Hatter wrote:
On Sat, 08 May 2004 04:54:00 GMT, "Shdyldy"
wrote:

Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor
speeds to me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a
friend with Win 98 and an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb
RAM and I'm trying to make her understand that she will never get
the speed from it she wants unless she just gets a new one! I have a
Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops are over 2G's now. In
doing a Google search about this I am more confused than ever! I'm
thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to
me? Thanks, Deb

Firs tof all, I just like to say that I drank an entire bottle of
Beringer White ZInfendel
10.5%...but I'm probably still give better information thatn most of
the peepls here. ^_^

Let mes see...I ned to read your pst, hang on...

Her Gateway has a 267Mhz processor!?! Um...I don't there is such a
thing. Are you sure it's not like 233 or 266, cause that'd make mroe
sense.

And a enw machine isnt necesarily the answer. I fher machine is
running slow it could be because hse's infected with some kind of
adware or spyware virus or their system is loaded down iwth ****.

ANd yes, 1,000Mhz == 1Ghz

Not sreally sure what oyu're saying.. Maybe its cause Im paritally
durnk but uh...why doe she swant to upgrade? I mean if it's going
slow, as in it used to be fast and now it's slow, then sh eshouldn't
upgrade, she just needs to have all the **** cleaned off her system.

If she's doing stuff and it's not doing it fast enough, then buying a
new system is problby a good idea.

No offense, but oyu and your friend sound like idiots when it comes
to computer technology. Not sayin that to be mean, jsut a fact, liek
I'm an idot when it come s to auto repait, I don't really know much
of anythign about it. SO anyway, if she really wants it faster, it'd
probably just be best ot buy a new box peecee at like Staples, I
wouldn't try and "upgrade" anythign if I were you, it'll just cause
you more headaches.

Hope that helps!

-sdrunken Hatter...YAY!! ^_^

LOL, at least you're not a mean drunk. :-)

Shdyldy, the hatter is correct.
--
~misfit~

On Sat, 8 May 2004 18:00:30 +1200, "~misfit~" wrote:

Onideus Mad Hatter wrote:
On Sat, 08 May 2004 04:54:00 GMT, "Shdyldy"
wrote:

Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor
speeds to me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a
friend with Win 98 and an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb
RAM and I'm trying to make her understand that she will never get
the speed from it she wants unless she just gets a new one! I have a
Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops are over 2G's now. In
doing a Google search about this I am more confused than ever! I'm
thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to
me? Thanks, Deb

Firs tof all, I just like to say that I drank an entire bottle of
Beringer White ZInfendel
10.5%...but I'm probably still give better information thatn most of
the peepls here. ^_^

Let mes see...I ned to read your pst, hang on...

Her Gateway has a 267Mhz processor!?! Um...I don't there is such a
thing. Are you sure it's not like 233 or 266, cause that'd make mroe
sense.

And a enw machine isnt necesarily the answer. I fher machine is
running slow it could be because hse's infected with some kind of
adware or spyware virus or their system is loaded down iwth ****.

ANd yes, 1,000Mhz == 1Ghz

Not sreally sure what oyu're saying.. Maybe its cause Im paritally
durnk but uh...why doe she swant to upgrade? I mean if it's going
slow, as in it used to be fast and now it's slow, then sh eshouldn't
upgrade, she just needs to have all the **** cleaned off her system.

If she's doing stuff and it's not doing it fast enough, then buying a
new system is problby a good idea.

No offense, but oyu and your friend sound like idiots when it comes
to computer technology. Not sayin that to be mean, jsut a fact, liek
I'm an idot when it come s to auto repait, I don't really know much
of anythign about it. SO anyway, if she really wants it faster, it'd
probably just be best ot buy a new box peecee at like Staples, I
wouldn't try and "upgrade" anythign if I were you, it'll just cause
you more headaches.

Hope that helps!

-sdrunken Hatter...YAY!! ^_^

LOL, at least you're not a mean drunk. :-)

Shdyldy, the hatter is correct.

I'm teh cCRAZY durnsk! `, )

....but I must eat smaksk...and then drink more...not quits notally inebrated yet. I'VE OGTS
PEPERONI POTATO CHIPSQ1!1! *BURPS*

scuze me... ^_^

--
teh an Hater sumthin..

"Shdyldy" wrote:
Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98 and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

I am sure you must have gotten answers already. But anyway, here's my
2 cents worth. Yes. 1000 MHz (megahertz) is 1 GHz (gigahertz). And
with memory, like with your RAM, 1024 MBs (megabytes) of RAM = 1 GB
(gigabyte). I am not sure if the abbreviations (MB & GB) are used or
not.

If she is going to get a new computer, bypass anything that 1.x GHz.
Get at least 2.1 GHz, and a minimum of 512 megabytes of RAM (She can
add another 512 chip later). I have a 2.2 GHz Athalon with 1 Gig of
memory. It handles everything fine. If you jump up to 2.6 or 2.8
GHz, there is a speed difference, but still, it is only maybe 15% -
20% at most. A rule of thumb is to not upgrade unless you double up
your speed, so I won't even think about it until 4.x GHz are out and
available for a while, so the price isn't high.

Usually 1 weekend a month, sometimes two weekends a month at different
stores, either at Best Buy or sometimes at Office Depot, or similar
stores (check your Sunday newspaper's add inserts), you can find on
sale, after all rebates (& there are like 5, because I bought my son
one recently) a 2.6 GHz Celeron, with a 17 inch flat-face monitor (not
a flat monitor, but a flat tube-front, for slightly resolution) , and
a jet printer, 256 MB of memory (we added another 256 ourselves to
bring it up to 512), a 40 Gig hard drive, and Windows XP, and a CD
read/write drive, all for about $350. This is really a good deal.

This generation of Celerons do not have their math-co processor
disabled, and do very well for just about everything. There are some
limitations to a Celeron when up against a P4 I suppose ( I am not
sure what it is), but for regular home use I don't think it makes a
whole lot of difference.

With a lot of the computers for under $1000, you no longer need a
separate sound card or video card, as it is all built into the
motherboard. The video usually borrows 64 MBs of RAM from the
computers main RAM. This type of thing is fine for the regular home
use. Only when you get into super-gaming machines & maybe doing video
editing,do you need more than this economical set-up.

If you add up the price she'd pay for a Windows XP uppgrade ($90 -
$100), a cheap but well functioning jet printer ($50), a 17 inch
monitor ($100 - $120), well hell, she's getting the computer for like
$100.

The brand we got is eMachines, with a one year warrantee (& good for
voice help 7 days week 6am - 12midnight western or mountain time). My
Athalon is an eMachines also, and the voice tech help availability is
just great - quick answers to emails too. Or sometimes the brand on
sale is a HP I believe, with basically the same configuration.

P.S. Gateway & eMachines have merged

Big Mac

On Sat, 08 May 2004 04:54:00 GMT, "Shdyldy" wrote:

Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98 and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

The primary question should always be "What is the intended use of the
system?".

In usenet it's VERY easy to spend someone else's $$$$ but for someone
currently getting by with a Pentium 2 266, there may be no pressing need
for modern performance levels (else a new system would've been bought ~ 5
years ago), rather to simply look at the bottlenecks to the system and
greatly reduce them.

Bottlenecks of current system in most common (office/internet/email)
usage:

1) Memory - add a 128MB PC100 module. That general description can be
used at any local computer shop to buy a compatible module. It need NOT
be premium memory, these days anything that's not defective will be quite
suitable for that system since it's running at lower specification, a
66MHz memory bus. You might find someone giving away such a used memory
module for free, they have much less value to someone with a modern system
than they'd have to a store selling them.

2) Hard drive - When system originally shipped it had a bios that
wouldn't recognized hard drives over 32GB in capacity. It would be
prudent to flash upgrade the bios to the last version, which should allow
use of larger (but especially faster) hard drives, a good price/value
point right now would be an 80GB drive. The system only supports ATA33
but the drive will still be a substantial performance improvement.
Software is available from the hard drive manufacturer (in retail packaged
drives or available for download from their website) to easily duplicate
the old drive to the new one.

3) CPU - The Pentium 2 266Mhz is adequate for basic uses running Windows
98, but the motherboard should support up to a Celeron 400 SECC (slot 1
cartridge) or up to Celeron 533 PPGA with a "slotket adapter". These are
quite inexpensive CPUS today, rather the more difficult part would be
finding the slotket adapter but they're "out there" on the 'net too given
a little time to look for some. With these CPUs it is also necessary to
flash upgrade the motherboard bios.

4) Video card - may not need upgraded at all unless user has new monitor
that supports higher resolutions AND the user wants to use these higher
resolutions, or of course 3D gaming, but it's not realistic to expect the
system, even after upgraded, to be appropriate for 3D gaming.

While a 1 to 2 GHz (cpu) based system is unquestionably faster, it all
comes back to my opening sentence, that it depends on the intended use of
the system. If the system is only used for the most common tasks then
there will be a great increase in performance from upgrading the first two
items, memory and hard drive, then beyond that it's completely up to the
user. At worst the system won't be fast enough after the upgrades (but I
suspect it might be considering the current system is only 266MHz and
running older software) and a nearly-free memory module was wasted, but
the hard drive can be reused in a more modern system.

On the other hand there's the age of the system as it affects reliability,
that it may keep running for several years longer but it's at the age
where it's demise wouldn't be unexpected, it's already met it's expected
lifespan and continues to work partially because Gateway used relatively
good components for that era. If loss of system usage due to failure is
an important issue then just replace it, buy a new system.

First of all............"I Love ya man!"
And thanks.......Her brother gave the computer to her and she's really
hooked and on it all the time. She wants to get RoadRunner but doesn't meet
the minium requirements. She runs Spybot so there is no spyware and we
deleted all the programs she doesn't use. The thing is just old and and
doesn't keep up with her. I suggested a new one but wasn't sure about the
processor part. At least I thought I was until I started searching it! You
all DID answer my questions plus gave me a good laugh with my morning
coffee!
Deb
"Onideus Mad Hatter" wrote in message
news:uhso905kr6eas5em6n1l4euvatfienj4jg@farfoos...
On Sat, 08 May 2004 04:54:00 GMT, "Shdyldy" wrote:

Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds
to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98
and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make
her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops
are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused
than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

Firs tof all, I just like to say that I drank an entire bottle of Beringer
White ZInfendel
10.5%...but I'm probably still give better information thatn most of the
peepls here. ^_^

Let mes see...I ned to read your pst, hang on...

Her Gateway has a 267Mhz processor!?! Um...I don't there is such a thing.
Are you sure it's not
like 233 or 266, cause that'd make mroe sense.

And a enw machine isnt necesarily the answer. I fher machine is running
slow it could be because
hse's infected with some kind of adware or spyware virus or their system
is loaded down iwth ****.

ANd yes, 1,000Mhz == 1Ghz

Not sreally sure what oyu're saying.. Maybe its cause Im paritally durnk
but uh...why doe she swant
to upgrade? I mean if it's going slow, as in it used to be fast and now
it's slow, then sh
eshouldn't upgrade, she just needs to have all the **** cleaned off her
system.

If she's doing stuff and it's not doing it fast enough, then buying a new
system is problby a good
idea.

No offense, but oyu and your friend sound like idiots when it comes to
computer technology. Not
sayin that to be mean, jsut a fact, liek I'm an idot when it come s to
auto repait, I don't really
know much of anythign about it. SO anyway, if she really wants it faster,
it'd probably just be
best ot buy a new box peecee at like Staples, I wouldn't try and "upgrade"
anythign if I were you,
it'll just cause you more headaches.

Hope that helps!

--

-sdrunken Hatter...YAY!! ^_^

On Sat, 08 May 2004 11:42:33 GMT, "Shdyldy" wrote:

First of all............"I Love ya man!"
And thanks.......Her brother gave the computer to her and she's really
hooked and on it all the time. She wants to get RoadRunner but doesn't meet
the minium requirements.

Her system can use Roadrunner fine. Their minimum specs are a very crude
guide that doesn't really apply to anything in particular except
expectations about what a system of a certain speed has for I/O support,
like busmastering PCI (2.1) or USB support, both of which the Gateway
system has. It is highly preferred that it be set up via a network card
to an external modem, not a USB modem.

Yes, 1000 MHz = 1 GHz.

As they say in Recovery programs: You can't help someone that doesn't want
to be helped.

--
DaveW



"Shdyldy" wrote in message
. com...
Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds
to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98
and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops
are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

"Shdyldy" wrote in message
. com...
Hello,
Maybe someone can direct me to a site that will explain processor speeds
to
me that I can understand. My problem is that I have a friend with Win 98
and
an old Gateway with 267 Mhz processor, 64mb RAM and I'm trying to make her
understand that she will never get the speed from it she wants unless she
just gets a new one! I have a Dell laptop with 1.4G and the new desktops
are
over 2G's now. In doing a Google search about this I am more confused than
ever! I'm thinking that it takes 1000 mhz to equal a Gig. Is that even
right?
If you see what I'm trying to get at can someone make this clear to me?
Thanks, Deb

My PC is also 266mhz and it is fast enough for most usages, although
deliberately
bad programing will slow any machine down.

Processor speeed is only one aspect, overall speed depends on what she is
doing.
As you didn't specify what she was doing your question ,as usual cannot be
answered.