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I want a laptop - do I really need centrino? 2
- Thread starter rezrovs
- Start date
Hi
You will find that this thread clarifies the exact difference between "normal" P4 and Centrino laptops:
John
You will find that this thread clarifies the exact difference between "normal" P4 and Centrino laptops:
John
A lot depends on how you want to use the computer and where you plan on using it. If you just want a way to bring the work home and do not plan on working where you can not plug in and using the battery a lot, then the centrino will just slow you down. However, if you plan on sitting in the park and using your computer there, then a centrino makes more sense.
A centrino is like a souped up PIII on steroids. It uses a slower running processor and then they add more cache to the processor so it runs almost as fast as a P4, but uses less power. With a mobile laptop or notebook system, power consumpution equates to battery life. The Centrino concept also means wireless networking.
You may want to go to a large computer store and just try out a few models and try to find something you like. If you work at a large place and some people have portable computers ask around and see what other people have and see if they like it.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
A centrino is like a souped up PIII on steroids. It uses a slower running processor and then they add more cache to the processor so it runs almost as fast as a P4, but uses less power. With a mobile laptop or notebook system, power consumpution equates to battery life. The Centrino concept also means wireless networking.
You may want to go to a large computer store and just try out a few models and try to find something you like. If you work at a large place and some people have portable computers ask around and see what other people have and see if they like it.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
Yea, and the Centrino also functions differently from a standard pentium, in that it doesn't run full blast all the time. If you aren't using much processing power, then it doens't draw all the juice necessary to keep it spun up to full blast. A regular pentium draws full juice no matter if your typing a word document or moving GB size files onto a usb drive...My Centrino is billed as being equal to a p4 2.2 and is actually rated at 1.6 I think. I have run everything from SQL Server to "Call of Duty" on it, and it handles the work like a pro. The built in wireless is something I never want to live without again. I can sit down in the atrium at work and jump on the LAN, and surf the internet from my couch without hooking anything up. I highly recommend it.
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- #7
And just to add to cisscott's post, a P4M actually does the same thing as the Centrino in the sense that it "steps down" on power consumption by lowering the clock speed when you don't need it. It's just that the P4M cannot lower the clock speed as often or as low as the Centrino without taking a huge hit in performance. That's what puts the Centrino on top overall for laptops that are on the move a lot.
As for battery consumption, here's the order from best to worst:
1) Centrino
2) P4M
3) P4
For overall performance, it's generally the opposite:
1) P4
2) P4M
3) Centrino
However, the Centrino does occasionally come in 2nd depending on what benchmark you're running (or type of app you're using).
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
As for battery consumption, here's the order from best to worst:
1) Centrino
2) P4M
3) P4
For overall performance, it's generally the opposite:
1) P4
2) P4M
3) Centrino
However, the Centrino does occasionally come in 2nd depending on what benchmark you're running (or type of app you're using).
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
Thanks Bill!
kwunder,
I couldn't tell you for sure. I haven't read much on laptops that use the newer mobile Celerons. I'm assuming that they're based on the P4M structure except just have less L1/L2 cache. It could be more, but I'd steer clear unless you can find some solid benchmarks that give you reason to go for one.
Celerons have made a huge leap in performance since they switched from the PIII architecture to the P4's. However, you still take a pretty big performance hit with the smaller amount of on-die cache.
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
kwunder,
I couldn't tell you for sure. I haven't read much on laptops that use the newer mobile Celerons. I'm assuming that they're based on the P4M structure except just have less L1/L2 cache. It could be more, but I'd steer clear unless you can find some solid benchmarks that give you reason to go for one.
Celerons have made a huge leap in performance since they switched from the PIII architecture to the P4's. However, you still take a pretty big performance hit with the smaller amount of on-die cache.
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
cheers cdogg.
Have narrowed my choice down to 1 now thanks to you advice.
This one :-
Scroll down to 1355LC XP Pro
Worth it ????
Thanks again
kwunder
Have narrowed my choice down to 1 now thanks to you advice.
This one :-
Scroll down to 1355LC XP Pro
Worth it ????
Thanks again
kwunder
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