Magoo's Wise Words
Guide to Buying a Computer

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Processor - contd.

Here are a few additional things you might be interested in that aren't absolutly vital but can affect processor performance:

L1 and L2 cache - Processors have a small amount of memory built right onto the chip that they can use to store data. The L1, or internal, cache stores information the processor is currently processing. The L2 cache stores information that the processor will likely need soon, bypassing the slow process of accessing system memory. The bigger the better on both of these, but the cost of increasing either of these can add up quickly.

FSB speed- Front Side Bus refers to the speed that the processor communicates with the rest of the computer. This is a number I pay a lot of attention to. To me, this as important as processor speed. Most people underestimate how much a fast FSB and a large L1 and L2 cache can improve your performance. It doesn’t matter how fast your processor is if the rest of the computer can’t keep up with it. The faster the better here.

Next =>[Magoo's Guide to Computer Shopping- Page 4, Motherboard]