SSD vs. CPU

[TxBrew]

I need to upgrade my computer really bad. It has a single core 2.80GHZ processor and can only accept a dual core. Would I see better performance from upgrading my CPU or from getting an SSD? Currently running a 5 year old ATA.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Dual or Quad core CPU would be a better upgrade, unless your ATA drive is REALLY slow. The 5400 rpm drives are pretty dismal in terms of performance, but the 7200rpm drives are actually pretty comparable to current SATA and most SSD drives. The bottleneck especially with system responsiveness is going to be at the CPU and RAM.

BTW, what is your motherboard/computer model? I could recommend a few solutions that would give you the best bang for your buck.

 

[CBBaron]

Usually with computers to improve performance:
First upgrade the memory
Second the processor
Third motherboard (If you want to do this you will probably need new procesor and memory too)

SSD offer lower read latencies and faster read speeds but won't usually affect the responsiveness of the computer beyond boot and program load. With an ATA system the drive interface will probably be your limit any ways. With SSD you will pay more for a lower capacity drive.

So I would max out the memory in your system first (don't bother over 2Gb for 32bit windows systems).

Craig

 

[Homercidal]

Usually with computers to improve performance:
First upgrade the memory
Second the processor
Third motherboard (If you want to do this you will probably need new procesor and memory too)

SSD offer lower read latencies and faster read speeds but won't usually affect the responsiveness of the computer beyond boot and program load. With an ATA system the drive interface will probably be your limit any ways. With SSD you will pay more for a lower capacity drive.

So I would max out the memory in your system first (don't bother over 2Gb for 32bit windows systems).

Craig

+1

Look for a used or cheap 2-core and see what happens. There are plenty out there.

 

[joutlaw]

If you're computer is 5 years old... it's time for a new PC.

A SSD will help with boot times and program responsiveness. IMHO the technology isn't there for SSDs and the price per GB is still at the bleeding edge.

Everything is dirt cheap hardware wise. DDR2 RAM can be had for under $20/2GB. You can get a good Intel Core2Duo processor for under $100.

What do you do with your PC now? Do you play games etc...

I buy all of my computer hardware from newegg.com. I'd also be glad to put together some suggestions. If you're handy with PC hardware you could probably build your own. The hardest thing is getting the heatsink mounted on the motherboard.