what processor

[makro]

hey, guys new to this forum, wander if you could give some advice on processors, i am a way to buy a top pc for games, like half life 2, football manager (mls manager in us), etc

my question is that i am unsure which is the fastest or best processor to get either the amd athlon 64 or pentium 4

when reading about these i have noticed that most of the pentium 4's run at over 3ghz but that the amd's only run under 3ghz, is this what is meant by clock speed, as i do not know what this means. is clock speed different from the actual speed?, what would be the best to get

any help much appreciated

 

[MaximumGoat]

processor speed is a function of clock speed (the "ghz") and the amount of work done per unit of clock speed. pentiums have high clock speed and relatively low "work per clock", athlons have relatively low clock but high "work per clock".

AMD introduced number rating system to make it easier to appreciate that their processors are as fast or faster than higher clocked pentiums.

Athlon 64s are undeniably better for gaming. it terms of gaming it is more important to have a good graphics card (e.g. Geforce or Radeon.)

.

 

[ChrisPi]

Another vote for the Athlon64 here. Like the other poster said if gaming is your focus you'll want a good graphics card too. Hi-end I'd say a Geforce 6800gt is very fast and a good deal and for mid-range the 6600gt is supposed to be good (although it's not out yet).