Looking At The Bottom Line - CPU, Cooler, Board And RAM
So, how much will a system based on our configuration cost you if we add up the CPU, RAM, cooler and motherboard? You'll find the price for each of the two variations - i.e. dual-core vs. quad-core -in the tables below.
Dual-Core Solution | |
---|---|
CPU | $227 |
CPU Cooler | $66 |
Board | max. $145 |
RAM | $95 |
Grand Total | $533 |
Quad-Core Solution | |
---|---|
CPU | $315 |
CPU Cooler | $66 |
Board | max. $145 |
RAM | $95 |
Grand Total | $621 |
As you can see, the dual-core setup comes in at just under $534, with the quad-core system costing $88 more. We're not including the price for other components such as graphics cards here, since that is beyond the scope of this article.
In the following section, which consists of our overclocking tests, we intend to find out whether the quad-core CPU is worth the extra cost