Latest in computer processor

At one point, our computers had a central processing unit (CPU) with a single core. These days, most CPUs you'll come across are dual core, quad core, or even octo core. We'll explain exactly what a core is, whether a quad-core CPU is twice as fast as a dual-core CPU, and how this all impacts your real-world computer usage. Knowing the difference will help you make smart decisions when purchasing new hardware.
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Quite recently, I wrote an article revealing the disadvantages to Bitcoin mining. More precisely, a major disadvantage to the actual mining process is the cost vs. revenue battle, where you may be spending more money on generating bitcoins than you are earning with the bitcoins you have mined. This can vary based on the hardware you use for mining as well as the current value of a bitcoin.
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Purchasing a video card is a rite of passage for PC gamers. Researching, buying, and installing a brand new card for an existing rig separates casual gamers, who simply buy a new PC every so often, from those who truly care about the capabilities and performance of their system. That’s why any gamer looking to break into the do-it-yourself territory should check out GPU Boss.
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Over the last five or more years, there have been a number of different terms swirling around to describe computer hardware. Some of those terms include but aren’t limited to APU, CPU, and GPU. But for people who are confused about acronyms, it’s difficult to understand what a computer really has.
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Picking out a CPU for your next computer is no mean feat. Of course, if you build your own desktop, you can usually go with a single motherboard and just swap out the CPU as you see fit (depending on your CPU socket type). But if your next computer is a laptop, picking out the right CPU becomes even more crucial: Once you buy a computer with a given processor, that's it - you're stuck with that processor for the lifetime of the computer.
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Computer processors have a home. The socket. Most people ignore this piece of hardware because it has little obvious functional impact. Sockets don’t hinder or help performance they’re standardized in any given line of processors. Why should you care? If you ever intend on upgrading your processor, the socket on your motherboard will limit the upgrades you can choose from.
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Bad luck has nothing to do with Moore's Law. If that is the association you had, you are confusing it with Murphy's Law. However, you were not far off because Moore's Law and Murphy's Law are connected. Moore's Law was formulated by Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of Intel. In 1965 he reported observations about how fast semiconductor technology had advanced since the late 50s. Moore's Law has held true ever since.
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If you’ve paid any attention to smartphones and tablets you’ve likely heard of the term "ARM" used to refer to the hardware inside. It’s thrown around left and right, often as a point of differentiation from laptops and desktops, which use Intel x86. But what is ARM, exactly? A processor architecture? A brand a hardware? Or something else?
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Gaming computers are some of the most powerful consumer PCs on the market. Though beefy dual-processor workstations exist, they’re for work rather than play. People who buy a powerful computer for personal use usually do it so they can play the latest games. These computers are impressive, but they also draw a lot of power. This can slightly increase your power bills.
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Every computer has a processor, whether it's a small efficiency pro or a large performance powerhouse, or else it wouldn't be able to function. Of course, the processor, also called the CPU or Central Processing Unit, is an important part of a functioning system, but it isn't the only one. Today's processors are almost all at least dual-core, meaning that the entire processor itself contains two separate cores with which it can process information. But what are processor cores, and what exactly do they do?
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The processor remains one of the most important components in a modern computer. Upgrading it can provide significant benefits in certain games and applications, particularly if you are switching from a dual-core or quad-core model, or upgrading from some older processor architecture. It’s also not that complicated a project for a geek to tackle, but it can seem daunting.
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Intel has just released its new line of laptop and desktop processors, but they’re not the only ones working on a new product. AMD has also been working hard to improve its laptop APUs and has now released them. These new feature both updated processor cores and an updated graphics solution, both of which are sorely needed.
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Intel has just released its new updated processor, code-named Ivy Bridge, for both desktops and laptops. You’ll find these new products listed as the 3000 series and you can buy at least some of them now (stock levels permitting, of course). You may be wondering what the new processors bring to the table. Are they worth the upgrade, or are they just an incremental improvement?
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There's absolutely no doubt that competition between chip makers is steadily increasing not only for PC processors but for mobile and other-purpose processors as well. The big five that need to be mentioned are Intel, AMD, nVidia, Qualcomm, and Apple. All these companies have different takes on how to evolve their processors, which will make it interesting to see whose strategy will allow them to rise to the top.
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Back in late 1999, I built my first computer. It used an AMD Athlon processor clocked at 500 MHz which was quick enough to play most games at the time, and also a better value than what Intel offered. I also liked supporting the underdog. During the early years of Athlon, it seemed as if AMD has a legitimate chance against Intel. Yet, as the years moved forward, the momentum disappeared.
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