PROCESSOR UPGRADE

The CPU is the brain of the computer. It performs all the calculations and computations necessary for programs to run. These calculations take place within millionths of a second. As the programs get more complex, the time required for the calculations will also increase. Processing a photo may take a second or two but encoding an hour-long video will take an hour or more.

Buying a faster processor can significantly decrease the time these tasks take. For example, a dual-core Core i5 can batch process videos three to five times quicker than an Atom processor.

Here are a list of processors currently available in the market. Choose the one that best suits your needs:

Basic Processors (Can handle web surfing, document writing, etc...)

• AMD Turion
• Atom
• Intel Celeron
• Fusion E-Series

Entry Level Processors - (Suitable for entertainment and everyday tasks)

• Intel Pentium Series
• AMD A-Series
• Intel Core i3

Performance - (Suitable for resource intensive tasks like gaming)

• Intel Core i5
• Intel Core i7 (dual-core)
• Intel Core i7 (quad-core)

High-End - (The fastest currently available)

• Intel Extreme Edition

 If you use only the web and basic productivity applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. a basic processor will suffice. Everyone else will need at least an entry-level or performance CPU.