Which System Is Better?

[Iggy]

I still get a little confused when comparing dos systems.  Which would be a faster, better computer/processor?

1.  An older (maybe 5 to 7 Y.O.) system with a 2.52ghz processor?

2.  A 3 year old system with an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.80ghz?

Number 1 is what I use daily.  Number 2 is being offered to me by someone moving at a hard to resist price.

What are you comparing? If the older system is a P4, put it down, step back and walk away from it.
The entire Netburst design only proved that Intel could still make really stupid decisions.
The entire shift to Core2 was necesitated but Intels loss of the X86 top dog crown to its licensee AMD when Amd's A64s started slapping Intels products at lower clockspeed because of a superior design.

Stated more simply, your probably better of with the Core2, especially if that CPU can be upgraded. Core2 help us all regain some measure of respect for Intel (on my part begrudged).

[Iggy]

As long as it's a core 2 duo, the original Duo Core chips sucked almost as badly as P4s...

It seems to be what he stated. And its not a bad system, might even be slightly over-clockable.

Glad to see so many of you were as horrified by the P4 as I was.
When they were introduced I warned a former employer to avoid them. There was something odd about how the Pentium III out performed the Pentium IV.
Personally, I think Intels blind focus on memory bandwidth and the assinie idea that the design would scale to 10 Ghz blinded them to tghe inherent flaws in the design.

[Iggy]

OK, here is what is being offered to me for $200

20" Samsung Syncmaster monitor 205bw

Tower-

2 gigs ram
ASRock 775Dual Motherboard
MSI 8600 graphics card
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.80ghz
2 hard drives - 32gig & 320gig
USB Wireless wifi receiver
DVD Burner
Windows 7
Microsoft wireless mouse
Microsoft wireless keyboard

I think that's most everything.

Is the price way out of line because this is double the $100 amount.

I'd buy it. You didn't mention the monitor. The Motherboard probably accepts better processors (I've had a lot of good luck with Asrock).

If you don't buy, PM me the sellers contact info and I'll buy it.

[Iggy]

The video slots are a little weird (Agp8X and PCIe4x).

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=775Dual-vsta

But the processor compatibilty is not bad.

http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.asp?Model=775Dual-VSTA

No quad cores, but some fairly fast early Core 2s.