Good day to you all,I need a little education as regards certain system unit components and its significance in the operation of a system.
A good scenario is two systems listed below,Which should be faster among a system with;
(1). 2.3Ghz processor speed with 512mb Ram(Random access Memory) and
(2). 1.7Ghz processor speed with 1Gb Ram(Random access Memory)
Assuming they have the same Hard Disk installed and having used the same percentage of space, So my question is which of these CPU components actually determines the speed of a system,
Your Views and comment would be Highly appreciated,
Regards,

Neither determines the speed of a PC but both do. Depends on what you will be using the PC for. To have a processor with high speed is good but you might not see any difference with increase in processor speed when using normal applications on your PC, but try using the same PC for gaming or Graphics design and then it'll pay to have higher processor speed.
Your PC stores temporary data on the RAM and if the RAM is filled up, temporary data is stored on the hard drive (in the paging file) which is much slower, in this case it'll take two steps to retrieve the temp data, first step is from the paging file and then second step is from the RAM. If the RAM wasn't filled up, it'll take just one step (from the RAM) to retrieve the temporary data. So it pays to have a good amount of RAM.

From the spec you've given I'd probably go for No.2 if I was a PC user running normal everyday applications because I'll not see much difference running on a 1.7Ghz plus I have the advantage of a higher RAM.

sting_224:

Neither determines the speed of a PC but both do. Depends on what  you will be using the PC for. To have a processor with high speed is good but  you might not see any difference with increase in processor speed when using normal applications on your PC, but try using the same PC for gaming or Graphics design and then it'll pay to have higher processor speed.
Your PC stores temporary data on the RAM and if the RAM is filled up, temporary data is stored on the hard drive (in the paging file) which is much slower, in this case it'll take two steps to retrieve the temp data, first step is from the paging file and then second step is from the RAM. If the RAM wasn't filled up, it'll take just one step (from the RAM) to retrieve the temporary data. So it pays to have a good amount of RAM.

From the spec you've given I'd probably go for No.2 if I was a PC user running normal everyday applications because I'll not see much difference running on a 1.7Ghz plus I have the advantage of a higher RAM.

I don't understand the highlighted

RAM alone does not determine neither does the CPU speed alone, but speed of a PC is determined by both RAM and CPU.

I assume that RAM wl only be noticeable wen running heavy applications bt wld be insignificant wen doing a light program where as the processor speed wl be noticeable.
I think CACHE also plays a major rule. I once had a laptop wt 120gb hdd,1.8ghz and 1gb ram whch rips my CD twice faster than my other 120gb hdd,2.2ghz and 2gb ram.

Sting has already answered your question but to add to it, the type of processor do perform differently even for the same speed. There are different processors from Intel and amd, an i5 processor does not have the same performance to an i3 processor even for the same speed.

For me, i pay attention to the processor type/model, speed, ram and as sting suggested there are other things to look for depending on what you need the pc for. What is needed for gaming and heavy graphics rendering is different for what someone needs for just casually browsing on the internet.

In Fred Flintstone's language,

RAM basically is how many applications you can run at once

Processor as it implies is how fast it "processes" the application

Video editing, graphic apps and heavy gaming will do well with a high speed processor

RAM would do well for say multiple programs running at the same time like internet here, excel there, itunes playing in the background, downloading on the other hand etc,

The processor is the first and follow by the RAM. The combination is the actual determination. The microprocessor in Ghz(as in OP comment) is the processor speed and very important during the process of carrying out any function in a computer, likewise the RAM(Random Access Memory) which is a place where temporal execution of instructions are stored before being transfered to the CPU(Central Processing Unit)or the processor - the speed matter a lot to the working time of your system. Without RAM your system can't operate and the same thing with the processor - that is, both of them are needed at a reasonable speed for your computer to carry out its functions properly. However, a i7 microprocessor with 4gb RAM would do a job at better speed  than core 2 duo system with 6gb RAM. So, the microprocessor speed is the core speed while the RAM is temporal speed in a way.

When buying a system the most important thing to look out for first is the processor speed because a high speed processor will definitely need a large size RAM accompanied with it before any other things.

sting_244 is right, they both determine the speed. but i think the processor speed plays a more significant role.

Skii:

In Fred Flintstone's language,

RAM basically is how many applications you can run at once

Processor as it implies is how fast it "processes" the application

Video editing, graphic apps and heavy gaming will do well with a high speed processor

RAM would do well for say multiple programs running at the same time like internet here, excel there, itunes playing in the background, downloading on the other hand etc,

in addition to the above, a fast processor is what you look at. irrespective of the amount of RAM available, you can typically expand the RAM by buying more, so if i was you, i'd buy option 1 and buy 2*2GB memory modules in the market and remove the 512MB onboard

Just for general edification, the possible speed of a PC is determined solely by the PROCESSOR.

if you put a formula 1 engine into a trailer, it can never run like a formula 1 engine inside a formula 1 vehicle body type

all other components make it possible for the processor to attain it maximum potential

I have heard a lot of CHACHE and i heard it play a vitral role in terms of speed of the PC. how do someone check the chache size and what's it actual work in a compuer system

What is processor & what is RAM, how do they relate?

Brother its is the RAM

Theoretically, The speed of your system is determined by how fast your processor is.

but in practical terms, it is limited by the size of your RAM.


The processor does not 'speak' to the hard disk directly but rather works on data loaded in the RAM. So the bigger your RAM the bigger the amount of data your processor will be able to crunch per time.

Just trying to explain in lay man's terms.



However to your poser.

Go for item 2.
Reason: In this age of Vista, Windows 7, 8. Having 512Gb RAM will mess you up. In fact its complete rubbish (am serious)

Even 1gb RAM will be stretched by these operating systems.


Really, I wont advice you to go for anything less than 2GB RAM.
but if you are just left with a choice btw the two then go for the 2nd choice.


(In the alternative, why dont you buy option 1, then you can easily purchase a 1GB or 2GB RAM to add to it and enjoy max benefits from your sys.)

walcolm:

Just for general edification, the possible speed of a PC is determined solely by the PROCESSOR.

if you put a formula 1 engine into a trailer, it can never run like a formula 1 engine inside a formula 1 vehicle body type

all other components make it possible for the processor to attain it maximum potential

Spot on, bro

Your RAM is as important as ur processor. The larger the RAM space, the faster your processor process ur applications/workload.

OK. The answer has been posted already but let me try to explain it a different way.

There are two components to how fast a computer is (1) the time it takes to retrieve the information, and (2) the time it takes to process the information.

To explain how a RAM affects the time it takes to retrieve information see the example below.

Imagine two people are in Nigeria and they both need to go to the US to buy a pen, and the only option is traveling there to pick it up on two types of airplane. The first is a regular Boeing 757 and the second is a Smaller Jet that travels 1.5X faster than the Boeing.

There's no question that the person flying on the smaller Jet will get back to Nigeria faster.

Now, let's change the facts a little bit. Assuming that on the way back, the person that traveled on the Boeing left a copy of the pen in UK. If both of you have to go get the pen a second time around, the person on the Boeing will return to Nigeria faster because he only has to go to UK to pick it up.

A computer with a larger RAM and slower processor won't be faster the first time around but might be faster on retrieving essentially the same subsequent information that does not require access to the hard disk.



If I had to choose, I will go with the computer with the faster processor because (1) it will be mostly faster due to the 512 RAM being more than adequate, and (2) most memories are upgradeable and cheap.

you guys have said it all and in addition, dual core, quad, core 2 duo, i3 , i5, i7processor types are also a factor, they contain multiple processor chips not necessarily the processor speed and they are better than the former. 32bit , 64 bit processor is also a factor, before now we have limited option for comparison but due to high tech we hv alot of option to determine sys peed.  it also depends on the task you are performing. now deleting a huge file does not require much RAM accessibility but copying a hug file require both the RAM and processor.

sholasys:

you guys have said it all and in addition, dual core, quad, core 2 duo, i3 , i5, i7processor types are also a factor, they contain multiple processor chips not necessarily the processor speed and they are better than the former. 32bit , 64 bit processor is also a factor, before now we have limited option for comparison but due to high tech we hv alot of option to determine sys peed.  it also depends on the task you are performing. now deleting a huge file does not require much RAM accessibility but copying a hug file require both the RAM and processor.

As of today, most people that buy quad cores or even dual cores are not going to get the benefit, and the same is true for 32-bit vs 64-bit machine. For you to get the benefit of multiple cores, your application must have been written to take advantage of multiple cores (must be multi-threaded).

With regards to 32-bit vs 64-bit, what good is a 64-bit machine when your application can only read in 32-bits?

However, new applications are now written to take advantage of the extra oomph. But you are right, with the right application, all the things you listed will matter.

yep.

No matter the size of the processor the operations of the PC will be hindered every now and then if the size the ram is very low. What I am sayin in essence is that both the processor and the ram works to enhance the speed of the computer.

Pecca:

No matter the size of the processor the operations of the PC will be hindered every now and then if the size the ram is very low. What I am sayin in essence is that both the processor and the ram works to enhance the speed of the computer.

Somewhat true but the question is to what extent? The first computer listed has 512 MB, which is a lot on any computer, and a much faster processor. The effects of the RAM and processor can't be clearly stated because the issue is one of relative speed and not absolute speed, which is why bench tests are done. It is not as if one is comparing 0 RAM to 1 GB RAM, or 0 GHz to 2.3 GHz.

I say somewhat because I don’t understand what you mean by “hindered”. Hindered compared to what? If I have a processor 3 times as fast as your computer, even with zero RAM, I would wager that it will be just as fast if not faster than your computer.

I think that you’re overestimating the usefulness of a RAM. On a freshly rebooted computer, even with RAM, you will still need to fetch the data from the hard drive and save a copy in RAM the first time around. And on subsequent fetches, you still need to fetch from RAM, the only difference being a shorter turn-around time than when fetching from the hard drive.

If my processor is 3 times as fast, it doesn’t really matter that your data is closer (in RAM) because I’m way faster than you and I can perform multiple reads/writes in the same time it takes you to perform one read/write from RAM.

For example, in a 100m race, if you put a 3 year old 20 feet from the finish line, a trained sprinter will still reach the finish line before the 3 year old.

Both are important.  The facts are

1. The Proc Speed is the actual measure of how fast your PC runs and is able to process instructions - Very important. Naturally your PC is fast once you have a faster Proc. However

2. Your RAM aids your PC and you the user by ensuring you have enough hot memory to load both applications and data, e.g when u open, Word, Excel, AutoCAd all the same time.
   The larger the RAM size the better the Proc is able to perform manipulation of data directly from RAM. Else,  if the RAM is insufficient it transfers data to your Harddisk which is much slower
   to communicate and retrieve data from, leading to slightly slower response when the Proc needs to operate on a data fast.

If you have basic load, e.g just word processing your FAST Proc is OK . But if you do a lot of multi-tasking  which involves the software loading and manipulating multiple sets/store of data. You need more RAM.

Frankly. RAM complements the capability of the Processor. Especially during multiple program execution


If you really want to know how fast and what processor to buy go http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

Guardian:

Both are important.  The facts are

1. The Proc Speed is the actual measure of how fast your PC runs and is able to process instructions - Very important. Naturally your PC is fast once you have a faster Proc. However

2. Your RAM aids your PC and you the user by ensuring you have enough hot memory to load both applications and data, e.g when u open, Word, Excel, AutoCAd all the same time.
   The larger the RAM size the better the Proc is able to perform manipulation of data directly from RAM. Else,  if the RAM is insufficient it transfers data to your Harddisk which is much slower
   to communicate and retrieve data from, leading to slightly slower response when the Proc needs to operate on a data fast.

If you have basic load, e.g just word processing your FAST Proc is OK . But if you do a lot of multi-tasking  which involves the software loading and manipulating multiple sets/store of data. You need more RAM.

Frankly. RAM complements the capability of the Processor. Especially during multiple program execution


If you really want to know how fast and what processor to buy go http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

It is not just about absolute numbers! I was hoping to avoid digging up some tests but here you go:

Apple iMac
CPU 3.1GHz
RAM 4 GB

Apple iMac
CPU 2.8GHz
RAM 4 GB

DELL XPS 8300
CPU 3.4 GHz
RAM 8 GB

HP Touchpad
CPU 2.93 GHz
RAM 8 GB


Testing Result
Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Dell XPS 8300                            60
Apple iMac 27-inch (3.1GHz)      63
Apple iMac 27-inch (2.8GHz)      75
HP TouchSmart 610q 1065qd    77
Sony Vaio L21SFX                      81

Adobe Photoshop CS5 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Dell XPS 8300                                                   214
Apple iMac 27-inch (3.1GHz, Spring 2011)        236
HP TouchSmart 610q 1065qd                           242
Sony Vaio L21SFX                                             255
Apple iMac 27-inch (2.8GHz, Summer 2010)     257


Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Apple iMac 27-inch (3.1GHz, Spring 2011)               86
Dell XPS 8300                                                          92
HP TouchSmart 610q 1065qd                                  113
Apple iMac 27-inch (2.8GHz, Summer 2010)            115
Sony Vaio L21SFX                                                    136

Multimedia multitasking (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Apple iMac 27-inch (3.1GHz, Spring 2011)                  121
Apple iMac 27-inch (2.8GHz, Summer 2010)               147
Dell XPS 8300                                                             275
HP TouchSmart 610q 1065qd                                     328
Sony Vaio L21SFX                                                       368

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/apple-imac-27-inch/4505-3118_7-34662591.html?tag=rb_content;contentBody#reviewPage1

From numbers alone, none of the computers should be close to the Dell XPS 8300 in performance but that's not the case! The iMacs only have half the RAM size of the others but still performed near the top or at the top. In multitasking, the iMac got things done in almost half the time!

The imac's naturally would out perform others.

Compare apples to apples solely on intel base processors.

Least we forget OS architecture adds a bit of performance improvement viz windows software on a Linux platform definitely would perform better than a windows version on a windows platform.

Processor -Determine how smooth your Application run .

RAM- determine how many application you can run at a time.

Processor determines speed of your system.

i'd like to use another analogy, you have 2 full tanks one is has 5000 liters capacity, the other has 2000 liters capacity; they have taps of different diameters, the diameter of the tap with 2000 liters is twice the diameter of the tap of tank with 5000 liters; which one will fill a 10 liter bucket faster?

This is how i'll put it. Generally cpus are faster than ram (actually cpus also have what is known as cache memory which is faster than ram but that is not what this topic is about). Anyway generally ram tends to be a potential bottleneck; even though the 2.3ghz cpu is faster less ram will limit the performance

so in answer to your question, the 1.7ghz processor will do better, a 1ghz cpu with 2gb ram will do even better still because like i said before the amount of ram is the main limiting factor in all the scenarios (unless you're sunning windows 2000 or older)

Are you guys saying neither determines the speed and they need to work together.
Be that as it may, when buying a gaming laptop, what should one look at for? We know gaming software are the most sophisticated softwares

Wallie:

Somewhat true but the question is to what extent? The first computer listed has 512 MB, which is a lot on any computer,

512mb is NOT a lot on any computer running vista or later, you're just setting yourself up for some major frustration, in fact on post XP machines 512mb is the minimum required ram - not the recommended

sniperwolf:

Are you guys saying neither determines the speed and they need to work together.
Be that as it may, when buying a gaming laptop, what should one look at for? We know gaming software are the most sophisticated softwares

you want to complicate issues abi? i'm not a gamer but i think i know a few things such as: high cpu is important, high ram is important though for playing games not quite, HOWEVER you must have a good graphics card that also has high cpu (usually called GPU) and high ram (video memory), but in any case 512mb ram will still be too small - anything less than 2gb is less than adequate though 1gb is barely manageable

In my humble opinion, both the processor and the ram determines speed. but the processor comes first.

Hence assuming both are using the XP operating system,

The 2.3Ghz processor speed with 512mb Ram should be way faster than the 1.7Ghz processor speed with 1Gb Ram in carrying out normal operations.

your performance will suffer considerably during multitasking because of the lesser ram, but take for example, you are working with an excel sheet full of macros, the calculation of the sheet is dependent on the processor rating, hence a higher processor will perform better in this situation.