@ofRealmTruFaith: I thought that i7 was the type of processor and Intel was the brand and ivy bridge was the class? I have the first gen i7 to come out. but true many of the newer i3's are much faster than my i7.
$40 really isn't that much, since many newer games cost that, plus have in game stuff for sale or monthly dues...
Intel is the company, i7 is a brand, ivy bridge is the microarchitecture and 965 is the processor (most likely model, assuming you've truly got an original i7; see ark.intel.com/compare/37148,37147,37149 )
- brands are meaningless marketing things
- microarchitectures are microcode additions and modifications to binary-compatible macroarchitectures (IA32x64 or x86-64; "Intel 64" or 'EM64T') plus their lithography used [manufacturing process]
SHORTVERSION == microarchitecture = the specifications of the processing hardware which operating systems and other code must take into account to run optimally/efficiently on them and take advantage of their new features
- class generally refers to package, formfactor or socket i.e. LGA1366 or PBA986 (Land Grid Array tells you the packaging of the processor, the chipsets and thus motherboard formfactors and types on systes in which said processors can be installed etc)
if you learn Intel's nomenclature you can know almost every importance feature of a given processor by its model# (AMD has no such consistency) but its branding (i7, i5, i3, Pentium, Celeron, xeon, opteron, phenom, Athlon)
the only partial exception to this is with overclocking models - anything with {K, X, extreme, black, fx} in its name means you're paying more $ for less utility and warranty in exchange for the ability to get a few additional MHz per clock; DUMB idea (economically and technologically - makes you less efficient, less secure and less precise)
hope I've been clear? 't's my passion to inform people about technology and economics (probably part of why I enjoy GalCiv and appreciate StarDock as a company?)
