Expert: Bobbert - 9/8/2010

Question
Do you think, overall for performance, the Intel i-5 processor is better or equal to a Phenom II x6 ?   I hear mixed reviews.  What are your thoughts?
I need it for emails, heavy internet use, digital camera and sending them via email, Word 7, speech recognition software, DVD/CD's good sound system, 64 bits, good RAM
Thanks

Answer
The majority of your adjectival descriptors are unrelated to any specific tasks, terms such as "good sound system", "64 bits", and "good RAM" are more or less undirected marketing-speak.

That said, for the very basic tasks you have outlined (such as browsing the Internet), you will see no difference between those processors as your stated tasks have almost no compute demand contrasted to modern CPUs (especially such powerful models as you've mentioned); you could purchase something much cheaper and be just as well served (such as an Athlon II X2 or Core 2 Duo/Core i3). Ultimately I wouldn't suggest either of those processors for the tasks you've stated that are actual usage scenarios, as they will be completely overkill (and they require more power and create more heat due to their higher performance nature, which equates to a higher electric bill as well as a higher initial purchase price - essentially it's wasteful).

Given the tasks you have listed, I would probably even go so far as to suggest considering a refurbished computer from a reputable vendor like Computer Geeks or Newegg, something with a Core 2 Duo or even a Pentium 4 will be more than suitable for browsing the Internet and word processing tasks.

-bob