I'm not very computer hardware literate and I needed a new processor. A friend advised me to get an AMD Sempron 2800 that runs at 1.6 GHz. I asked why not a Celeron that runs at 2.6 GHz, and he told me that 1.6 in AMD terms will run like 2.6 in Intel terms. Can anyone please explain this? Thanks.

AMD & Intel CPU technology is different. Basically, the AMD CPU is much more efficient, therefore it can accomplish the same amount of work as an Intel CPU, even though it runs at a lower clock speed. AMD recognized that most people only know numbers & Intel have been pushing GHz for years. When the "average Joe" looks at an Intel at 2.6GHz & an AMD at 1.6GHz, he's much more likely to choose the Intel. That's why AMD uses a "Performance Rating". An AMD 2800+ is roughly comparable to a Pentium 4 running at 2.8GHz. And all other things being equal, a Celeron 2.6GHz is considerably slower than a P4 2.6GHz. If you're gonna upgrade the board & CPU & wanna do it cheaply, I'd recommend a socket 754 2800+ Sempron 64 (about $75) & a board based on the nForce3 250 chipset (about $60). Check newegg.com This space for rent