I was think about building a new computer but i dont understand processors. On newegg.com I see one that is a p4 3.0 ghz 800MHz FSB for $84. Then I see one that is Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz 667MHz FSB for $670. I dont get it. It seems the cheaper one is faster. Im afraid to buy one and make the wrong choice. What would you recommend for gaming?

The Core 2 Duos are a much faster chip. MHZ doesn't mean awhole lot anymore, as that is just the clock cycles per second. Different chips can execute a different amount of instructions per clock cycle. Plus those are dual core, so it is recognized by windows as having two processors. I have a AMD X2 and it is really nice having that second core.

As Deus said, the core duo chips are dual core, meaning its similar to having two processors on one die.

For gaming, a good graphics card and a lot of memory is the name of the game anyhow. AMD makes several processors in its 64 bit line that are excelent for gaming and in a "bang for the buck" comparison, you get more for your money over intel in a desktop application.

There really is no need to spend $600 on a processor unless you have a lot of spare change laying around and you just have to have the top of the line for the fun of it.

Try motherboards.org for tons of component reviews to help you choose.

Actually (and I'm a big AMD fan) that is no longer true, the Intel Core 2 Duos offer way more bang for the buck than AMD. Gotta wait to see what AMD's next lineup is.

Lets say a wanted to play a game that had system requirements of 1.7 ghz. Assuming all the other components of the computer were the same, which processor would run the game better:

A core duo 1.6 ghz or a p4 3.0 ghz?

The core duo doesnt meet system requirements but is still more expensive. Which number do I need to be looking at to tell which processors are the best?