Dell really ought not to pull a switch on you; the offer to make up the
difference with a fairly useless trinket adds insult to injury. Since you
will use the system for video and graphics editing, the expansion to 1 GByte
main memory will be a definite advantage, while the difference between a 1
MByte L2 cache and a 1/2 MByte L2 cache may not show up as plainly. What
MAY be important, especially in the future (as software begins to take
advantage) is the extra set of SIMD instructions that the "Prescott" has and
the "Northwood" does not (Single Instruction Multiple Data instructions are
useful for graphics, audio, and video manipulation.) Though there have been
some questions about the longer 'pipeline' for instructions in the
"Prescott" compared to the "Northwood" video, audio, and graphics
manipulation contains a lot of repetitive proceedures, so a longer pipeline
will not have the performance penalty that other, more random proceedures
might incur. I'd complain loudly to Dell, and ask for your original order,
but with a 3.4 "Northwood" to be replaced by Dell with a "Prescott" as soon
as available. Dell advertised it, they ought to make good, and a memory
expansion or useless trinket doesn't fulfill their offering.
--
Phil Weldon, pweldonatmindjumpdotcom
For communication,
replace "at" with the 'at sign'
replace "mindjump" with "mindspring."
replace "dot" with "."
"Joline" <pokie24772.DeleteThis@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:f05aad30.0403071442.79ef5655@posting.google.com...
> courseyauto.DeleteThis@aol.com (Courseyauto) wrote in message
news:<20040226101030.20136.00000417.DeleteThis@mb-m27.aol.com>...
> > Fortunately for you...I don't think the Dimension 8300 can be configured
> > with a Celeron. So more than likely it's the Prescott to Northwood.
> >
> >
> > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> >
> > Which will be an improvement over the prescott.....................
>
>
> Thanks for providing your response. Unfortunately I hadn't followed
> up these responses before agreeing to the order in its new
> configuration - that is, a Northwood processor from Intel with 512KB
> cache (instead of a Prescott processor 1MB cache per initial request).
> Rather than accepting a 128MB USB memory key at $99 to compensate the
> reduced cache capacity, which I don't think will serve any purpose, I
> requested an increase in RAM from 512MB to 1GB, which I had assumed
> would compensate for the loss in cache capacity. Dell approved the
> request at no extra cost. At the time, their "customise desktop" web
> page (for Australia) offered an increase to 1GB RAM from 512MB for an
> additional $221. I have since revisited that web page several days
> later, and now the standard configuration for Dimension 8300 is 512MB
> cache and 1GB RAM. The desktop is still an Intel P4, not a Celeron. I
> wonder if I had made the right choice as I am not well versed on the
> difference between a Prescott and a Northwood and if having the same
> clock speed but with less cache and an increase in RAM will make a
> difference. I would be interested to hear your comments on that. I
> have also noted in another forum a suggestion for another person with
> same problem to wait a couple of months until Dell receives a further
> supply of Prescott 1MB cache. Will it ever happen and what then?
> Should I then order a replacement of the cache component and pay
> extra? Would it be worth it? I worry that it may slow down my work
> i.e. video editing and graphic illustrations.
>
> Joline<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
>> Stay informed about: Clock Speed 
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