Does GHz matter? Or is it just the type of processor?
The architecture is far more important than the clock speed. Clock speed only is used to differentiate CPUs of the same type (Pentium-4 1.8GHz vs. Pentium-4 2.4 GHz). These days, model numbers are used (Phenom II X4 940 vs. Phenom II X4 920) to differentiate the CPUs. There is no way to compare CPUs using their clock speeds if they’re not the same CPU. For instance, Intel is faster than AMD “clock for clock” which means that a Core 2 Quad 3.0GHz will be faster than a Phenom II X4 940 3.0GHz. However, that’s not the end of the story because the Core2Quad will be far more expensive than the Phenom II X4, more than the difference in performance really deserves. As a result, for most people who have no need whatsoever for the power of the Intel Core i7 series (95% of the consumer market) will be far better off buying AMD CPUs and pocketing the difference. For what the average user who knows little to nothing about computers, like, for instance, people who ask about laptop CPUs in the Yahoo
