As the Comparator shows, the K6-2/475
is about 5% faster than your current CPU. The 500MHz version is almost 10%
faster.
Is the extra speed worth an extra $45? Think of it like a (much
simplified) business decision:
If you are a typical computer user, your CPU only works hard about
50% of the time--
--up to an average of 80-90% of the time during graphics-intensive
games;
--maybe 10% of the time when word processing and writing e-mail.
From this premise, during an average hour of computing you would
spend about 3 minutes less time waiting for a K6-2/500 to
respond than you would your current processor.
{60 minutes x 50% CPU activity x 10% faster speed}
If you were paid a salary of, let's say $15 per hour (25 cents per
minute), the faster processor would save 75 cents per hour or $6 per
day in productivity that would otherwise be lost waiting for the
computer.
{$0.25 x 3 minutes per hour x 8 hours per day}
At this rate, the cost of the faster processor would be paid back in
productivity gains in a little more than 1 week!
Of course, this is just an estimate based on some very hypothetical
numbers. Your mileage will vary. But if you are a serious gamer, the extra
speed would be noticeable, all for the cost of one of those Pokemon
trading cards you weren't going to buy, anyway...
The CPU
Scorecard assumes no risk or liability for damage or loss due to
the use of the information or advice provided here. All responses are
based on the best available information at the time of writing. However,
users of this information who wish to apply it to their computer
situations do so at their own risk.
