[sajasio]

I am trying to decide which CPU I should buy. I would prefer to stay under $350. I am extremely reluctant to switch to AMD for many reasons such as stability. I am not an overclocker. currently I am looking at 4 CPUs: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650, and Intel Core i7 920. The fourth I am looking at is the Intel Core i7 940.which is above my budget but I could try to find the money. I need something that can handle video editing and special effects fairly well. I do a little gaming. What makes sense for me?

[Carbon]

There is no such thing as "stability" in processors. Either processors work or they don't. Processors do not "die" or "break" unless they run without a heatsink.

For video editing (specifically real-time preview) you're going to need a good graphics card. For video rendering, you'll need a good CPU. The i7 will render the best of them, but it won't do anything else any better than the E8500.

AMD has a triple-core Phenom II that will give you an edge (+1 core), is cheap ($120), and matches the E8500 as well.

So it all depends on the weight of the video stuff. Do you do this professionally? As a hobby? Or rarely? Are you rendering very large video that takes hours or small clips?

[sajasio]

I am no professional. Its really a hobby I guess. My editing is erratic sometimes I might make a video that would last an hour other times I am making 3 minute shorts.

[cragtom]

1 choose the duel-core
and save loads of cash the quad-core is really for high end users and the i7 chips are for even higher end users
2 Intel have said as much when it comes to games and other programs made today they only really work on duel-core and will do for sometime so if you buy more expensive processors with more cores they will be idle (not doing anything)

[sajasio]

I decided to go with the AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb because it had similar benchmarks to the core i7 and cost a ton less.

[Carbon]

Yep, that's a good choice as well. Enjoy.