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New iPhone vs. an older desktop computer

rotobadger

rotobadger

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 18, 2007
1,281
187
I was hoping someone might be able help me understand how the new iPhone compares to an actual desktop computer. Several years ago I had an Emachines desktop computer. 400 MHz with 128 MB of RAM and a 4 GB (!) hard drive. Compared to the 600 MHz processor in the iPhone with 256 MB of RAM does this mean the iPhone is more "powerful" than my old E-Machines computer? Or am I comparing Apples to Oranges (no pun intended)? On paper it looks like the iPhone blows the computer away.

I've always wondered about this and hope someone can explain. Thanks!
 
rotobadger said:
I was hoping someone might be able help me understand how the new iPhone compares to an actual desktop computer. Several years ago I had an Emachines desktop computer. 400 MHz with 128 MB of RAM and a 4 GB (!) hard drive. Compared to the 600 MHz processor in the iPhone with 256 MB of RAM does this mean the iPhone is more "powerful" than my old E-Machines computer? Or am I comparing Apples to Oranges (no pun intended)? On paper it looks like the iPhone blows the computer away.

I've always wondered about this and hope someone can explain. Thanks!
Click to expand...

While you can't really do a 1:1 comparison, I would still say yes, the iPhone blows your eMachines computer away.
 
rotobadger said:
I was hoping someone might be able help me understand how the new iPhone compares to an actual desktop computer. Several years ago I had an Emachines desktop computer. 400 MHz with 128 MB of RAM and a 4 GB (!) hard drive. Compared to the 600 MHz processor in the iPhone with 256 MB of RAM does this mean the iPhone is more "powerful" than my old E-Machines computer? Or am I comparing Apples to Oranges (no pun intended)? On paper it looks like the iPhone blows the computer away.

I've always wondered about this and hope someone can explain. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes. The iPhone is more powerful, but even more so since the RAM is faster and the processor speed isn't really a big deal, but the iPhone does have a more efficient architecture. I would bet that with the iPhone underclocked to 400MHz it would still be more powerful.
 
That's what really impresses me about the 3G S, is how powerful it is in relation to machines that came out just a couple of years ago. Incredible.
 
rotobadger said:
I was hoping someone might be able help me understand how the new iPhone compares to an actual desktop computer. Several years ago I had an Emachines desktop computer. 400 MHz with 128 MB of RAM and a 4 GB (!) hard drive. Compared to the 600 MHz processor in the iPhone with 256 MB of RAM does this mean the iPhone is more "powerful" than my old E-Machines computer? Or am I comparing Apples to Oranges (no pun intended)? On paper it looks like the iPhone blows the computer away.

I've always wondered about this and hope someone can explain. Thanks!
Click to expand...

what are you guys talking about

I would take a P4 chip over an ARM chip any day

the old celeron's were a piece crap, but the celeron D chips are not terrible


mhz and ram speed are not everything, you have to take into account how complex the CPU architecture is, plus the fact desktops allow you to have add in cards like a GPU and an external sound card.
 
Dr. Cabrera said:
what the hell are you guys talking about

I would take a P4 chip over an ARM chip any day

the old celeron's were a piece crap, but the celeron D chips are not terrible


mhz and ram speed are not everything, you have to take into account how complex the CPU architecture is, plus the fact desktops allow you to have add in cards like a GPU and an external sound card.
Click to expand...

You'd rather have an old P4 computer than an iPhone just because you can expand on it? :confused::confused::confused:
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
You'd rather have an old P4 computer than an iPhone just because you can expand on it? :confused::confused::confused:
Click to expand...

I'm talking about pure processing power

If you could fit a pentium 4 chip + dedicated 3D GPU running windows XP inside a 3G i would definitely take that !
 
I don't get what the purpose of comparing the "usefulness." You can do a million more things with a P4 than an iPhone b/c they are designed for different things.

I can say that YEARS ago, I remember running a 550mhz Athlon w/ a GeForce 1 video card that ran quake 3 smoothly. The 3g can do the same thing, so I'd say the 3G S is way beyond a 600mhz P3/first gen Athlon.

Question is, is there a version of 3dmark for the iphone? I'd love to run it, lol. Now if I can OC my 3G S.... :D
 
I remember thinking that my first desktop computer was more powerful than the computer that powered the Apollo command module and the Lunar Lander fifteen years earlier.

It didn't mean I could land my desk on the moon.

The same is true of comparing the iPhone to older PC's. Arguably, it is more powerful. But I wouldn't want to write a novel on it.

Possibly the day will come when the iPhone will wirelessly link with a nearby monitor and keyboard and present a desktop style UI to perform some office work. But for now it's primarily a mobile device that can't really be compared to a desktop PC as they perform different functions and have different strengths, regardless of their relative power.
 
Synthetickiller said:
I can say that YEARS ago, I remember running a 550mhz Athlon w/ a GeForce 1 video card that ran quake 3 smoothly. The 3g can do the same thing, so I'd say the 3G S is way beyond a 600mhz P3/first gen Athlon.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answers so far guys. The above is kind of what I'm getting at. I understand that a desktop computer and a cell phone are different beasts but it's fun to think about having something in your pocket like an iPhone that can out perform what was sitting on your desk a few years ago. I read somewhere that the original Game Boy had more "power" than the computers used to handle the first trip to the moon. Amazing stuff!

I guess another way of looking at it is if you could install Windows 95 into your iPhone and plug a keyboard and a monitor into it, would it perform as well as a 400 MHz Emachine with 128 MB of RAM?

This stuff facinates me. Think about what we'll be saying about the iPhone of today...20 years from now. They'll be like those old LED calculators! :p
 
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