As a student, we were told that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Yeah, right. Obviously the person who thought of that cliche never attended a debate between presidential candidates. Nonetheless, only by asking does real learning take place. Which is why we have created a section in CNET Asia for readers to get a one-to-one consultation with the writers.

However, there is only so many times we can answer the same "Should we get Windows or Mac" query before we start looking for a nice high-rise hotel to jump off from. So before the streets are littered with the remains of poor CNET Asia writers, take a look at the most commonly asked questions and see if you can find your insight here.

1. Duo core vs single core

Q: Given the same application, will a single-core 2.0GHz CPU perform faster than, say, a Core Duo 1.86GHz CPU?

A: Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The performance depends on the type of application and how it was programmed. In order to take full advantage of the dual-core platform, the program must be written to permit multithread processing.

But even for single-thread applications, the faster 667MHz font side bus speed of the Core Duo chipset may give it an advantage over the older 533MHz FSB platform if the program involves frequent data transfer. However, for single-thread number-crunching tasks, a faster single-core processor may trump a slower dual-core chip.

2. AMD Turion 64 x2 vs Intel Core 2 Duo for a laptop

Q: I want to buy a laptop. Which processor should I pick? The AMD or the Intel? I'm an engineering student. I intend to use it for my school assignments as well as to play games like WoW or C&C.

A: Though some have reported that the Core 2 Duo chip performs faster and uses less power than an equivalent AMD processor, you will need to consider the graphics card as well. AMD laptops have the lead in terms of pricing. Hence, in the end, it may make more sense to select a Turion-based system with a discrete graphics card that costs as much as a Core 2 Duo portable with an integrated video chipset.

3. Processor speed vs RAM

Q: Simply put, which is better? Should I go for an Intel Duo Core processor 1.6GHz or 1MB RAM?

A: On the technical level, applications which involve massive amounts of computing power, like scientific calculations or physics computation, would love a faster processor. Programs that need to frequently transfer large amount of data from the harddisk, such as database maintenance or file transfers, will benefit from a larger RAM.

Of course, gaming and multimedia editing are processor- and memory-intensive tasks that will benefit from increasing both clock speed and RAM.

On the retail level, go for a system with a faster processor. You can always upgrade the RAM with third-party options later, but you are stuck with whatever processor you choose at the point of purchase.

4. What is HyperMemory? TurboCache memory?

Q: I'm getting confused with all these laptop specs. I'm inclined to buy a laptop with dedicated video memory, not just shared (example, Intel GMA).

I've seen these in specs for laptops and I've been wondering: What exactly is HyperMemory (for ATI)? TurboCache memory (for Nvidia)?

Sometimes, the specification is written like this: "ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with up up to 512MB HyperMemory 256MB Full Video Memory."

Does that mean HyperMemory is like shared video memory--video memory borrowed from RAM? In the case above, does it mean it has 256MB dedicated video memory and could borrow another 256MB memory from the RAM?

What if it's just written like this: "ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 with 256MB HyperMemory." Does it mean ALL the 256MB memory is just shared? No real dedicated video memory?

A: HyperMemory and TurboMemory are features of discrete graphics cards to boost video RAM by taking memory from system RAM. However, discrete graphics memory is still much faster. Hence, the more a video card has, the better it will perform (assuming both are the same card). You got it right with the example of the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 GPU.

In the case of the X1400 card example, it simply means the specification did not state the amount of discrete memory, though in the case of ATI Hypermemory it's normally in the ratio of 1:1.

5. Improving battery duration

Q: I have a Fujitsu LifeBook N6410. It has low battery life and I was wondering if I could do anything to improve the battery life like maybe reducing the LCD screen brightness and so on? If possible, please tell me how.

A: Reducing screen brightness is a start. You might also want to turn off wireless devices such as the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios when not in use. Another power drain is the optical drive. Instead of accessing files off a CD, copy them to your harddisk and work from there.

Fujitsu also offers a second battery that can be swapped with the optical drive for longer uptime away from the outlet. You can check with your local distributor on the price and availability of this option.