Should I upgrade my PC to an Intel Core I7 or AMD Phenom X6?

Question by David S: Should I upgrade my PC to an Intel Core I7 or AMD Phenom X6?
I currently have a 2 1/2 year old HP desktop (purchased in Oct. 2008 with the warranty ending in Oct. 2011) and was wondering if upgrading to an Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 or AMD Phenom X4 6 core would make a big difference when doing video editing? Basically I’m just beginning to do video editing and the only program I use is Windows Movie Maker 2011 edition from Microsoft and I noticed to do a 3 1/2 hour 1080p HD video (from a Sony Handycam HDR-XR150) in HDFX format took a total of about 10 hours to complete (had to put 17 videos together to make into 1 then saved it in 1080p display). Can the Intel Core i3, i5, i7, or AMD 6 core processor make a different in total time? Or should I just stick with the set up I currently have? Specs below for my current set up

HP Pavilion Elite m9426f Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz Desktop PC

General Features:
Windows 7 Professional – 64 bit edition
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz CPU
1066 MHz front bus side
8 GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM (actual available memory may be less due to operating system requirements)
640 GB SATA/300 7200 RPM hard drive
DVD±RW DL LightScribe drive
No floppy drive
ATI Radeon HD3650 graphics with 512 MB DDR2 memory
Realtek ALC 888S High-Definition audio – supports up to 8 audio channels
Integrated 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet
Integrated 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
Front panel 15-in-1 digital media card reader with IR receiver
300-watt 115V ~ 230V switchable power supply

Currently has a Windows Experience Index score of 5.2

Processor – 7.1

Memory – 7.1

Graphics – 6.0

Gaming Graphics – 5.2

Hard Drive – 5.9

I know it was alot to read but I would like opinions if it’s worth to upgrade to the new Intel Core processors (i3, i5, and i7) or even a AMD Phenom X6.

I only use Windows Live Movie Maker 2011 as my video editing software so I wanted to know if it would benefit with the newer processors on the market today.

Best answer:

Answer by Andy
It certainly wouldn’t hurt to upgrade, but you’d need to upgrade to a new computer. I wasn’t sure if you were talking about upgrading just the CPU or the entire computer.

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