Motherboard chipsets and faster ram can make just as much difference as the processor. I notice this when I buy budget boards, they just aren't as snappy as the flagship models even though they run the same processors.
Also, Core2Duo chips are fast enough to run basically anything most people do. If you upgrade your computer for hundreds of dollars, you might get something twice as fast, but you don't really notice it because the software is already snappy on the slower chip. That's what I mean by it not being much different.
The faster chips, to me, are just a bit of future proofing as the Internet and apps demand faster hardware to run properly. Many times though, it only buys you an extra year or two. And it's not like it used to be- moore's law isn't really a focus anymore whereas everyone wants more battery life.
Also, Core2Duo chips are fast enough to run basically anything most people do. If you upgrade your computer for hundreds of dollars, you might get something twice as fast, but you don't really notice it because the software is already snappy on the slower chip. That's what I mean by it not being much different.
The faster chips, to me, are just a bit of future proofing as the Internet and apps demand faster hardware to run properly. Many times though, it only buys you an extra year or two. And it's not like it used to be- moore's law isn't really a focus anymore whereas everyone wants more battery life.