What they dont tell you

[lastlib]

1. Until recently, I had a core-duo which had gotten to be slow as January molasses....

It was beyond upgrading any further, so I now have a core-i9--Speed difference is like night and day.

You won't gain much going to a core-i3, IMHO. If you plan to keep it for awhile, I'd suggest at least a core-i7; if you've got the Benjis, it's worthwhile to go i9. It's almost always advisable to go as high up the power curve as you can afford, and then milk it for all you can.