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Thread: Pentium vs AMD

  1. #1
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    Pentium vs AMD

    Purchasing a new computer. One store says Pentium P4 is the only way to go. The next store says forget Pentium, you want Athelon 3200. Would like some pro and con advice from someone not trying to sell me either product.

  2. #2
    Banned tantone's Avatar
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    Before this thread even gets started, might I recommend you do a search of the forums on this topic.

    There are countless outpourings of support for both, which you will be fortunate enough to read should you search, so that you can glean all of the information you could possible want on the two to make a decision.

    Good luck. Post back with specific questions should you have any.

    Oh, and welcome to Sysopt!

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    Hmm, i'm tied on this one myself as i'm toying with the idea of building a new gaming/editing system in the new year, tho a new car may come first. Here's what i've found from the research i've done so far.

    When looking at lower end CPU's the AMD Athlon XP 2500+ is still a good buy at only $90US. You'd be spending noticably more to get equivalent performance from Intel, or you'd have to settle on a Celeron to match the pricing - I think i'd stay with AMD here.

    Now, if you were to step up to a higher end Athlon (3000+/3200+) it looks like Intel nudges out ahead on both price and performance. You could end up with a P4C 2.8Ghz/3.0Ghz for similiar, if not less, money. The 3200+ is $323US whereas the P4C 3.0Ghz is $42US less at $281US. The P4C 2.8Ghz runs even less at $215US. Intel seems like the better buy here...

    I'm off to read some more benchmarks and compare more pricing to see how motherboard and memory differences will affect the final system cost. At first glance tho Marvin, Intel may be the way to go with a higher end system.

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    Ultimate Member Billforce's Avatar
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    I'm building a new machine myself so have investigated everything I could read on the subject.....My personal conclusion is: With Intel you are buying outdated technology. The P-4 is soon to be history and to upgrade it would require a complete overhaul of your system...AMD 64 bit is my choice as it makes room for expansion with only a cpu upgrade. All the hype over performance when you choose 12 motherboards (systems) and there is 4% total difference, I am sure you or I couldn't tell the difference in actual usage, but a CPU upgrade is evident.
    The newer AMD chips have incorporated thermal protection ( my biggest complaint against AMD previously).
    The architecture is basically an infant on the rise and an old technology about to die. You choose your own, but me, I am going with the new.
    "Never corner something that's meaner than you are"

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    Ultimate Member killer_teddy's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Billforce
    AMD 64 bit is my choice as it makes room for expansion with only a cpu upgrade.
    Isn't the pin config changing next summer meaning that any AMD64's bought now will become unupgradable. I guess you could always wait until then.
    EDIT: Think this article has some stuff about it. http://www.overclockers.com/articles902/
    Last edited by killer_teddy; 12-18-2003 at 01:56 PM.

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    Senior Member tking's Avatar
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    AMD64 benches better on games, Pentium 4s are fast on office and imaging software that has been optimized for it.

    It's all pretty neck and neck right now, and both the AMD64 and the latest pentiums are both stupid expensive.

    Personally, I'd put 2 2800 Barton (amd) boxes together for the price of either the latest p4 or athlon64 and consider myself happier for it (and it would even be 64 bit albiet in 2 machines )

    Why put all your eggs (or processing power) in one box? That's why we invented networks!

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    I admit to not having looked into the latest and greatest CPU's - the AMD 64 just hit the market recently. But, from looking at currently CPU's with plentiful motherboard options (Athlon XP and P4) it seems that one can get a P4C 3.0Ghz for less money then an Athlon XP 3200+ yet come out ahead in regards to performance.

    I'm going to do some reading on the AMD 64 - tho if what teddy says is true the 64 may not be the route to go.

    Billforce - can you elaborate on the eventual doom of the P4?

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    Ultimate Member Billforce's Avatar
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    The Opteron is 940 pin available NOW either as a single chip or dual chip motherboard, some motherboards (MSI) will accept the Opteron or the FX-51 with room to expand.

    The P-4 is due to retire in 2004 and the P-5 is on line to replace it. Buy one now and you will have another Intel 423 pin fiasco. Obsolete before they were built
    Last edited by Billforce; 12-18-2003 at 06:17 PM.
    "Never corner something that's meaner than you are"

  9. #9
    Senior Member tking's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Billforce
    The P-4 is due to retire in 2004 and the P-5 is on line to replace it.
    Time to retire the Pentium name methinks. Didn't they go with it because they didn't want to call the 486 replacement the 586, so they went with 5 = pent (as in pentagram, pentagon etc), pentium. So a pentium 5 is actually a 5-5. Actually now I recall that they went with Pentium because they can copyright a name, but not a number. You can have an AMD 486 or 586, but you can't have an AMD pentium...

    They need a non-numerically linked name. Personally I vote for Deadly-Incarnate-Number-Cruncher, which shortens nicely to DINC. They they could have the DINC, DINC2, DINC3 etc, etc.

    Pretty soon everyone would associate Intel with dincs, and would that be such a bad thing?

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    Honestly, the processors are so close together now it's unreasonable to pay the inflated price for the ones that deliver the creme-de-la-creme of performance.

    You can't go wrong with an XP 2500+ or 2.4C system, really, you can't

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    Especially when you consider what you're paying for a decently clocked Athlon/P4 compared to the "creme-de-la-creme of performance" as you put it. I'd say XP 2500+ over P4C 2.4Ghz tho - the cost is less for the Athlon and performance is comparable. You could even bump the Athlon up to a 2800+ and still save money.

    I would probably switch to Intel if I was considering an XP 3000+/3200+ tho... the price difference pretty much evens out or gives Intel a slight price advantage on the P4C 2.6/2.8/3.0Ghz.

    To be honest, i've never been one to jump on the latest and greatest tho as it takes time for a new product to "settle" into the market - take the Athlon 64 pin issue for example.

    It comes down to two questions, for most of us - "How fast do you want to go?" and "How much do you want to pay?".

  12. #12
    Senior Member tking's Avatar
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    Originally posted by causticVapor
    it's unreasonable to pay the inflated price for the ones that deliver the creme-de-la-creme of performance.
    When I see:

    AMD64 FX51 2.2Ghz 1024K 400fsb $995.00
    (don't freak out it's in Canadian dollars - 0.75/$1US)

    and

    AXDA 2800+ 2.08Ghz CPU 512K 333fsb $195.00

    or

    Pentium IV-3.2Ghz socket478 800FSB 512K HyperThreading $539.00

    and

    Pentium IV-2.4Ghz socket478 800FSB 512K HyperThreading $219.00

    I wonder why anyone wants to spend the cost of a whole new machine for a few extra, barely noticable megahertz. My desk has 2 machines and a kvm switch... I can do more with it for less at the same time. I can run multiple OSes (handy if you feel like torturing yourself with Linux), download maps and packs WHILE playing online and multitask like a demon. With gigabit ethernet in each box, they talk to each other like they were one machine.

    I agree with you caustic, why anyone would waste money on marketing toys like bleeding edge cpus, I have no idea.

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    tking - where you getting your prices? I'm thinking of putting together an XP 2800+ system and the best I can find is Canada Computers @ $206.

  14. #14
    Senior Member tking's Avatar
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    http://www.infonec.com/

    great shop, knowledgeable guys, excellent prices and availability...

  15. #15
    Ultimate Member ConfusedAlien's Avatar
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    wow um, its like an annual thing, dis is. lol ill stop

    will people stop with this amd pentium thing?
    first of all its amd intel
    second of all, depends on your taste.
    if you have alot of money to blow and want a nice stable computer, get the intel
    if you are a budget person but still want a nice stable computer, get the amd.
    its really easy
    here ill make it even easier for you

    pick 1 or 2

    did you pick one?


































    1 is intel 2 is amd

    now go and buy whatever.

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