AMD brings back PR-rating format

[gimme5]

AMD should make a Athlon 2GHz to beat P4 2GHz if it's just a matter of clock!!!

That way there would be nothing to be misunderstood!!!!

[jake_westmorley]

Hey... newbie poster here, but not newbie reader of the site (or of computer hardware for that matter, i like to think! :P )
Anyhoo.. it seems to me that AMD is potentially digging their own grave with the hardcore computer fans (that's us!), but probably not with the mainstream market... I agree that I will look twice before buying a new AMD cpu, but then again, don't i always look twice, even without the PR rating?
Think about it... when all of us get used to the new system (about a year or so - supposing there's no way to tell the REAL MHz rating), not much will have changed... we still look at benchmarks as always, with or without PR rating... Who gives a d*amn what the ratings are, let's look at some benchmarks... All we need is an ID for the processor, whether it be in PR, MHz or bananas, and then we get onto some benchmarks (FPU, Integer, Quake3 fps, etc..) to tell which is fastest...
Just think about it a little before you blow my little post here up to kingdom-come...

Also, I do wish to say that I am very very disappointed in AMD for the PR rating, but what is done is done... I think AMD thought and thought of a way out of this, and they evidently don't like it themselves, but they cannot see any other solution... AMD does make good products, whether they're labelled PR or not, and that's not going to stop me buying AMD (or whatever brand makes best cpu's)... I think it's more important to see the global perspective, and not get bogged down in one path... If Intel makes a better product, let's buy it... in the name of progress, not in the name of allegiance...

Just my 0.02c...

[AuraEdge]

AMD could use more R&D on rolling out .13um.
Then it could get out the multiGhz.
Unfortunately, they just finished mass producing Palominos. Seems like thier a bit behind to me, as far as R&D goes.

I never liked PR. Instituting PR is kind of like admitting you lost.
The other problem, even with the PR, is that the PR's still dont go as high as the Mhz go on the Intels. Intels up to 2000 on real Mhz, and AMD has yet to launch thier 1800+, which will be thier fastest chip when they launch the AthlonXP.
While Intel is making processors with less IPC and more Mhz, AMD should just be making processors with a smaller process and more Mhz.

I hate to say this, but all the time spent on R&D'ing the Palomino core probably would have been better spent going towards the goal of pushing out a .13um Athlon.

AMD better have something up thier sleeves. They won't lose me as a customer, because I know better about the P4. Sadly, the average consumer doesn't know what we know. They believe the intel inside sticker = good, bigger numbers in Speed = good.

Intels playing the competition game with less IPC/more real Mhz. AMD's playing it with PR, a nebulous number.

PR won't change things, at least not for the better for AMD.

Intels a difficult opponent, and AMD has done amazing things with the Athlon. It's not the time for defeat. Continue researching better things, and for now, capture the market that you can (Enthusiast/Mainstream/Value instead of highend). When the new products all done, then you'll see Intel soil themselves like they did when Athlon hit. Good things come to those who wait.

....rant over