AMD vs Pentium PC's 1

[maddog2001]

I have an old Pentium III and thinking of getting a total new computer, I heard that an AMD processor with a speed of 1Ghz is the same if I got a Pentium 4 with a processor rated at 2Ghz, is this true? and how much does a
AMD Athlon XP processor compare to a Pentium 4 Processor without the hyper-threading option?
Any help appreciated!! I want a good PC and have been hearing AMD is just as good or better than a Pentium, cheaper which is a consideration.

 

[pmonett]

This is a loaded question. Its like the Apple vs Windows debate : you will rarely see an objective answer.

So, I will not go into my preference, but just point you to a benchmark at a reliable site [link ]Tom's Hardware[/url].

I suggest you check the figures, compare the models and decide for yourself which are the fastest for both AMD and Intel.

Then go to your local dealer and find out how much you'll have to pay for each model.

That will certainly help you decide in an objective manner what performance you really can afford.

As an indicator, I will just point out that the benchmark results give the 2.6Ghz Pentium 4 a 3DMark 2k3 result of 6,011, while an XP 3200+ gets 5864 points. The P4 model retails for at least $181 (on the web), while the XP model retails for at least $178 (idem).
So, at the moment it appears that P4 prices have come down enough for the difference to be minimal.

A year ago, that was not the case.

Pascal.

 

[pmonett]

Stupid me, forgot the link : here it is.

 

[Crowley16]

how's about getting the athlon64?

64bit os is supposed to come out soon, well end of this year I think, so a 64bit chip should get much better comparitively, since at the moment, it's already about the same...

 

[cdogg]

As for the Athlon64, there's certainly nothing wrong with going that route. However if you do, the biggest disadvantage at this point is probably going to be your ability to upgrade. It might be a better option for a typical home user to wait until the dust settles a bit more, so that future options with any purchase can be considered.


maddog,
pmonett makes some good points. Try to be as objective as possible. Some Athlon XP's have the edge over similarly priced P4's in a few benchmarks. The opposite is also true in other benchmarks. It heavily depends on what you'll primarily be using your PC for (type of programs you'll be running).


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[jmd0252]

Very good point gentlemen,, it does seem to come down to which one you perfer. I have used AMD for the last 4 years, and have not been sorry. The only thing in looking at a new machine, would be the make sure the graphics card is as much as you can afford. Like other items,,, here bigger is always better.

 

[ceh4702]

You may not know this but some new Intel Processors may be coming out in the month of June. It is always a bit of a bummer when you see your processor drop in price one monther after you pay for it. Some of these processors will be available on both the old 478 socket and the new socket design for the Prescott. Plus Intel is starting to use a new processor naming scheme.

Both AMD and Intel have been tight lipped on their processors and sockets and future developments, except when they want us to hear something. They have been playing a bit of one-up-man-ship lately.

Personally, I really like AMD due to the price difference. However, I never buy the highest of the high-end when it comes to processors. You get to point when you move from around $200 and then it jumps to over $400. I paid $400 for a processor just once, and it was not really worth it to me.

Intel is upgrading the Celerons and coming out with a 533 FSB Celeron with a 256k L2 cache, which may be coming out in June.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[Lemon13]

i wouldn´t invest a lot of money in a new system now, there is a lot new stuff (pci-express, sata2, btx) coming up this year (ok, it might take to x-mas).
get a cheap box (500 bucks you get a amd xp2800/3000 or p4 2,8, 512mb ram/radeon 9600xt/4*dvd burner/80gb hdd) if you can´t/won´t wait.
just make sure you don´t get a celeron.

 

[pmonett]

A high-level graphics card is useless if you do neither gaming nor video editing. But if you do, it is mandatory.

Pascal.

 

[norty303]

And even with straight forward video editing (i.e. not generating 3D effects) you don't really need anything very special apart from ensuring the relevant connections are present. 256mb of gfx ram?? What's that for then?? ;-)