Is this computer any good?

[Adrian II]

Thanks for all the comments. The RAM and videocard (integrated or not integrated) issues will be communicated. As for Athlon, I am afraid there is no way to reach across the Dell divide. You know, people either love or hate Dell for its product, service and price -- and this chick just loooves Dell...

To be honest, I passed on lovemeister Beirut's positive comment (you really are the .org's Barry White, man) and she went like 'Oh well, that's it then'.

So the deed was done. She will reconsider her order for the videocard though. Women, eh.

[Lemur]

Adrian, if you do no other good deed in your lifetime, convince the lady that she must have an Athlon computer. Stalk her, write her poems, knit her a red sweater, do whatever it takes. Pry her away from the Intel zombies.

Downside of a Dell: non-standard power supply, non-standard mobo. So upgrading is zero fun.

[Monarch]

Hey,

Sorry to jack your thread a little but its on the subject of processors so perhaps you may find it of use too?

I am getting a new computer at Christmas, already bought actually. It has an Intel P4 EM64T Processor With 2MB Cache, reading this thread with all the anti-Intel threads has worried me a little. So I would like to know actually why an AMD 64 would be better? Spec wise my (or what will be) IP4 64bt processor doesnt seem to be behind too much (if at all) in specs so is it support or reliability or something where AMD have the edge?

Thanks for help you can give...

[doc_bean]

AMD isn't really "better", it's just that it isn't Intel.

Let's face it, that's also why so many people prefer Firefox over IE, or LaTeX over Word. Sticking it to da Man

[Adrian II]

Sorry to jack your thread a little but its on the subject of processors so perhaps you may find it of use too?

Go right ahead, I found out the lady is beyond all rational calculation. It's gonna be a Dell - stamp foot, wry smile, dare-me look in eyes. Hey, it ain't my wallet.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Hey,

Sorry to jack your thread a little but its on the subject of processors so perhaps you may find it of use too?

I am getting a new computer at Christmas, already bought actually. It has an Intel P4 EM64T Processor With 2MB Cache, reading this thread with all the anti-Intel threads has worried me a little. So I would like to know actually why an AMD 64 would be better? Spec wise my (or what will be) IP4 64bt processor doesnt seem to be behind too much (if at all) in specs so is it support or reliability or something where AMD have the edge?

Thanks for help you can give...

Athlon64's generally run cooler than a P4 with a comparable amount of processing power, which makes them better for overclocking. Athlon 64's are generally cheaper than P4's with a similar amount of processing power, so you could buy a better Athlon64 for the same amount of money.

[Ice]

Hey,

Sorry to jack your thread a little but its on the subject of processors so perhaps you may find it of use too?

I am getting a new computer at Christmas, already bought actually. It has an Intel P4 EM64T Processor With 2MB Cache, reading this thread with all the anti-Intel threads has worried me a little. So I would like to know actually why an AMD 64 would be better? Spec wise my (or what will be) IP4 64bt processor doesnt seem to be behind too much (if at all) in specs so is it support or reliability or something where AMD have the edge?

Thanks for help you can give...

Unless you are a hardcore gamer, a p4 is fine.

[Lemur]

So I would like to know actually why an AMD 64 would be better?

Since your PC is already bought, you shouldn't worry about the whole AMD/Intel thing. Done is done. However, the reason gamers give AMD the love are as follows (I hope nobody minds my expanding on the points already made):

* Watt for watt, ghz for ghz, AMD chips are much faster. A 2 ghz AMD64 will usually spank the lederhosen off a 3 ghz Pentium.

* Dollar for dollar, AMD chips are much faster.

* AMD64 CPUs have a much better interface with the computer's RAM. Result: speediness. To add insult, they use cheaper RAM to achieve this result.

* The Nforce 4 motherboard is probably the best mobo for gaming yet made. And it wasn't available for the Pentium until very recently. (Honestly, I'm not sure if Nvidia's got the P4 version in production yet ...)

* Buying from the guy who doesn't have a monopoly always makes people feel warm and fuzzy.

Bottom line: Your PC is purchased, and it will give you much love, and you don't need to worry overmuch about the CPU. After all, the CPU is just one ingredient in what makes a computer fast, and not always the most important one. This lemur is a big fan of subsystems, and making sure that they're pimped out. There's nothing sadder than a good PC with too little RAM, or a slow hard drive, or a bad mobo. All the infrastructure needs to be there. Only then will you notice any difference from the CPU.

[Sjakihata]

AdrianII do you mind me asking how much that system will cost? If not - how much will that system cost?

[Adrian II]

AdrianII do you mind me asking how much that system will cost? If not - how much will that system cost?

Took a peek at her order for ya: 1026 euro.

[Sjakihata]

I'd say that is a good price, considering it is d(funny e)ll she is trading with. She didnt get ripped off

[Monarch]

Since your PC is already bought, you shouldn't worry about the whole AMD/Intel thing. Done is done. However, the reason gamers give AMD the love are as follows (I hope nobody minds my expanding on the points already made):

* Watt for watt, ghz for ghz, AMD chips are much faster. A 2 ghz AMD64 will usually spank the lederhosen off a 3 ghz Pentium.

* Dollar for dollar, AMD chips are much faster.

* AMD64 CPUs have a much better interface with the computer's RAM. Result: speediness. To add insult, they use cheaper RAM to achieve this result.

* The Nforce 4 motherboard is probably the best mobo for gaming yet made. And it wasn't available for the Pentium until very recently. (Honestly, I'm not sure if Nvidia's got the P4 version in production yet ...)

* Buying from the guy who doesn't have a monopoly always makes people feel warm and fuzzy.

Bottom line: Your PC is purchased, and it will give you much love, and you don't need to worry overmuch about the CPU. After all, the CPU is just one ingredient in what makes a computer fast, and not always the most important one. This lemur is a big fan of subsystems, and making sure that they're pimped out. There's nothing sadder than a good PC with too little RAM, or a slow hard drive, or a bad mobo. All the infrastructure needs to be there. Only then will you notice any difference from the CPU.

Oh right, I was just curious really. I suspected it was like the other poster said about how people just like not having the HUGE companies product, but if there is specific tech specs then thats interesting

[Xiahou]

Well, while we're highjacking.... I recently aquired a x800xl vid card for my system that I'm very happy with, however I think I have a serious bottleneck in my system that's hurting realworld performance. My system is a P4 2.4ghz with a 533Mhz FSB, that, combined with it's lack of dual channel RAM support is what's killing me I think.

Here's my problem- my video card is AGP format and I'd like to look at a cheap upgrade that'd allow me to keep using this card. I have 1gig of pc3200 RAM that I could reuse, so basically I'd be looking at just a new mobo and CPU. So what's still available (AMD or Intel) in the AGP format that'd give me the best performance for my money? Any ideas?

[Lemur]

Xihaou, your wish is my command. Asus makes a lovely 939-socket mobo with an AGP slot. This means you could use the latest and greatest AMD64 CPU, and all the other kids in the neighborhood would envy you, and maybe want to touch it.

Here's the board. The CPU will depend on your wallet.

[GodsPetMonkey]

Since your PC is already bought, you shouldn't worry about the whole AMD/Intel thing. Done is done.

Good advice - but I would like to pick up on a few of your AMD v Intel points, there is plenty of propaganda on both sides - and nerds tend to get rather hot under the collar about it all.

However, the reason gamers give AMD the love are as follows (I hope nobody minds my expanding on the points already made):

* Watt for watt, ghz for ghz, AMD chips are much faster. A 2 ghz AMD64 will usually spank the lederhosen off a 3 ghz Pentium.

Yes and no - for a start, AMDs don't run 'faster', they perform more per clock cycle, and that's how they keep up with the raw-speed philosophy behind the P4.
Regardless, it's not as easy as you put it, it really depends on the generation of chips we are talking about - in 2003 the P4C 3.0 was out performing the Athlon XP 3000+ (and was sparking alot of 'AMD is really over doing it with their speed ratings' talk), but now the tables have turned, and they will turn again, they always do.

To get all techy though, AMDs philosophy has been more work per clock cycle, while Intel’s has been as much speed as possible - different ways to get to the same result, high performance. However, Intel has discovered that high clock speeds take up to much power and create to much heat, thus the Pentium M (which is the basis for their next generation of CPUs) is much slower, but, like the AMD CPUs, does more work per clock cycle - it also has power consumption that makes the AMD engineers blush (but then again, it was designed as a mobile CPU).
So hats off to AMD for coming up with the smarter philosophy - I can imagine the Intel strategists breaking down when they realised the P4's speed at all costs concept was doomed to fail.

* Dollar for dollar, AMD chips are much faster.

Depends on the CPU - at the low to mid-low range, yes, but the differences are not as glaring as they once were.

* AMD64 CPUs have a much better interface with the computer's RAM. Result: speediness. To add insult, they use cheaper RAM to achieve this result.

Yes, it is faster and much more efficient - though you have to remember that before the innovation of on-die memory controllers, AMD systems had a much slower interface to the memory then P4s did - this was meant to bridge this gap, and did spectacularly.

* The Nforce 4 motherboard is probably the best mobo for gaming yet made. And it wasn't available for the Pentium until very recently. (Honestly, I'm not sure if Nvidia's got the P4 version in production yet ...)

Nforce mobos are the best for AMD gaming systems - but lets face it, your other serious choices include VIA, it's kind of a no brainer.
For P4s, it's harder to say, Nforce4 offers SLI, but intel chipsets have always been great performers (with a few generational hiccups - but the Nforce4 has some problems with certain hardware as well).

* Buying from the guy who doesn't have a monopoly always makes people feel warm and fuzzy.

AMD has approx 40% CPU share in the home market now days (sorry, can't source, but I remember reading about it a few weeks back). Hardly an Intel monopoly - Intel still rules where the big bucks are, corporations - but that's as much down to partners (like Dell and other OEMs), resistance to change of the part of corporate buyers, and a much larger production capacity (so they can deliver the numbers required) then any sort of anti-AMD conspiracy (though you would have trouble convincing some people )

Bottom line: Your PC is purchased, and it will give you much love, and you don't need to worry overmuch about the CPU. After all, the CPU is just one ingredient in what makes a computer fast, and not always the most important one. This lemur is a big fan of subsystems, and making sure that they're pimped out. There's nothing sadder than a good PC with too little RAM, or a slow hard drive, or a bad mobo. All the infrastructure needs to be there. Only then will you notice any difference from the CPU.

Exactly, excellent advice, the computer is only as fast as your slowest component - nothing worse then seeing a AMD X2 4400+ with 512MB of generic RAM (and yeah, I have), or a recent pet peeve of mine, $500 speakers coupled with onboard sound.
In the end, the CPU is unlikely to make a noticeable difference in all but the most highly optimised systems in rather specific circumstances - when you buy a brand spanking new computer, be happy with what you got, cause chances are it kicks some serious bottom - unless it's a Celeron, in which case you get what you deserve.