AMD or Intel???

[MadinKS]

I have always used Intel-based PCs (never built one though) and, after speaking to a friend who has built computers for 10 years, I'm on the verge of building an AMD system. He claims the Intel chips are fast but the AMD processors are better at crunching raw data without bogging down. I am now officially confused as he!!. I noticed the AMD hardware is quite a bit cheaper but I've never had any experience with them to make an informed decision. I would like some advice/opinions to help with the decision if you could. I'll be using the system for downloading digital camera/video camera, encoding/burning DVDs, internet, etc. No overclocking in the plan either. So, here's my proposed AMD build vs. the Intel build.

AMD
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3 AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3 AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processorhttp://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103773
RAM: Mushkin 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820146599
Video: Onboard for now to see if I even need a card

Intel
Motherboard: MSI P35 Neo2-FR LGA 775 Intel P35URL="http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813130098"]http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813130098[/URL]
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHzhttp://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115029
RAM: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820231098
Video: XFX PVT86SWAHG GeForce 8400GS 512MB (256MB on Board) 64-bit GDDR2 PCIehttp://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814150246

All of this is going in the Sonata III w/500w PSU and using the WD 250 SATA 3.0Gb/s HDD and a LiteOn SATA DVD burner.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

MadinKS

[Cricket]

Currently Intel processors handle video editing work better than AMD processors. Tom's Hardware has a CPU comparison chart (http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=946&model2=882&chart=428) you can look through.

:) Cricket

[MadinKS]

See. I've read those and it seems that they're only beating them by 30 sec. or so. I can live with 30 secs but not 30 minutes. I would also like a fairly future proof system. If I go with the Intel board now, I can upgrade to the the Quad core later. Will the AMD board I've got picked out support that? The overview says: The board is also AMD Live! ready so when used with a 64-bit dual core processor it turns your system into a multimedia powerhouse. Use one core to watch movies and the other to stream music into another room. Ready for Windows Vista, this board can take you well into the 64-bit future! When they say 64 bit are they referring to a quad core or just a dual core w/64 bit support?

[blue60007]

Keep in mind 30 seconds on a 2 or 3 minute test will become quite a bit larger when you stretch that out to a full length movie. Both are good choices but Intel gets you more for your money.

I don't know anything about AMD Live! - but it sounds like a marketing ploy to me. Windows will automatically distribute core usage regardless of CPU or board. Both the dual and quad cores are 64bit.

[MadinKS]

Okay, I wasn't thinking along those lines but would the AMD system be somewhat future-proof as they say? I don't want to have to completely re-build in a year or two because I have a slow dinosaur, you know? I am not completely swayed to the AMD system yet because I've had good luck with all the Pentiums in the past but I may be willing to switch if I have some solid reason to. I've always heard that AMD was for graphics minded and Intel was for the data entry type. Is this still true or has Intel changed the way of thinking?

[blue60007]

A P35 Intel based board should be (or at least in theory) compatible with the future round of quad cores. As for the AMD - I'm not sure. They are pretty quiet about their plans.

That thinking is a bit outdated. Intel now excels over AMD pretty much overall. The AMD's seem awfully cheap because they had to cut prices to compete with Intel. Even then Intel is still edging out.

[MadinKS]

That's what I was thinking until my buddy started filling my head with AMD facts. I may just go with the Intel based PC but still open to opinions and facts. Thanks blue.

[glc]

AMD fanboys are very passionate and persuasive.

[MadinKS]

Yeah they are. He had some good points though.

[glc]

Sure - AMD is not a BAD processor - it's just they are behind the performance curve now. A few years ago it was the exact opposite. We shall see what the next generation brings from BOTH manufacturers.

[backithink]

side note. AMD's phenom quad core processor will work in a current am2 board...... and phenom is a true quad core... intel is core 2 quad..... amd's quad core in theory will be more efficient..... either way you should be able to upgrade to a quad core cpu in the future... i am not sure about which will be better time will tell.... currently intel is the better buy but as glc stated time will tell on who comes out ahead in the quad core race


yes i am an amd fanboy but intel seems to be the way to go as of right now... me i will wait n see

[MadinKS]

Well, maybe I'll wait to see too. I really want to build one now though. Oh the dilemma!

[backithink]

build one now....... either way you can upgrade to quad core....... you just have to decide which is going to be better for your money...... or wait a few months phenom from what i hear is coming out either nov or dec

[Katreat]

I have buildt both and dont think I have a preferance, I just go for the best bang for the buck. As others have said right now that is intel, could change in a month or two. You build a computer when you need to and just go for the best you can get at that moment. It will all be outdated tomorrow anyway.

For future proofing it is hard to say which is better. Intel has a definate upgrade path in their current line of duel and quad cores. It is likely if you are building today there will be a good processor upgrade (at least one) left in the 775 socket.

AMD has already annouced a new socket so future upgrades seem more limited, but they have also said future processors will still work with current MB so it is sounding pretty good. The problem is that it is not here now and you are not really sure how good it will work on on the older socket, will you really get the new advantages of the chip, or just some of them.

So, if you are building today I would go intel, if you can wait for a month or so, then hopefully AMD will have something out that you can actually look at. Whenever you build it will be old technology before the dust starts to collect on it.

Kat

[MadinKS]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think (my wife says) later. I am still fighting that battle. Thanks again.

EDITED: I'M IN BUSINESS!! PLEASE KEEP THE INPUT COMING. I CONVINCED HER TONIGHT!

[backithink]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think (my wife says) later. I am still fighting that battle. Thanks again.

EDITED: I'M IN BUSINESS!! PLEASE KEEP THE INPUT COMING. I CONVINCED HER TONIGHT!


some times thats the biggest battle..... tryen to get you better half to agree.... keep your research going....i am sure you wont regret either route..... sometimes the better half is right tho.... wait n see.... but hey when you get the green light go...go....go

[The Village Idiot]

It seems most people on this forum are mostly dominated by their other half. Heh.

[shadowpr]

It seems most people on this forum are mostly dominated by their other half. Heh.


Not me. Traded the other half for a new comp. LOL :)

[The Village Idiot]

Selling your wife on the black market eh? I'll have to try that one day.

[MadinKS]

I'm gooooinnnnggg. I bought the MB today. Settled on the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128067 All the USB, Firewire, and SATA sold me. Not to mention the upgrade options. I hope that I made the right choice. Hint, Hint (Please give me some feedback on the MB). If I made a horrible choice it's not to late to cancel the order.

I will probably go with the Intel E6750 and two Seatgate SATA HDDs. I haven't determined capacity yet but I have time. Thanks for the humor earlier. I needed it.

This made me crack up pretty good.


Not me. Traded the other half for a new comp. LOL

[backithink]

i am a personal fan of gigabyte mobos some here question the quality as of late but i havent had any trouble with mine.... they seem to be solid midrange boards


word of advice get your sata drivers for that board onto a floppy then when you install the board set it to sata not native ide when you install windows hit f6 and install the drivers...... otherwise it will install your hard drives as IDE cause it will tell windows its on an ide channel........ then only way to fix is repair or reinstall windows

[MadinKS]

Thanks for the tip. When you say SATA drivers, I'm thinking you mean the drivers for the HD, right? Man, I don't think I have a floppy in the house. I think they're with my vinyl records somewhere. LOL!

[backithink]

lol yes for hd's and your gunna need a 3.5 inch drive... i mean it will run fine in native ide....... but if the little things bug you then you will want to install the drivers........ doesnt seem to be required but with me it bugged me even tho i saw no real difference in performance... some details are more important than others...


and i still use my vinyls thank you :)

[MadinKS]

I am pretty particular when it comes to stuff like that so I'm quite sure I will follow your advice. Thanks. I am still confused on what video card to get though. I know that I want one with some descent memory (256 or so) right? But what confuses me is the description on some of them. It will say it's a 512 card but in it will state 256 on-board in parenthesis. Does this mean it's robbing the system memory for the other 256? And will that be a noticeable difference in performance? Here's the card I'm referring to. XFX PVT72GWANG GeForce 7300GS http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814150128

and i still use my vinyls thank you
I'm just glad someone knows what they are!! Makes me feel really old when I get the deer in the headlights look when I mention records! :o

[backithink]

lol i am only 24....... I just like the sound... grew up with my dad playing them all the time... he had more than 1000 of them from he was a kiddo..... in standard storage containers (milk crates) and mine are in the same....... somethings will never die



yes that video will take 256 from system memory what is your budget for a video card is it more or less than the $44 one you have listed?

[MadinKS]

I was thinking around $60 or so.

[backithink]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130075

this is a good card for $75

[MadinKS]

How bout this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130024

[glc]

If you aren't gaming, all you need is a low end card that does not share system memory. I prefer ones with passive coolers to keep the noise down.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102100

[Katreat]

Check 0ut this video card review. It is more geared towards gaming, but gives you a good overall view of what is out there and how they campair to each other.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/09/05/the_best_gaming_video_cards_for_the_money/

As for HD, they keep getting cheaper. Right now I think the 320 is about the best $/gig value, but if you fine a good sale or rebate that changes around some.

Regarding the discussion on SATA. Most newer boards are based on SATA and you dont not need to download drivers at all. SATA is native and IDE is usually a third party support. I dont know that specific board but since it is based on the new P35 chip set I would think it would recognize your SATA HD without the need for drivers. If backit knows something about that specific board then maybe I am wrong but I cant imagine why a new P35 board would have native IDE support instead of SATA since it is much older technology.

Kat

[backithink]

Regarding the discussion on SATA. Most newer boards are based on SATA and you dont not need to download drivers at all. SATA is native and IDE is usually a third party support. I dont know that specific board but since it is based on the new P35 chip set I would think it would recognize your SATA HD without the need for drivers. If backit knows something about that specific board then maybe I am wrong but I cant imagine why a new P35 board would have native IDE support instead of SATA since it is much older technology.

Kat

My Gigabyte board gave me these troubles and i havent had it for too long under a few months so i figured i would give the heads up

[piasabird]

I think Intel is the way to go. Just higher quality as far as I am concerned.

I have two burned up AMD Athlon XP processors at home. As far as I am concerned AMD is junk.

[glc]

Let's not take this thread in that direction, please. Athlon XP's are old tech.

[piasabird]

I would like to say that my 1.2 Gig Tulatin Core Intel Celeron is still running great. It has outlasted 3 Athlon Processors. Even when I forgot to plug in the CPU fan after upgrading memory it still kept running. I just consider Intel to be a better product.

However, feel free to purchase what you want.

I have been using Asus Motherboards but I think on the next build I will try a Intel Motherboard. Since I dont overclock it wont make much difference. I think Intel may sell better MATX motherboards.

[Lespaul20]

MadinKS:

For AMD versus Intel, buy what is performing the best at the time of purchase.

Nothing is future proof with computers. Either way you go it will be outdated soon.

Quality of CPU, I think, is no longer or every really has been an issue. At least any time lately.

[glc]

Intel and AMD have both gone through periods of heat issues. The Athlon XP had no protection so it would burn up, the Pentium 4 Prescott 478 was a furnace. Right now, the current offerings from both can be kept under control, they have internal shutdown circuitry.

[MadinKS]

Thanks for the input. Sorry it took so long to post back. Sounds like a heated (no pun intended) issue. Thanks again.

MadinKS

[The_YongGrand]

Processors can change, year by year, they are getting better. As far as I know, the Prescotts and the Athlon XP are pretty hot. Nowadays, they have specific systems to protect the processors from being overheating. :)