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AMD vs Intel : Lessons from a Paranoid Buyer


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As you may know, ive been researching to see if I should buy a P4 or an AMD system.

I've decided to get an AMD system .

Im posting this here in case anyone else is thinking on buying a new system. I have been an intel fan for years, and after reading all these links, benchmark tests, etc, I simply cant bear to give an intel system a thought from now on. They've gone the "Way of Microsoft"... marketing and no quality.

Please read all these links below, they will tell you why Intel Pentiums STINK compared to slower mhz/ghz AMD system.

Why is the P4 Bad? part 1

Why is the P4 Bad? part 2

Why is the P4 Bad? part 2

Pentium 4: In Depth

http://www.tomshardware.com/ (Benchmarks and tons of great info)

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q1/010322/index.html

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q2/010423/index.html

(the last 2 show that a 1.3ghz AMD system humiliates the new p4 1.7ghz ! )

Also, AMD has announced it will drop the prices on its processors... this price war will make buying a new PC a true pleasure.

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Intell is now suffering from its ill-decision and partnership with RAMBUS Inc. IMO. Along with the notion that they could force feed tech and standards on us (the consumer) ala what Big Blue (IBM) tried to do in the 80's.

Good choice Tac

TTFN

[ 04-28-2001: Message edited by: Gallion ]

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hint: You can easily overclock your Thunderbird +1ghz to 1.7ghz, 'cause I've read somewhere that they are underclocked 1.7ghz Thunderbird processors.

Those Duron are the Celeron equivalent, but they beat the P3...

Anyone has something about the AMD 64bits Sledgehammers processors?

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NCIX.Com would be another site to look out for.. it's Canadian, but I got all my stuff from it for a great price, and they even have a Pricewatch feature to match their prices with other Canadian sites (if they're lower).

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Guest Mythandryll

I upgraded from an PIII 650 to and AMD T-Bird 1 GHZ and a GFORCE 2 GTS recently and have been in heaven ever since. Before the PIII I had a AMD K6-2 333, 450, and then a 550, but was never satisfied with the gaming performance (poor FP perfomance), and the Athlon was too iffy at the time stability wise.

My current system is rock solid with the ASUS A7-v 133 board and 384 megs of PC 133 Ram. Never go back to Intel.

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Yep, and at the end of April AMD is gonna drop its prices. I may even wait a month to see if they release the new Palomino 1.5ghz+ chip.

Thnx for the links to those stores, im checking them out. Always looking to save a buck

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Good choice Tac, I have always sworn on AMD and not just on price. The benchmarks all prove that the AMD has always been the better product.

My wife originally had a cyrix in her yichy E-machine, and when I got the chance I replaced it with an AMD K6-II 450mhz, and as soon as the K6-III came out, I bought it for my system, which of course I built.

You have chosen wisely, AMD will always kick the Intel CPU's in the tail end. And I sell to Intel, they are one of my MAJOR customers!! lol

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Parias, are the prices quoted when you custom build a system in that site in Canadian dollars or US dollars?

they got good stuff in stock, im impressed.

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AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Tac! I just bought a P3 933 (with the older 133 bus) back in Jan for $2000!

Why didn't you mention this sooner?!

Oh well. By the time I leave and get back in two years everyone elses will be obsolete too...

...There. I feel better now

Heh, at least I GOT a new one. It's quite an improvement over my old comp! (an old P1 120mhz with 32 ram and a voodoo2)

On a nicer note: Can you believe my parents bought that for me?! Totally blew me away! I love my parents.

Hey, by the way, how hard (and how useful) would it be to upgrade to that faster 400mhz BUS? Anyone?

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It's a Canadian site, with the supplies and server located in Canada, and has specific functions set up for Canadian-like people, so I'd hazard a guess that all prices are in Canadian dollars If in doubt though, just fire them off an email, they respond pretty quick.

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roger that parias! I built an amazing system with high end gear on their site.. it was like 2600 bucks. How much is that in US dollars? 1400? (if so hey, ill take it if the shipping to florida aint high heehee)

to upgrade to a 400mhz bus you have to change your motherboard, ram and processor.

You must also use DDR memory in that board ($$$ Ram ! but worth it) And again, if you getting 400mhz bus it means you will get a Pentium 4...which if you read the above links you will see it SUCKS. And even if you DO get one, you will still have to change your hard disk to a 7200RPM (or else your slower hard disk will slow down the system), quite probably your vid card if you dont have a good one... in short, have to buy a whole new system. You can't "upgrade" a current system to a faster bus, its built-into the motherboard/ram/cpu architecture.

P3 933 is good. It will last you (keep you in the "basic requirements" of stuff) for 2 years more I believe.

But hey, if you got younger siblings, convince your folks to give him your system (how noble of ya eh?) and get you one that will be CHEAPER than the last one (aka AMD 1.3ghz heehee)

[ 04-29-2001: Message edited by: Tac ]

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I just finished making my shopping list,

Asus A7M266 MBD DDR Support

AMD 1.33GHZ 256k cache

512MB DDR PC2100 Unbuffered Non-Parity RAM

IBM 60GB 7200 RPM UATA100 HDD

ELSA GLADIAC 920 GEFORCE 3 (check out this beauty: http://www.shopelsa.com/product.asp?sku=1712374 )

Sony DVD 16X

Plexwriter CDR-W

MS Optical Mouse

Cheap Keyboard (Hey, I break them too lol!)

19" monitor (18.5" viewable) 1200X1280 .25

AMD Approved 300W power supply

ATX Full Tower case with heavy duty fan thingy

SB LIVE X-Gamer

Altec Lansing 3 piece set speaker with Sbwoofer.

Total: $2251 without shipping or taxes included. RAM and vid card bought from other sources (ELSA http://www.shopelsa.com , Crucial http://www.crucial.com ), rest from http://www.micropro.com (they will have the a7m266 mbd in stock this week).

Thankfully today is the last day of april, AMD should be dropping its prices now

I shiver at the thought that a vastly underperforming system from Dell or Gateway, prices at 3200 dollars!

I highly recomend this site and combo to anyone!

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Check the specs on their card vs the nvidia card

I forgot about pricewatch! Thanks! Same elsa card is 50 bucks cheaper

Brownie points for you!!!

[ 04-29-2001: Message edited by: Tac ]

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Tac,

Thank You for the MicroPC link, they have the parts I am getting for my new PC, cheaper than the vendor I found. (PC Progress) With the money I am saving here, I just might upgrade my Thunderbird from a 1ghz to a 1.13ghz, and still save money. Not a bad deal.

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Greg: WAIT 2 or 3 more weeks before you buy. AMD WILL be lowering its chip prices.

Also, if youre building an AMD system, PLEASE use the AM7266 motherboard, its the one that beats all other MB's in benchmarks.

Also, do not buy the RAM from Micropro. They sell a crappy brand of RAM. Go to www.crucial.com to get MORE memory of a quality brand..CHEAPER.

Since micropro does not sell the am7266 mbd, you can tell them "I want the a7m266 motherboard in there" and they will ORDER it for you, put it in and charge you for it (they charge the S&H they had to pay to get the MBD).

All this waiting for AMD to lower prices is killing me

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Tac-I just set up a new system with the AMD Duron 800. A Voodoo 5500 w/64 Ram and 312 SDRAM. With a Creative Sound Blaster X-Gamer, I get great gaming fps. The computer will runs between 60 and 80 FPS and does not drop below the lower. The old Pentium III I had 750 couldn't transfer info fast enough to keep up with the video card.

I think that you will love the AMD ...

'MAX'

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I ordered my Crucial Memory (256mb) on Friday, and it should be here by Wednesday. Actually I am going with the Tyan KTa board. I have read alot of good things about it, and the price is right.

Although the Mobo/CPU I am not ordering for atleast a month yet. Ofcourse I could order it now, but then I would have to face the Wrath of my Wife.

I got my box last week, it is an Antec KS188 Full Tower. When I brought it home my wife looked at it and said, "What is that???" I replied, "My new box." She replied, "Don't you think that is a little "Excessive"?" Me, "No, not at all."

Now bear in mind this beauty and the beast sits over 24 inches high, and weighs over 30 pounds.

Nope, not excessive at all.

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