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WoOgie · 07-09-2003, 06:51 AM

Hi all,

Sorry if this question has been asked a million times before, but I was just wondering which you think is better, an Athlon XP or a Pentium 4?

Reasons for your preference would also be appreciated.

Regards,

W.

tmx468 · 07-09-2003, 07:20 AM

It has been asked a million times before, but realistically it is down to personal preference - nVidia or ATI? Its all just a couple of numbers between them, so pick the cheaper!

Of course if you want to know for a reason, ie for a new PC, then tell us what you want from it, and we can suggest things from there...

sunxiaol · 07-09-2003, 07:28 AM

I always thought AMD had a better value because they are lower priced.

snaggle · 07-09-2003, 07:36 AM

I've seen this go on and on and on....LOL!!!

Anyways I prefer Pentium 4's Coz I got one and it's doin great at the moment!

Ya Never know!

Kooges · 07-09-2003, 07:59 AM

I just built a new machine and I used the AMD Athlon 2000. Cheap, fast, and good. While it's listed at 1.67 Ghz, It really performs around a P4 2.0 Ghz, by rumor. I've also heard that the bus speed, and correct me anyone if I'm wrong, is typically slower in AMD, and also effects the type of Ram you can use, and alot of other components, but overall that's the only area the specs don't quite match up to P4, and for the difference of a 100+ dollars, theres no comparison, considering you dont lose that much of anything.

Anyone agree?

MrPurple · 07-09-2003, 08:29 AM

Kooges
Besides the new 800 bus from Intel, the buses are the same for Intel and AMD.
The only difference is that on only double pumps it while the other (Intel) Quads it. This has to do with catching the signal at both edges, and I am not sure how Intel does it with quading it.
Anyway that only effects the CPU, so overall system perfomance when CPU is taken out of the equation would be the same (not coungitn the new Intel buss which is 200 MHz, quaded to 800).

As to what is better, well that depends on what you want out of it.
P4s usualy run cooler, and quieter snce they don't need as much cooling as AMD systems, but that is also dependent on many other factors so it should not be used as a main factore in deciding between one or the other.
AMD chips have a more fragile core, so if you are very careless you can crack it, once again this is no longer much of a concern.

So overall it depends how much you want to spend, and what you want this system for.
The P4 chip will cost you alot more, unless you are going for top of the line where the 3200+ costs more then the P4C 3.0Gig.
Alos AMD gives you more choices for a mobo chipset: Sis, Nvidia, VIA. While intel only has Intel and Sys.

In the end you have to take everything you want in the system and compare price to performance then, and not just by looking at the chips themselves.