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Intel / AMD.

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lord loh.

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Looking for a new PC, I tried to look into the features of AMD and Intel Processors.

I was showed an AMD Athelon x2 64 3800+ with very little cache memory. Most Intel processors come with 1MB or 2MB cache.

A Gigabyte motherboard marketing rep. told me that AMD processors do not need much cache as it's architecture was very different from that of Intel. He calaimed some 2 way communication wth the RAM.

Having studied some computer arfchitecture, I found this difficult to swallow.

Is there really any such thing as requiring less cache to deliver the same performance?

Finally the Intel Pentium D dUAL core processor that purchased has a 2x2 MB L2 Cache (Written on the box). Does this mean that there is 2MB / core and a total of 4 MB?
 
Cache is pretty much 'god' in overall system performance. Cache memory runs at chip speed. Even the best of modern RAM's run at a fraction of this. NEVER trust a salesmen, ONLY trust wide spectrum benchmarks. Testing different chips like that is difficult due to the motherboard difference mattering but that's what broad spectrum benchmarks are for.
 
lord loh. said:
Finally the Intel Pentium D dUAL core processor that purchased has a 2x2 MB L2 Cache (Written on the box). Does this mean that there is 2MB / core and a total of 4 MB?

2X2 MB means two path ways designed due to the Data traffic in the L2 cache.

When the processor needs data, it first looks into the cache. If the data it needs can be found there, it can retrieve that data with little or no delay.
 
I could build my own... it would have costed me a Rs. 100 less.. (us$1=Indian Rupees 40)

But I preffered to specify the hardware and ask the vendor to assemble it. I wouldnot be responsibel for defective hardware.

Should a defective hardware turn up, I would have to visit the office of the local company distributer and go loggerheads with the chap there. The retail vendor would have just not co-operated.
 
Oh I see, building them is quite easy though and I like the fact that I can put exactly what I want into the computer (I will never buy another pre built). Most of the parts though have some kind of warranty though so if they come broken you can send them back.
 
The trouble is returning the parts... If the vendoe from whom I purchased the part refuses to take it back and asks me to go to the manifaturer's office for a replacement, I will have a lot of trouble.

And, if the office is not in the city, I will have to spend my money for the courier.
 
My computer I'm building right now I'm buying the parts, or at least the important ones, from newegg because they are really good on their customer service and support. So far the specs are going to be:

Intel Core 2 Quad (which I'll overclock most likely to 3.0GHz)
Dual DVD Burners with lightscribe and all the bells and whistles
Dual 500GB Harddrives
Either a 1GB video card or dual 512GB but I haven't decided between NVIDIA and ATI
I guess I'll start with 4GB Corsair RAM
and a floppy and zip drive.

I just need to decide on a few of the brands that I'll be using and then I should have a decent computer...though it will be running windows mainly so I don't know how that'll work...microsoft has gotten on my bad side over the last year since I got my mac.
 
Go with AMD. The shear speed and efficiency of AMD processors cancel the need for a large cache. My current desktop has a sempron 2800+ with only 256kb of cache, which is a world faster than my intel system with 512kb of cache. AMD is better. ;)
 
For the Sempron processor I like very much due to generating less HEAT than other processors.Also the CPU fans RPM & noise is lower.

Also performance is superb.If you have enough RAM 1GB onwards no more problems.even 256KB L2 cache is more than enough.:)
 
lord loh. said:
The trouble is returning the parts... If the vendoe from whom I purchased the part refuses to take it back and asks me to go to the manifaturer's office for a replacement, I will have a lot of trouble.

And, if the office is not in the city, I will have to spend my money for the courier.
That problem is heavily happening in my country too.To replace the parts you have to go to the warehouse & cry couple of times.

Today if I buy the latest board (3years warranty board) after 6 months time if I want to replace the board due to not working condition I cannot replace it because this board is not available in that time.The newer boards components like RAM,Processor wont match with each other.So I have to buy all new components as well.

There is no end in this story.So better work in my old computer by treating it very well.:)
 
Honestly don't worry about which brand you go with. Just look at benchmarks and your price range. Either company makes fine products. Don't worry about architecture or cache or anything, go with the benchmarks for the processors in your price range.

FWIW I used to work at AMD. I was basically in tasked with overclocking the first revision of K8 (aka Opteron, Athlon64, whatever they are calling the different models now). Technically I was speedpath debug, where we wrote software to automate speed-related failure detection and elimination via clock stretching to isolate the fail in time and location on the device.
 
Iwill say this Intel's Core2 CPU line is FANTASTIC!!!

I have a Core2 E6600 (2.4GHz) and it runs at 22C idle (with a decent HSF) and hits 35C underload (toying with the idea of O/C it). my old setup had a P4 2.4GHz

Now I am a linux user and I use Gentoo and thus I compile everything from source. On the P4 compiling OpenOffice would take over 8hours. On the new setup it take just under 3Hours!!!

Taking into account that teh E6600 is a dual-core CPU still puts the Core arch at 25% faster at compiling.



Likewise I did some benchmarking using a whole load of other intel CPU's (centrino's, Core,P4,Xeon) and the Core wiped the flaw with them (even a 2.4GHz up against a quad-CPU 3.8GHz Xeon system)

Its basically downto budget. AMD have really good CPU's and they are only just beat by the intel's Core
 
Why are you wanting a new PC?

Are you a gamer or is your old one broken?

I would just buy a cheapest PC I can get, there's no point in buying the latest hardware, an expensive PC is a waste of money in my opinion because it devalues so quickly.
 
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