Am I an idiot for select AMD for my new computer company

[konakona]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: ChiPCGuy
Uhh, even good 'ol Tom Pabst at Tom's Hardware had to admit that A64 platforms are the more reliable and stable platform at this point in history. I am sure it killed him to admit it though...

Just in case you do not know, Tom has been accused of taking Intel kickbacks for quite some time now.

Stability is more a matter of chipset/drivers/OS than anything else. When using the nForce4, with the latest drivers (ahem, we won't mention NAM), and XP SP2, you have the most stable system short of a server.

Intel chipset with an Intel CPU will easily top that. I can't tell you how many times the cause of my hard disk detection issues has been the crappy nForce4. Others have had issues as well. I have never, EVER, EVER... seen a BSOD on my Video Rig (maybe one). Maybe five or ten on my AMD Gaming Rig. My VIA/Athlon XP systems were very flaky at best. A BSOD a week keeps the doctor coming. To this day, my hard disk is detected one of every two times I boot my Gaming Rig. No amount of BIOS flashing and nForce4 drivers have fixed this. Fortunately, I don't reboot much. If I install nForce4 SATA drivers with the devil's sign version number, I will get a BSOD every time I boot XP. Drivers prior to that were ~half stable. Don't even get me started on the nForce4 platform drivers. God awful. I have to use either BIOS 1001 and the earlier nForce4 chipset drivers, or the latest BIOS AND the latest chipset drivers (still flaky). Those are impossible combos without reinstalling Windows between one of the updates. Freakin' ridiculous.

sorry to hear you are having problems, but you are about the only person I have seen in the longest time complaining about AMD instability/incompatibility issue. Out of 5 computers we have in our house, my 2 computers are by far the most stable, staying up the whole time except for program/driver installation or hardware changes. Correct me if I am wrong, but the vast majority have no problems whatsoever with the nforce4 platform and like it better than anything intel has to offer. It should also be noted my sempron @2.2ghz running side by side is a notch quieter than the dell next to it.

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: Diasper

That 90% of computer users use Internet Explorer instead of Firefox is the only proof that you need that Microsoft really does control the world. Firefox is superior to Internet Explorer in almost every way and is becoming more and more popular. It is faster and also blocks all those annoying pop up ads you get when using Internet Explorer.

or

Once you connect your computer to the internet, you are vulnerable to computer viruses. The geeks that write these viruses are very sneaky so even if you are very careful about what you download you could still find yourself with a virus. This is an excellent program for checking and destroying virusues. We recommend running and updating this program once a week.

You may want to shift your language to a more professional less personal stance. Personal attacks etc don't look good to consumers - or those supplying you

I'm not sure whether you should have a customisation guide on each program - perhaps you could on your website but have it as a psswword protected area so only those who have bought the previous customisation from you can access it...

Thanks for your well thought out response.

If you look at my, um, prototype webpage prototype business pageyou will see it is a lot like your example.

 

[eflat]

Also, it's worth noting that my goals are not the same as others.

I don't want to make money - I want to start a giant successful business.

I'm a little autistic and don't really care about money like other people do. I care about creating stuff.

The fun in business for me is creating the business and making it better and providing better customer support and making it bigger and bigger.

I'm already covered for money so as long as I don't lose any money I'm good.

Any profit I can pour right back into the business - I don't have to or want to keep it for myself like other people do. That is what makes me and my business unique - I can decicate 18 hours a day 7 days a week to it.

I don't have to worry about my "life" because this business will be my life. It's fun for me and I would much rather work on the business than socialize with people like others would (but don't think I'm not good at socializing - I'm actually very charasmatic - even if it is just an act)

 

[Greenman]

If I was in your position, I'd find a way to get the school to change the wording on that paper. A simple request might be all it takes.

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
Well it's nice to stick w/ one manufacturer because they like you more and eventually they will cut you deals.

unless your name is michael dell i wouldn't worry about this.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: chrisrod01
But isnt Intel more stable? That why school and everyone uses dell cause stablility and warranty????

No! Just No!

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: Scavenger
Set up both machines in the store and show people that amd outperforms 🙂

It's just not that simple.

They have a list the school gives them and it says at the top of the list "must have a P4 processor." Then it says, "our bookstore has a great deal with Dell..."

Damn you Dell damn you

Whatever I will give them their P4 option and make my simple business complicated. But once it grows and I take over the world Intel is first on my takeover list 😉

With Dells pricing on low end computers you can't compete for that market, you have to cater to those with some computer knowledge that want better than a Dell box and have the cash to speed more. Positions yourself as the high end alternative to the $500 "BOX"

Point your marketing toward the students that are most likely to need more than a entry level machine like, Egineering, Art, Mathematics and Computer Science students and of course Gamers.

And you should be trying to find a deal on Turion laptop barebones, they should be coming available to OEM distribution channels. AMD is becoming more competative in the laptop market, you should be able to compete very nicely price wize in the laptop market.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Computer Science students and of course Gamers.

That might be a tough sell...most I know build/buy their own.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: rod

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: ChiPCGuy
Stability is more a matter of chipset/drivers/OS than anything else. When using the nForce4, with the latest drivers (ahem, we won't mention NAM), and XP SP2, you have the most stable system short of a server.

Intel chipset with an Intel CPU will easily top that. I can't tell you how many times the cause of my hard disk detection issues has been the crappy nForce4. Others have had issues as well. I have never, EVER, EVER... seen a BSOD on my Video Rig (maybe one). Maybe five or ten on my AMD Gaming Rig. My VIA/Athlon XP systems were very flaky at best. A BSOD a week keeps the doctor coming. To this day, my hard disk is detected one of every two times I boot my Gaming Rig. No amount of BIOS flashing and nForce4 drivers have fixed this. Fortunately, I don't reboot much. If I install nForce4 SATA drivers with the devil's sign version number, I will get a BSOD every time I boot XP. Drivers prior to that were ~half stable. Don't even get me started on the nForce4 platform drivers. God awful. I have to use either BIOS 1001 and the earlier nForce4 chipset drivers, or the latest BIOS AND the latest chipset drivers (still flaky). Those are impossible combos without reinstalling Windows between one of the updates. Freakin' ridiculous.

If your flashing your "VIA/AthlonXP" system with nForce drivers, it's no wonder your having problems. The nForce is made by nVidia, not VIA.

RoD

Where did I say that? I'm saying Intel/Intel is still the most stable. I think the VIA drivers take the crown for most instability.

Originally posted by: VanillaH
sorry to hear you are having problems, but you are about the only person I have seen in the longest time complaining about AMD instability/incompatibility issue. Out of 5 computers we have in our house, my 2 computers are by far the most stable, staying up the whole time except for program/driver installation or hardware changes. Correct me if I am wrong, but the vast majority have no problems whatsoever with the nforce4 platform and like it better than anything intel has to offer. It should also be noted my sempron @2.2ghz running side by side is a notch quieter than the dell next to it.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=6313
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1636220&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=32&threadid=1677988&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=1654288&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1653001&enterthread=y

Plus all the people with Maxtor DiamondMax 10 drivers and an nForce 4 board.

Maybe I'm blind, but I've never seen a thread about Intel chipset instability like I have the nForce chipsets. The nForce 2 was probably the most stable, nForce 3 following in a close second. The nForce 4 however are a lot worse.

 

[konakona]

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=6313
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1636220&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=32&threadid=1677988&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=1654288&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1653001&enterthread=y

Plus all the people with Maxtor DiamondMax 10 drivers and an nForce 4 board.

Maybe I'm blind, but I've never seen a thread about Intel chipset instability like I have the nForce chipsets. The nForce 2 was probably the most stable, nForce 3 following in a close second. The nForce 4 however are a lot worse.

point taken, guess I gotta avoide the diamondmax seris..

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: VanillaH

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=6313
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1636220&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=32&threadid=1677988&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=1654288&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1653001&enterthread=y

Plus all the people with Maxtor DiamondMax 10 drivers and an nForce 4 board.

Maybe I'm blind, but I've never seen a thread about Intel chipset instability like I have the nForce chipsets. The nForce 2 was probably the most stable, nForce 3 following in a close second. The nForce 4 however are a lot worse.

point taken, guess I gotta avoide the diamondmax seris..

Nah, they are very good drives. Avoid the A8N-SLI mobo series. I think other nForce 4 boards are fine, but don't hold me to it.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: rod

Originally posted by: xtknight
My VIA/Athlon XP systems were very flaky at best. No amount of BIOS flashing and nForce4 drivers have fixed this.

If your flashing your "VIA/AthlonXP" system with nForce drivers, it's no wonder your having problems. The nForce is made by nVidia, not VIA.

RoD

Where did I say that? I'm saying Intel/Intel is still the most stable. I think the VIA drivers take the crown for most instability.

I think he's talking about that.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: CitizenDougAm I an idiot for select AMD for my new computer company.

Not in a sense of Choosing AMD.

However, might be in the sense of being anxious thinking that it is really makes such a difference if it is Intel or AMD.

:sun:

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
Well it's nice to stick w/ one manufacturer because they like you more and eventually they will cut you deals.

unless your name is michael dell i wouldn't worry about this.

Mr. Fry (the owner of Fry's electronics) is my next door neighbor.


Yes I am dead serious. It's obviously a big house with a lot of land but his lot shares a line with ours. I met him a few years ago, he seemed like a nice enough guy. I see them around less and less now that the business is really taking off though.

If you don't believe me ask Francodman (or whatever his name is) here on the forum I went to high school with him he will verify it.


I should cut some deals with this guy next time I see him home!

 

[imported_BikeDude]

Originally posted by: xtknight
Maybe I'm blind, but I've never seen a thread about Intel chipset instability like I have the nForce chipsets.

I could start one if you'd like? :->

We have a machine at work, a P4, Intel motherboard with 865 chipset and fairly standard configuration. Changed the CPU, motherboard (same model motherboard though), PSU, memory, drive... Finally re-arranged the memory so that we effectively disabled dual channel. That did the trick. 🙁

Our fileserver was haunted. Intel chipset, Xeon, the works... It froze solid every six hours. Turned out the driver for the embedded Adaptec SATA controller didn't like SQL Server Agent. A couple of Adaptec versions later and it is finally running the way we intended. Our vendor had pushed that model because he was a giant Intel fan... (I wanted an Opteron-based system)

Over the past couple of years (where I work), I've made sure that we software developers get A64 rigs. Admittedly, we had some issues with a 3COM integrated NIC on one motherboard model (the TCP/IP stack would sometimes completely freeze during debugging), but buying a couple of NIC PCI cards is no big deal these days.

At home I have a dual Opteron 244. I had one BSOD and tracked it down to Tyan's system monitor driver. Since it isn't an essential driver, I can live without it for now. (Tyan recommended me to upgrade my BIOS -- haven't gotten that far yet though) My old AthlonXP 2500+ ran rock solid for over a year, and I was a bit worried when faced with the upgrade. (I usually avoid upgrading all components at once -- easier to find the culprit in case of a crash, when you've only installed one new component)

But then again, at home I have a pure SCSI setup. So any nForce EIDE/SATA issues won't affect me. (we use SATA at work though)

 

[nick1985]

You will fail out of college. The tech support calls will keep you up so late you will never get any work done.

 

[w00t]

I think you should sell AMD and Intel considering intel still runs some stuff better of course dual core takes care of that but for the price.

 

[James3shin]

AMD holds the performance crown, Intel owns the marketing crown...I say you work with both to appease both, the performance, and brainwashed crowds.

 

[Joepublic2]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Intel chipset with an Intel CPU will easily top that. I can't tell you how many times the cause of my hard disk detection issues has been the crappy nForce4. Others have had issues as well. I have never, EVER, EVER... seen a BSOD on my Video Rig (maybe one). Maybe five or ten on my AMD Gaming Rig. My VIA/Athlon XP systems were very flaky at best. A BSOD a week keeps the doctor coming. To this day, my hard disk is detected one of every two times I boot my Gaming Rig. No amount of BIOS flashing and nForce4 drivers have fixed this. Fortunately, I don't reboot much. If I install nForce4 SATA drivers with the devil's sign version number, I will get a BSOD every time I boot XP. Drivers prior to that were ~half stable. Don't even get me started on the nForce4 platform drivers. God awful. I have to use either BIOS 1001 and the earlier nForce4 chipset drivers, or the latest BIOS AND the latest chipset drivers (still flaky). Those are impossible combos without reinstalling Windows between one of the updates. Freakin' ridiculous.

I agree, to a point. Stability has been very good, but I've had several problems with my nforce 3. The first and most aggravating has been the "stuttering" problem that can occur when using a 6xxx AGP card and a nforce 3 chipset. Basically, the computer stops responding for a fraction of a second when running a D3D application (never had problems with Doom 3, UT2004 when I switched to OpenGL mode, Quake 3, etc.). It's not caused by HD access, as you might be thinking. It was damn perplexing, but I eventually worked around it by syncing my video card's 2D and 3D clockspeeds with rivatuner and modifying/reflashing my card's bios to make it permanent. Here are some threads about it, as you can see, it's a very widespread problem that still has no solution, only workarounds:

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=4758&hl=stuttering
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=126&hl=stuttering
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=6489&hl=stuttering
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=5553&hl=stuttering
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=32759

Also, my ethernet would randomly crap out. This is with multiple different drivers/cables/routers and another motherboard. Dropping in a realtek 8139 card in immediately fixed all my problems:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=796154
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=2137&hl=firewall
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=796154
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=2137&st=20
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=394523
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49443&highlight=

I'm sure you can find many more with google if you want to take the time. Both problems occured with a gigabyte and an epox nforce 3 board. The video card worked fine in my friend's KT333 board, and a 865 board at work. It kind of pissed me off, as I was told nvidia was the intel of the amd chipset world, and I've had far more problems with them than any via product I've ever owned. Add to the fact that nvidia STILL hasn't release a complete/non-beta driver set for xp64 for the nforce 3 chipset, and a complete lack of support on their forums and the canned email responses I get and I don't think I'll ever buy another nvidia product ever again. I haven't played around with VIA's latest chipsets, but I hear that they're very good, so I will definately be getting a via board in the future if Intel doesn't starts making competitive chips again that don't use ridiculous amounts of electricity.

 

[eflat]

Well you are in like we are going to offer one and maybe two computers based around the P4. One will be a Dell 3000 😉