AMD/Intel Pricing

[dac7nco]

I've been wondering how much AMD actually keeps Intel from skyrocketing it's CPU prices. I have no doubt that AMD keeps Intel's Tick/Tock strong, but from what I can see, a pair of Intel six-cores isn't worth the premium of a grand over two 12-core AMD chips. I understand the different economics of server vs. workstation pricing, but I'm not talking performance per watt in a large (noisy) 42u setup. Keep in mind that I run an assload of VMs, but am I missing something here? If all I wanted to do is video encoding (which Intel excels at) I could do it better with a single CPU & a Leadtek card, for a fraction of the cost of either.

Postscript: I made the mistake of paying for a pair of 5570s about 6-months before Magny-Cours came around, all to run a bunch of Oracle backends. I'm trying to convince myself that I didn't screw up, as I don't replace systems very often.

Daimon

 

[Dadofamunky]

No, I don't think you did. The Intels actually do dominate in that area, IIRC. It isn't even close. Others may dispute that but no, you'll never get fired buying high-end Intel.

 

[dac7nco]

Thanks, Dadofamunky, I 've read benchmarks with the new Opterons in VMs, and they are pretty scary; I've bought 24 2U dual 5520/5570 serbers with 10G-T cards and Thecus Arrays - We run around 40+ VM backends to those Thecus iSCSIs, at around 6TB each. That's some scary shit.

Daimon

 

[Soulkeeper]

Intel charges as much as they can get away with.
If we stop paying it then they might "get it"

It's somewhat concerning how people often mention amd's prices as "so intel will be cheaper" (or something similar) rather than actually looking at buying the amd products

Don't beat yourself up over that purchase, something new always comes out.

 

[JFAMD]

you'll never get fired buying high-end Intel.

Intel at 42% more expensive ($1663 vs. $1165), for slightly lower integer performance and >20% lower FP performance.

I'd fire someone if they made that choice.

As for database price/performance, the best TPC-C 2P database price/performance is AMD:

http://www.tpc.org/tpcc/results/tpcc_result_detail.asp?id=110040801

And the best overall price/performance for TPC-E is AMD:

http://www.tpc.org/tpce/results/tpce_result_detail.asp?id=110040802

If you want to spend more, that's your choice, but with today's IT budgets being stripped back, it just seems foolish.

 

[Idontcare]

I'd fire someone if they made that choice.

No one gets fired for buying Intel.

 

[VirtualLarry]

No one gets fired for buying Intel.

Unless you work for AMD.

 

[Nemesis 1]

I've been wondering how much AMD actually keeps Intel from skyrocketing it's CPU prices. I have no doubt that AMD keeps Intel's Tick/Tock strong, but from what I can see, a pair of Intel six-cores isn't worth the premium of a grand over two 12-core AMD chips. I understand the different economics of server vs. workstation pricing, but I'm not talking performance per watt in a large (noisy) 42u setup. Keep in mind that I run an assload of VMs, but am I missing something here? If all I wanted to do is video encoding (which Intel excels at) I could do it better with a single CPU & a Leadtek card, for a fraction of the cost of either.

Postscript: I made the mistake of paying for a pair of 5570s about 6-months before Magny-Cours came around, all to run a bunch of Oracle backends. I'm trying to convince myself that I didn't screw up, as I don't replace systems very often.

Daimon

Well you can wonder all you want. When intel released conroe it did so at a price lower than the cheapest AMD that was out.

Intel can't lower pricies. or the EU will be all over them for screwing the consumer and stalling innovation . Already proven. Intel is a monopoply so they can't price AMD out of the market. Intel pricies are ware Intel has to sell at By LAW. Thats your monopoly laws at work. You all applauded intels fines. and agreeded Intel has to conduct itself differantly. Well thats what you have now shout up cry babies. Look it up and see monopoly law . Intel can't price its competion out of existance. Intels Margins this quarter where above 60%. Thats crazy but thats how the law you all appauled works look it up than shout up/

 

[Nemesis 1]

Intel at 42% more expensive ($1663 vs. $1165), for slightly lower integer performance and >20% lower FP performance.

I'd fire someone if they made that choice.

As for database price/performance, the best TPC-C 2P database price/performance is AMD:

http://www.tpc.org/tpcc/results/tpcc_result_detail.asp?id=110040801

And the best overall price/performance for TPC-E is AMD:

http://www.tpc.org/tpce/results/tpce_result_detail.asp?id=110040802

If you want to spend more, that's your choice, but with today's IT budgets being stripped back, it just seems foolish.

So tell us would have you done the same in 06 befor conroe was released . Intel has basicly taken back the server market . Good luck selling into that group as fanbois are not among them . They buy the Best and thats intel AMD only has 10- % of server market and shrinking and magna cores won't change anything.

 

[beginner99]

Well you can wonder all you want. When intel released conroe it did so at a price lower than the cheapest AMD that was out.

Intel can't lower pricies. or the EU will be all over them for screwing the consumer and stalling innovation . Already proven. Intel is a monopoply so they can't price AMD out of the market. Intel pricies are ware Intel has to sell at By LAW. Thats your monopoly laws at work. You all applauded intels fines. and agreeded Intel has to conduct itself differantly. Well thats what you have now shout up cry babies. Look it up and see monopoly law . Intel can't price its competion out of existance. Intels Margins this quarter where above 60%. Thats crazy but thats how the law you all appauled works look it up than shout up/

Might be true but if intel offered cheaper prices amd would be dead very quickly because then you basically loose the last reason to go AMD and AMD can't really lower their prices much more (because they already sell you around 50% more "material" at the same price as intel does).

 

[dac7nco]

I work for a defense contractor; These intel servers running the VMs service a HUGE population (around 700 in two San Francisco buildings) of employees - I'm getting around 170% of the performance of the dual-penryn systems I've rotated out. No, I didn't get fired for increasing "horsepower" and memory (144GB per server) while vastly lowering utility prices (eh - FB-DIMM?). I built a single test shelf myself; the rest are HP. I seriously considered waiting to see the Magny-Cours, but these things kick ass. I have no problem with AMD - I operate a few 8P Shanghais, and I've never regretted it.

Daimon

EDIT: Remember the phrase "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM - the price of their shit this time around would've put off my GS-14 by about a year; I just got it.