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AMD Vs Intel Pros/Con

B

BBGuy04

Junior Member
I'm new to the forum, so I would like to say hello. 🙂

I work at Best Buy, and currently working in the Computer department. Now I have some knowledge overall with computers, however, I do believe I can improve a lot better on this.

I've searched google, and saw all their technological answers and what not to these questions, but my question now is what are the pros and cons about an Intel / AMD? I'd like to break it down easier for customers as well between the two.

As far as I know right now... AMD Turion is good for the simple fact that it conserves energy a bit better, thus giving you an extra 30-45 minutes of battery life.

I tell customers that AMD is better for Media / Gaming

and I would say Intel is more for multi-tasking purposes.

Please don't bash me on this, I just came to the computer department not to long ago.. and again, I want to give customers correct information. 🙂



Thanks for the help in advance.
 
Actually, at stock speeds, the lower and middle end cpus are very similar, but actually, Intel basically wins in almost all fronts at the moments.
 
There is nothing AMD has now that can compete with anything from Intel overall.

That being said AMD, does have some great low priced chips - but none as fast as Intel's top offerings.
 
Laptops: Pentium Dual Core < Turion X2 TK < Turion X2 TL < Core 2
Desktops: Celeron < Pentium (Non-OC) < Athlon X2 < Pentium (OCed) < Core 2

AMD can be a good pick for your non overclocking customers if it saves them some decent cash.

If you are selling them components then remember Intel's chips will Overclock better. If you are selling whole systems it's more about the combination of processor, RAM, Video, etc.

Then again you work for a retail store so your boss is going to want you to Upsell, Upsell, and Upsell! Don't forget those extended warranties!
 
Since when was OCed Pentium's better than Althon X2s???

AMD has some very competitive CPUs even now at the mid/low end. But factoring in overclocking (mostly for hardware enthusiasts, Intel wins hands down but at stock it is very competitive). Going toward IGP, then AMD will be the better choice because of the MCP78 aka geforce 8200 series and the 780G from AMD.

But everything highend right now, intel dominates supreme.
 
Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
Going toward IGP, then AMD will be the better choice because of the MCP78 aka geforce 8200 series and the 780G from AMD.
Click to expand...
Right. Intel IGP = pure crap.

That's reason enough for most home users to get AMD. No one looking for advice at Best Buy will be overclocking anyway. :laugh:
 
I bet the average Best Buy customer doesn't even know from overclocking. They probably want the best bang for the buck. That changes the answer considerably, especially in the low end where AMD clearly dominates with their 780G chipset.
 
Having owned many of both, I would have to say that it comes down to the video chipset and amount of memory. The average user (the ones who by from BB) are not going to tell the difference between an Intel and AMD chip at default speeds, but AMD normally has a much better video solution then intel. I have also found that you normally get more memory on an AMD built system, which relates to how well Vista is going to run.
 
Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
Since when was OCed Pentium's better than Althon X2s???

AMD has some very competitive CPUs even now at the mid/low end. But factoring in overclocking (mostly for hardware enthusiasts, Intel wins hands down but at stock it is very competitive). Going toward IGP, then AMD will be the better choice because of the MCP78 aka geforce 8200 series and the 780G from AMD.

But everything highend right now, intel dominates supreme.
Click to expand...

Since Pentium became the name for the low end, low cache Core 2 processors (E2140, 2160, 2180, 2200 and 2220).
 
LAPTOP:

The turion may not be as fast as the core 2 but has better energy policies. This is mainly due to the chipset though.

Depending on the graphics chip on the laptop AMD can be better then Intel. It really depends.

Desktop:

AMD is cheap, most if not all users who purchase a pc from BB never overclock or even have the desire.

Once again depending on the graphics chip AMD can be ahead. The 780G chipset, followed by Nvidia's puts AMD over the top no matter what type of processor Intel has.

The fact of the matter is that the IGP rules out who is top dog. AMD is further ahead then Intel by leaps and bounds on the IGP front.

Intel may have better CPU's but without a good IGP they = the suck.


 
AMD has clearly lost the performance contest to Intel.

But things normalize, and AMD has become the value leader for many of us.

I was forced into a sudden upgrade recently, due to PS failure taking out other system components.

The components chosen:
- AMD 5000+ Black runs cool and stable at 3 GHz for $100.
- 2 Gb G. Skill for $50.
- Biostar TF560 A2+ for $80.

For the money spent, it performs very well.
 
You can get an MSI GeForce 8400gs for $28 that's far better than the integrated graphics on most, if not all, boards, and an e2140 oem for $54

I'm not seeing the great value in AMD at the low end. I put together a complete system for $300 that can run at 3 GHz last night and has good cooling and a reliable PSU.
 
For me the difference is as follows (looking from an average Best Buy buyer point of view):

AMD: decent on everyday applications, good enough for things that do not demand top flight performance, at low->mid range their offerings on the same price range are quite similar to Intel. ALso AMD motherboards tends to offer a lot more feature set compare to Intel's. So many buyer will probably like AMDs for that. Another advantage of AMD is their Integrated graphics chipset boards which due to their knowledge from ATI branch of their business is superior to Intel's. In short on board graphics on AMD boards are more powerful and robust than Intel's. Can even do some games.

Intel: If the buyer needs the top of the line CPU, go with Intel. The AMD cpus only can match Intel offerings to about mid range.

As for laptops, it's different, Turion chipsets offers quite a bit of features and decent battery life. Of course the fastest here is still Intel no surprise. Thus, if the buyer is price conscience and is looking mid/low range items, AMD can definitely compete with Intel. But at the high end, AMD can't currently reach that market because they have no top performing parts yet.
 
Originally posted by: superstition
You can get an MSI GeForce 8400gs for $28 that's far better than the integrated graphics on most, if not all, boards, and an e2140 oem for $54
Click to expand...
At Best Buy? Heh.
 
You people are recommending things like black edition CPU, which you can't get at Best Buy.

And the 780G chipset, which you can't get at Best Buy, yet, as far as I know.

So a lot of this advice doesn't apply. Learn your audience.
 
Originally posted by: panfist
You people are recommending things like black edition CPU, which you can't get at Best Buy.

And the 780G chipset, which you can't get at Best Buy, yet, as far as I know.

So a lot of this advice doesn't apply. Learn your audience.
Click to expand...

I am not saying that your statement is wrong, but its a little harsh. People here (me included) don't go to best buy hardly ever, and wouldn't do so just to give advice. Its all good input, and the OP can filter out that which doesn't apply.
 
First of all, welcome to anandtech, BBGuy.

Originally posted by: BBGuy04
As far as I know right now... AMD Turion is good for the simple fact that it conserves energy a bit better, thus giving you an extra 30-45 minutes of battery life.
Click to expand...

This isn't true. Actually, ever since Intel introduced the Pentium-M, Intel had the lead in battery life, by a considerable margin. With the release of the Turion, AMD pretty much leveled the playing field (which was an amazing feat, BTW). They're pretty much dead even in battery life now, which means that you should really be recommending laptops based upon other things besides battery life or processor power. I say that because who actually cares if their laptop's processor is a few percentage points faster or slower? If they need a laptop with a large hard drive (or Firewire, or a built-in S-video output, etc, etc), a tiny bit faster/slower processor won't be doing them much good, will it?

I tell customers that AMD is better for Media / Gaming
Click to expand...

This isn't true, either. AMD is behind Intel, when it comes to media encoding: http://www23.tomshardware.com/...6&model2=872&chart=440 Admittedly, the two are fairly close, though. With games, AMD is even farther behind (use that same link above, and select some of the games that they tested with all of the CPU's). But, here's the most important thing about gaming-- CPU power means absolutely nothing, unless you have the GPU (video card) power to go along with it. That means that at Best Buy, the computer with the fastest graphical subsystem (video card, or onboard video) will play games the best, not the one with the fastest processor.

and I would say Intel is more for multi-tasking purposes.
Click to expand...

If you're comparing quad cores, you'd be mostly right, with the majority of software. With your average dual-cores, it's really not true, unless you're comparing a top-of-the-line Intel to a bottom-of-the-line AMD, or vice versa. They both multitask excellently.

edit: Hoefully, that didn't seem like "bashing". It wasn't meant to be. BTW, I actually applaud you for coming here and asking. If everyone else who worked at Best Buy/Circuit City/Fry's would do the same, the average person could go to those places, and get advice that was actually worth something.
 
Originally posted by: panfist
You people are recommending things like black edition CPU, which you can't get at Best Buy.

And the 780G chipset, which you can't get at Best Buy, yet, as far as I know.

So a lot of this advice doesn't apply. Learn your audience.
Click to expand...


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...&cp=1&id=1204331848308

This Gateway AMD 780G-based computer with ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics was found after a quick search, with others likely being sold exclusively in-store. Unlike the competition it would support DX10 right out of the box. Although, I'll admit to not having walked into a Best Buy in over a decade, and probably haven't played with a proprietary designed computer since my Amiga. 🙂 I also assume OEMs like HP, eMachines, and Dell etc. (all sold through Best Buy) are preparing this brand-new chipset for various builds, barring some catastrophe. The problem is this market is too segmented, with the general buying public too quixotic, to attempt any solid advice.

In comparison, you have the Intel side with the G35, or better yet the G33, both of which fall very short. Anyone who says otherwise probably has never used one. You also have AMD builds using the NVIDIA GeForce 6100/6150 chipsets. And the 690i, also just recently introduced, which while fast enough probably runs too hot for OEMs.

I would just make sure any computer running Vista comes equipped with at least 2GB of DDR. This and the IGP will likely have the greatest impact on real-world performance. Real-world performance, price, and then perhaps feature set: these are probably the biggest selling-points for anyone shopping for a pre-built system.
 
I don't mind going to BB or Fry's I go quite often actually, but I also know exactly what I'm going for and don't really need any of the salespeople to help me. Also, Bradley I saw that system or one just like it at the BB close to me was not a bad rig. I've not been fond of the PC guys at BB though since I went to help my friends mom buy a PC for his little brother and when the guy told her she can't game on it because the 2.4ghz Celeron wasn't fast enough and I said, "well it's not really that it's the fact it has an integrated gpu" he looked at me and told me I was wrong and for her not to listen to me. I had to leave the store before I broke the little punks face and refused to let her buy from there and just built them one instead.
 
If he's really interested, the OP might do well with a rough clock-for-clock comparison table between the various CPU lines.

But as many have said above, for most users the IGP and RAM are going to be the key factors, not CPU. Speaking of RAM, are OEMs offering Vista 64 preinstalled yet?
 
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