Originally posted by: dexvx
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: Crusader
My point was, if you did buy the AMD (or Intel) either way you wont get a crap chip.
For the past years, with the exception of Northwood, Intel has been selling crap chips.
Theres nothing pathetic about using a X2 5000+ unless you are a rabid intel fanboy elitist. Still a great, fast chip..
		
		
	 
		 
		
	 
I'm with Crusader on this one -- an X2 5000+ for $500 is not a good deal these days, but if you're one of those weirdos who don't overclock ( 

 ), it's not a terrible chip.  It's a terrible deal - go with a much lower priced 3800+/4200+ and overclock it but you see where I'm going with this...  For the layperson who wants to just build a PC and yet has lots of cash to spend, a 5000+ is a decent chip to run at stock.  Of course an E6600 is a better chip (even at stock, and especially, of course, when overclocking)...
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: dexvx
You're saying its ok to overpay for a chip that:
1) Does less in the performance/watt category (upwards of 40-60% less).
		
		
	 
That is a totally bogus statement.   In the past, The A64/X2 was 50%+ better in performance/watt over the P4/ P-D lineup of chips, but Conroe does not have that kind of lead in performance per watt, not even 65nm vs 90nm.  Especially with 512K cache AMD chips, and especially not when idle.  If you're not using the PC as a server or doing something which keeps the CPU at 100% usage all the time, the AMD might actually be a bit stingier on power consumption for general processing where usage is typically <5% once you've got word/internet/etc. open.
Intel having the kind of performance/Watt lead with C2D over X2 as AMD had with X2 over Pentium D is just FUD.
Hey look - AMD's still (marginally) better at idle and doesn't lose by much at load.  Certainly nowhere near 40-60%.
The ONLY place you could make a case for Intel having significant lead in performance per watt over AMD right now (>25%) is at the very top - an X6800 @ 2.93 GHz vs a FX-62, partly because the FX-62 chip runs at higher voltage/has double the cache of the X2's and is a bleeding edge chip, while the X6800 @ 2.93 GHz is a walk in the park for conroe.  And the 
performance of an X6800 spanks the FX-62 (25%+).
But if you're comapring middle of the pack or below, say an 2.4 GHz 4600+ X2 with a 2.4 GHz E6400, performance per watt is not going to be that much better on the E6400.
	
	
		
		
			2) Does less general performance (upwards of 20-30% less than a E6600 at stock).
		
		
	 
That's true in a 5000+ vs an E6600.  5000+ is not a good chip to buy for those of us who know what overclocking is 

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			Yet, how is this different when you were buying "crap" Intel chips?  I mean P4 Prescotts/Cedar Mills made *ok* machines (they work well and are reasonably fast compared to previous generation AthlonXP's and S754 A64's), but they fell into the same category as #1, #2 but NEVER #3 (except for EE's).
		
		
	 
Because the Intel P4/Pentium D chips were crap vs AMD Athlon64 939 and X2, which they fought for some time.  Power consumption was astronomical!  Performance per watt (Intel's new favourite stat, yet something they wouldn't dare speak of before C2D) was also abysmal on the Pentium 4's/D's vs the A64's/X2's.
The "last stop for Netburst" 65nm P4's weren't too bad, but it was already way way past its prime by that point.  X2 had been out for some time, also.
	
	
		
		
			
	
	
		
		
			Originally posted by: atom
So, since when is AMD getting a cut from retailer markups? And how is this different from Intel? Intel makes a killing on the EE chips, AMD makes a killing on their FX chips, no surprises here.
		
		
	 
I think Viditor can answer this, but its also based on distributor demand.  Obviously since retailers like Newegg are selling out at inflated prices, the distributors aren't being retarded and not taking notice.  Hence the distributors can mark it up.  Since AMD sells directly to the distributors, they are idiots for not noticing the series of markups as well.  Also I'm talking about the AM2-5000+, not even an FX chip.
		
 
		
	 
So what's the deal, you're happy when Intel sells high margin chips but not AMD?