Deciding on an HP notebook, which processor?

[sphfaros]

Hey everyone, I've been out of the notebook market for a good few years and now I require a new notebook for myself. I've been doing some reading and have narrowed it down to the three following processors: Pentium M, Mobile Athlon 64, AMD Turion 64. I read somewhere that AMD's Sempron processors don't outperform the Mobile Athlon 64's which is why they are not included in my list.

Either way I can pick the laptop on my own, but it's the core of the machine that is important to me. Which of the above processors would everyone recommend? Any personal experience would be most appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

I have been doing a quite a bit of research as well, and here's the little bit I know.

The Pentium M is a pretty decent chip. It's actually a different chip architecture than the P4 (since the P4 is an awful dead-end), and the P-M is the main reason that Apple switched to Intel. However, the P-M is a bit more expensive than the AMD counterparts. But it's still pretty good. Current P-M chips also don't have 64-bit extensions (I'm pretty sure?), if that matters to you at all.

As far as I know, the Mobile Athlon 64 and the Turion 64 are identical, except the Turion 64 is lighter and has better battery life.

I personally want to buy a Turion 64, because I'm no big fan of Intel, and AMD is cheaper and better. I have yet to find a decent Turion 64 machine (read: no integrated graphics!) for a good price. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough? Or maybe the Turion 64 is too new?

 

[sphfaros]

Yea the way it looks to me is that the Pentium M has stabalized as a chip while new AMD laptop chips have just hit the market. Either way I'm a fan on Intel as well and although 64bit doesn't matter to me at the moment, it might be nice in 6 months when everything turns 64bit and I can speed up my laptop tremendously. What about the ze2000z series from HP? That is equiped with the Turion and the zv6000 used the Sempron and the Mobile Athlon. Those are the only two HP laptops that have the AMD chips, unless you're looking at a high end business laptop. I found the above here:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopp...tebooks&category=hp_pavilion&aoid=1426

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

In all actuality, the P-M is newer than the Turion 64, because the P-M is a new and totally different platform from the P4. The Turion 64 is just a modified A64, and the A64s have been out and established for a couple of years now. FYI...

AMD Turion Notebooks from HP:

L2000 - Lance Armstrong notebook, Turion Processor, 14" WS:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopp...tebooks&category=livestrong&catLevel=1

V2000Z - http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopp...mpaq_presario&storeName=computer_store

M2000Z - http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopp...mpaq_presario&storeName=computer_store

R4000 - http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopp...mpaq_presario&storeName=computer_store

The L2000 is decent for its price, and it helps a good cause too. As long as you don't mind the Lance Armstrong stuff all over it.

Acer also makes a few Turion laptops that seem good, but they don't sell directly online, so you have to find a reseller. Boo

 

[sphfaros]

so you are saying that you would get a Turion over a Pentium M because I've been hearing the other way around. word is that Pentium M was one of the only good things Intel did as a company since they re-engineered the chip from ground up

just looking for opinions, thanks

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Originally posted by: sphfaros
so you are saying that you would get a Turion over a Pentium M because I've been hearing the other way around. word is that Pentium M was one of the only good things Intel did as a company since they re-engineered the chip from ground up

just looking for opinions, thanks

I would prefer AMD over Intel, especially with desktops. However, with notebooks, I think both the Pentium-M and the Turion 64 are fine choices. You have more options with the Pentium-M, but it is more expensive. The Turion 64 is cheaper, but you have less companies and selections to choose from, since Intel has bullied/bribed most companies into being Intel only (hence, the lawsuit). It's really up to you. The one thing the Turion does better is 64-bit extensions. Everything else is about the same to a Pentium-M, or so I've heard.

Besides, if you go with AMD, you won't be supporting the Evil Empire of Intel, so that is a bonus as well.

I just talked to HP about pricing on a custom dv4000. I really want a Turion notebook, but there just isn't a whole lot out there right now, which is unfortunate. At least the Pentium-M is leaps and bounds better than the Pentium 4. :thumbsup:

Ryan

PS - As an aside, I've heard that Intel is going to abandon it's NetBurst architecture (P4) in favor of the Pentium-M architecture. The P4 is so inefficient and runs so hot, that there's nothing that can be done with it. From what I've heard, the Pentium-M is a reworked Pentium III, which was Intel's last good platform. Just a little tidbit to ponder...