Is Athlon a "snappier" processor?

[jpetermann]

I don't want to get into a big debate on Intel vs. AMD, but I do have a question for those who have had both processors.
I am currently running a P4 1.8a on an Asus P4s533 at 2.4. I also have an Athlon xp 1.8 (not overclocked) on a Gigabyte 7vrxp. Now for the question:

Those who have experience on both, does the amd based system seem to be "snappier" (respond faster)? What are your observations?

PJ

 

[aircooled]

My home machine is an Athlon XP1600+ (oc'd to 1750mhz), and I just built several P4 1.8ghz machines for work. Honestly, I cannot "feel" the difference. I'm sure some benchmark's would prove me wrong, but I'm just going by regular windows usage, not gaming or 3d modeling, etc...

On the other hand, the P4 runs about 10degrees F cooler than my AthlonXP (not that I consider that an issue since AMD procesors seem to handle heat a little better).

I have no loyalty to either brand, I've built with both and they are both fast as hell at modern speeds (1600ish and above). If your gaming and want percision performance then get some good benchmarks before purchasing, but for regular everyday usage, either brand will work as good as the other.

 

[Leo V]

I went from AthlonXP 1.4ghz using PC133 SDRAM to a P4/2.26B @2.55ghz (default 1.50V reaches 2.62ghz) using PC3200cas2 DDR memory. Also, I upgraded the hdd from IBM Deathstar75GXP to Barracuda IV.

My new P4 system is definitely a bit "snappier", especially when installing software, but also loading apps like Photoshop7 or VisStudio.net. However, there are many reasons--almost doubled MHz, tripled memory bandwidth, faster hard drive. (My 3dmarks using gf4ti4200 went up by >65%). And the old system was already extremely fast.

So far, I have experienced no strange delays, latency, or any other underperformance using the P4 processor that might hint of CPU throttling.
--Leo

 

[jpetermann]

Interesting so far...
I need to find out why my P4 seems to have a "delay" before it starts anyything. Almost like it takes a deep breath and then starts.

PJ

 

[Leo V]

OK, I've just now implemented some WinXP optimizations and now desktop apps are really flying. No more swapping to disk with 512 ram P4 isn't holding back.

Maybe you should try clocking the P4 back to 1.8ghz, ensure excellent thermal application, and see what happens.

 

[jpetermann]

I have already tried setting it back to 1.8 and it was no different.

PJ

 

[dexvx]

I think its more placebo and more dependant on your I/O drivers more than the processor itself.

 

[JeremiahTheGreat]

i second that..

i can't tell the difference between my Xp1600 and my older T-Bird 1Ghz (maybe except in a few games), except it has the nice "XP" prefix on bootup that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[jaybee]

Originally posted by: pastorjay
Interesting so far...
I need to find out why my P4 seems to have a "delay" before it starts anyything. Almost like it takes a deep breath and then starts.

PJ

Is your hard drive spinning down? Listen & see if it has to spin up when you open something. Also, have you installed the Intel Application Accelerator drivers? Intel chipset mobos should use that.

jaybee

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

In terms of snapiness most people refer to how fast programs and windows load. Once we get into the 1GHZ + range, it becomes more and more about the HDD and other I/O components then the Processor. Some things that will noticeably improve "snapiness" are definitely more RAM, and faster harddrives. Also, I've compared an athlon 2200 and my own P4 2.4 ghz, and noticed no difference between the two, albeit mine is slightly faster in some games.

 

[IRJack]

I experience the delay you're talking about on a daily basis.

At home I'm running an XP1600 w/ 256mb DDR ram and ata133 7200 HDD on an asus mobo and win2k. At work, I'm on a P4/2.0Ghz w/ 512mb DDR ram and ata66 7200 HDD on a ? mobo and win2k. I've checked the power scheme settings for both, and both have the HDD set to never turn off.

I've noticed that in everyday tasks - office stuff, email, application loading - my AMD system is much quicker. The P4 will, a lot of times but not always - seem to s-s-s-s-stutter. The difference between the ata66 and ata133 drives should not cause something like that. My memory usage on both is around 120-140mb - no problem there.
I assumed that it was some of the security s/w running on my work system that was causing delays to begin with (and it may be still), but I have similar s/w and a few extra apps running at home. Everyone in my office with a new P4 system has described the same problem when I asked them about it.

Sorry this doesn't offer any solution to you, but it does confirm that you don't have an isolated problem.

 

[dexvx]

Originally posted by: IRJack
I experience the delay you're talking about on a daily basis.

At home I'm running an XP1600 w/ 256mb DDR ram and ata133 7200 HDD on an asus mobo and win2k. At work, I'm on a P4/2.0Ghz w/ 512mb DDR ram and ata66 7200 HDD on a ? mobo and win2k. I've checked the power scheme settings for both, and both have the HDD set to never turn off.

I've noticed that in everyday tasks - office stuff, email, application loading - my AMD system is much quicker. The P4 will, a lot of times but not always - seem to s-s-s-s-stutter. The difference between the ata66 and ata133 drives should not cause something like that. My memory usage on both is around 120-140mb - no problem there.
I assumed that it was some of the security s/w running on my work system that was causing delays to begin with (and it may be still), but I have similar s/w and a few extra apps running at home. Everyone in my office with a new P4 system has described the same problem when I asked them about it.

Sorry this doesn't offer any solution to you, but it does confirm that you don't have an isolated problem.

IAA fixes most of your described stutter symptoms.

 

[Leo V]

"IAA fixes most of your described stutter symptoms."

Hmm, that could be! I've installed IAA from the start and had no problems.

 

[jpetermann]

IAA is for intel chipsets only isn't it?

PJ

 

[IRJack]

IAA should fix? Good deal. Too bad I don't have win2k admin rights at work so I could install it give it go.

Being "just a user" stinks, especially when you could fix most of your own probs.

 

[jaybee]

Originally posted by: pastorjay
IAA is for intel chipsets only isn't it?

PJ

Yup. Pretty nice enhancement from what I've heard, though. If it's applicable, install it.

jaybee

 

[jpetermann]

My p4s533 is a SiS chipset, so the IAA is out for me.

PJ

 

[THUGSROOK]

if you want a better system....
get rid of that SiS board and get an Asus P4B533.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I installed IAA 2.2.2 yesterday after reading this thread, and when I got back to windows, it said my E drive (second hard drive) was not formatted. I uninstalled IAA and it came back fine. Just a warning for those wanting to install them...

They're basically just IDE drivers anyways, and they're not any faster than the ones in XP, so I wouldn't bother unless you're using an older OS.

 

[Deskstar]

I have an AMD 2000+ and a P4 2.4 different amounts of memory, different hard drives, different video cards, even different operating systems. So, take this experience as not an apples to apples comparison. Once boot up is finished, I cannot tell a speed difference between the two systems in everyday applications. The P4 is much more quiet due to its lack of fans for cooling.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pauli]

Your problem has nothing to do with processor type (Intel vs. AMD). It likely has something to do with your drivers for one of the I/O devices (as someone previously mentioned). Perhaps a weak driver implemention or a problem with one of the expansion cards not playing along with another. Or maybe some software you installed messed up something. It's almost impossible to tell without experimentation. You haven't stated which OS you are using either. Whichever it is, make sure you have DMA enabled (this is basically what IAA does anyway).