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new high-end system...go AMD 64bit or intel??

mcveigh

mcveigh

Diamond Member
I am specing out a new high end system for someone. the need is speed not gaming or listenign to music.

so I'm looking at 1 GB ram PC 3200(maybe registered and ecc)
possibly matrox for the video card there will be no 3d stuff done on this,
raptor (the new 73GB one) as the main hard drive.

but I'm really wondering would I see any improvememt going to a 64bit solution from an intel one.

for intel, I'm leanign towards either:
intel D875PBZLK with P4 3.0C
Asus P4C800-E DELUXE with same cpu.

caould any comment on the real world speed of the AMD 64bit processors?

EDIT:---PROPOSED SYSTEMS---
case and power supplys undecided.

--AMD 64Bit
Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon 64 Processors, Model# K8V Deluxe - RETAIL -$138
MATROX Model P650 64MB DDR AGP 8X -$159-----fanless great 2D graphics.
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ -$421
CORSAIR MEMORY XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency (Twin Pack)
(2 x 512MB) TwinX1024RE-3200LL- $285
Samsung CDRW/DVD Combo Drive 8mb Cache, Model SM-352BRNS 16x dvd 52x24x52 cdrw $62
Apacer USB 2.0 6 in 1 Embedded Card Reader -$19
WESTERN DIGITAL WD740GD 74GB raptor--$294
total--$1378

--Intel 32bit
Intel Motherboard Model D875PBZLK Retail -$144
Intel Pentium 4 / 3.0CGHz 512k socket 478 Hyper Threading Technology 800 MHz FSB - RETAIL -$275
CORSAIR MEMORY XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency (Twin Pack)
(2 x 512MB) TwinX1024RE-3200LL- $285
Samsung CDRW/DVD Combo Drive 8mb Cache, Model SM-352BRNS 16x dvd 52x24x52 cdrw $62
Apacer USB 2.0 6 in 1 Embedded Card Reader -$19
WESTERN DIGITAL WD740GD 74GB raptor--$294
MATROX Model P650 64MB DDR AGP 8X -$159-----fanless great 2D graphics.
--TOTAL -- $1238

 
Originally posted by: sellmen
caould any comment on the real world speed of the AMD 64bit processors?
Click to expand...

Define "real world speed."
Click to expand...


if you have actually used a system, does it respond faster than a comparable intel system. I don't can if it get 20 more FPS in UT2003. will it be faster opening an application.
 
You need to list specific applications, since AMD scores better on some and P4 scores better on others.

Also, for P4 shouldn't you be getting 3.2 GHz not that it's priced at what a 3.0 was last month?

And, for PhotoShop for example, memory is more important than the last speed bump, so a 3.0 + 2 GB RAM would be better for you than a 3.2 + 1GB.

And, if what you're doing is disk-bound, such as video editiong (rather than just enocding) then disk speed becomes much more important.

Finally, any budget constraints?
 
You need to be looking at disk speed rather than processor speed for app performance. Your not going to notice the difference on 2 high end systems when "opening" an app dude
rolleye.gif
.

SCSI offers the best multi-tasking and application performance due to the fact that it uses so little CPU time(and other reasons). Buy whatever processor you feel will do the trick, as it's only going to effect your gaming expeirence.

I'd go with the Athlon64 because it's more future proof and has great OC headroom.
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
You need to list specific applications, since AMD scores better on some and P4 scores better on others.

Also, for P4 shouldn't you be getting 3.2 GHz not that it's priced at what a 3.0 was last month?

And, for PhotoShop for example, memory is more important than the last speed bump, so a 3.0 + 2 GB RAM would be better for you than a 3.2 + 1GB.

And, if what you're doing is disk-bound, such as video editiong (rather than just enocding) then disk speed becomes much more important.

Finally, any budget constraints?
Click to expand...


not sure on budget yet..... she can afford anything we can think of... i mean that.
but shes not wasteful, all she does is the normal stuff, email, word processing, quicken, maybe a video clip, no games, music, etc. she is impatient though. when she wants it to run now, she means right now.

actually I will be putting more time into the out side look of the system than the inside.
 
I can't comment on the issues relative to AMD's solution or Intels, but I will mention that I have the Intel 3.2GHz Pentium 4, an Asus P4C800-E, and 1GB of ECC DDR400. It's been very stable for me with no issues. I leave it on pretty much constantly and just put it into stand-by and it's been flawless with no issues that I have seen since the day that I bought it.
 
I would recommend against ECC or registered ram since it slows things down a tiny bit. It's really only usefull for servers IMO.
 
If all you want to do is open aps fast...don't waste money on a $400+ processor. A $90 Barton 2500+ can open microsoft word just fine...

Get 1GB RAM, a cheap nforce2 setup with a raptor, that'll be more than fast enough.
 
nice pm- I think that is starting to be a phenominon in general since Windows has gotten a lot better because I don't have a P4 but I have the same results 🙂


As for your friend who cannot wait absolutely....get a athlon64 then 😉 It'll be funner, no? 😛

And it sounds like what she is going to do isn't going to come near pushing a processor- if I were you I'd invest in scsci or I'd get 2 74gig Raptors and raid those 🙂
 
Originally posted by: BD231
You need to be looking at disk speed rather than processor speed for app performance. Your not going to notice the difference on 2 high end systems when "opening" an app dude
rolleye.gif
.

SCSI offers the best multi-tasking and application performance due to the fact that it uses so little CPU time(and other reasons). Buy whatever processor you feel will do the trick, as it's only going to effect your gaming expeirence.

I'd go with the Athlon64 because it's more future proof and has great OC headroom.
Click to expand...

 
Originally posted by: BD231
You need to be looking at disk speed rather than processor speed for app performance. Your not going to notice the difference on 2 high end systems when "opening" an app dude
rolleye.gif
.

SCSI offers the best multi-tasking and application performance due to the fact that it uses so little CPU time(and other reasons). Buy whatever processor you feel will do the trick, as it's only going to effect your gaming expeirence.

I'd go with the Athlon64 because it's more future proof and has great OC headroom.
Click to expand...

I agree with the drive choice, as a matter of fact my home system runs a 15K pm scsi drive.

I don't think that scsi will give her a boost worth the hassle (sometimes) of setting it up. I find the raptors to be very fast and much easier to install.
pretty much my thoughts are new raptor (maybe raid0....I really don't like raid0...I prefer redundancy)
the old saying is " no one ever got fired for recommending IBM" So I feel safe going with intel.

but as BD231 saif the AMD route will future proof me. and if the windowsXP for 64bit processors ever comes out that will hopefully boost it even more.

If I al told something like "make it fast as possible..cost is no object"... then we're talking SCSI raid 😀
 
I would recommend against ECC or registered ram since it slows things down a tiny bit. It's really only usefull for servers IMO.
Click to expand...
Benchmark of PCMark 2002 on my CPU with ECC support on the 1GB DDR400 SDRAM enabled and disabled.
3GHz w/ ECC: cpu: 7344, mem: 8036
3GHz w/o ECC: cpu: 7343, mem: 8067

So that's approximately 0.3% difference - which is well below the error range on the test itself I would estimate.

At the time that I bought it, it cost me $22 - or a little more than 10% more - to purchase ECC over non-ECC memory from Crucial.com.

And I measured my ECC hit rate - or how many errors that having ECC memory enabled prevented - and found that it was approximately 1 error every 3 weeks over a period of 3 months between Sept. and Nov. last year.

I have no idea what the 4 errors that I detected would have done to the system, but personally, if having ECC memory prevents even a single serious problem with my system (for example, data loss, or an OS reinstallation), I will consider that $22 to be more than worth it.
 
I used the ECC module for Linux to measure it. I think the Windows system log tracks it too, but I've never looked.
 
Why don't you tell her to save her cash and go for something "slower". I've built plenty of fast computers for people (in the past), and their computers would all be less-responsive within a month's time. It had nothing to do with the hardware/software setup when the install was finished, it just seemed as if they didn't know how to avoid all the types of trash that bog down a system.

If all she's doing is normal daily tasks that don't tax the system, any well maintained, relatively cheap system will do. A fast, expensive system will eventually turn slow too (if not well maintained)!
 
---PROPOSED SYSTEMS---
case and power supplys undecided.

--AMD 64Bit
Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon 64 Processors, Model# K8V Deluxe - RETAIL -$138
MATROX Model P650 64MB DDR AGP 8X -$159-----fanless great 2D graphics.
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ -$421
CORSAIR MEMORY XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency (Twin Pack)
(2 x 512MB) TwinX1024RE-3200LL- $285
Samsung CDRW/DVD Combo Drive 8mb Cache, Model SM-352BRNS 16x dvd 52x24x52 cdrw $62
Apacer USB 2.0 6 in 1 Embedded Card Reader -$19
WESTERN DIGITAL WD740GD 74GB raptor--$294
total--$1378

--Intel 32bit
Intel Motherboard Model D875PBZLK Retail -$144
Intel Pentium 4 / 3.0CGHz 512k socket 478 Hyper Threading Technology 800 MHz FSB - RETAIL -$275
CORSAIR MEMORY XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency (Twin Pack)
(2 x 512MB) TwinX1024RE-3200LL- $285
Samsung CDRW/DVD Combo Drive 8mb Cache, Model SM-352BRNS 16x dvd 52x24x52 cdrw $62
Apacer USB 2.0 6 in 1 Embedded Card Reader -$19
WESTERN DIGITAL WD740GD 74GB raptor--$294
MATROX Model P650 64MB DDR AGP 8X -$159-----fanless great 2D graphics.
--TOTAL -- $1238

well what do you all think. I went with the matrox BC I don't think she will do anything 3D. and the 650 is fanless.
I just realized I forgot a sound card. I'll probably just do an audigy2 OEM PCI card.
 
I would go with something slower like an AMD Barton 2500+ and get 1GB of RAM, then get her the biggest flat panel she can handle. My wife is the same way. She doesn't want to wait for applications to open and a AMD Thunderbird 2000+ is plenty fast for her. She does all of the same tasks that you mentioned and she is happy except she wants a flat panel.
 
You say: "the need is speed not gaming"
Kind of a contradiction there....


This makes the most sense.
----------------------
RE:"I would go with something slower like an AMD Barton 2500+ and get 1GB of RAM, then get her the biggest flat panel she can handle."
----------------------



Spend the extra money on a nice monitor...LCD or a nice 21' Sony or Dell CRT.
 
You say: "the need is speed not gaming"
Kind of a contradiction there....


This makes the most sense.
----------------------
RE:"I would go with something slower like an AMD Barton 2500+ and get 1GB of RAM, then get her the biggest flat panel she can handle."
----------------------



Spend the extra money on a nice monitor...LCD or a nice 21' Sony or Dell CRT.
 
Originally posted by: mcveigh
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
You need to list specific applications, since AMD scores better on some and P4 scores better on others.

Also, for P4 shouldn't you be getting 3.2 GHz not that it's priced at what a 3.0 was last month?

And, for PhotoShop for example, memory is more important than the last speed bump, so a 3.0 + 2 GB RAM would be better for you than a 3.2 + 1GB.

And, if what you're doing is disk-bound, such as video editiong (rather than just enocding) then disk speed becomes much more important.

Finally, any budget constraints?
Click to expand...


not sure on budget yet..... she can afford anything we can think of... i mean that.
but shes not wasteful, all she does is the normal stuff, email, word processing, quicken, maybe a video clip, no games, music, etc. she is impatient though. when she wants it to run now, she means right now.

actually I will be putting more time into the out side look of the system than the inside.
Click to expand...

Well, someone already made the suggestion, so I will second it:

Get her a Barton (2800+ suggested), a NForce 2 mobo and a raptor hard drive for responsiveness with the biggest LCDmonitor she can have..... Oh, I am assuning you already have broadband.... it is funny how sometimes my wife complains that the computer is slow because the websites take long to load...... 😉

Alex

 
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