Which one should I pick?

[Trente]

Hi all!


I have come up with two different specs for my new computer, but I am unable to make up my mind:



This one is based on an AMD platform:

CPU : AMD Athlon XP 2500+ Barton (512K, 333 MHz)
Motherboard : ABIT NF7-SL v2.0 (Dual DDR400, AGPx8, S-ATA, 1394, 5.1 Sound, USB 2.0)
Memory : 2 x GeIL DDR-RAM 256MB 2700 Value
CPU Cooling : Thermaltake Volcano 10
Hard Disc : Western Digital Raptor 36.7GB 10,000RPM Serial ATA
Video Card : ATI Radeon 9500 PRO 128MB DVI OEM
Floppy : Teac / Alps / Mitsumi 1.44MB 3,5" Floppy Drive
CD-RW / DVD-RW : Lite-On 52/24/52 Retail CD-RW
Modem : Dynamode 56K V.92 PCI Modem
Monitor : 17" CTX PR711F Flat (Sony Trinitron tube)
Keyboard : Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard
Mouse : Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical OEM - BLACK !
Cases: TASK 3001 Screwless USB Front 300W Case



This one is based on an Intel platform:

CPU : Intel Pentium IV 2.4C GHz HT 512K 800MHz Socket 478 CPU BOX
Motherboards for Intel : Asus P4P800 Intel 865PE (HT, FSB800, Dual DDR, S-ATA, 5.1 Sound, 3Com G-LAN, USB 2.0)
Memory : 2 x DDR-RAM 256MB 3200 Samsung Original Memory
Hard Discs : Western Digital 40GB 7200 rpm 8MB Buffer ATA100
Video Cards : ATI Radeon 9500 PRO 128MB DVI OEM
Floppy : Teac / Alps / Mitsumi 1.44MB 3,5" Floppy Drive
CD-RW / DVD-RW : Lite-On 52/24/52 Retail CD-RW
Modems : Dynamode 56K V.92 PCI Modem
Monitors : 17" CTX PR711F Flat (Sony Trinitron tube)
Keyboards : Genius KB-09 PS2 Eng/Heb Internet Keyboard + Pad
Mouse : Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical OEM - BLACK
Cases : TASK 3001 Screwless USB Front 300W Case


They both cost the same where *I live*, So money is no-object in this case...

What do you guys think?


TIA

 

[John]

Please read this

 

[Trente]

I'm not dealing with the issue of which CPU is better, but rather which setup *as a whole* is better suited for me...

 

[vaporize]

This is not an AMD vs Intel thread. He just wants to know which one is better out of the 2 choices he made. And out of the two I would go with P4 2.4C because it is faster in most of the reviews. You should also go with Abit IC7 (newer bios) because the P4P800 has 865PE chipset and IC7 has 875P chipset. I heard IC7 is more stable and has less problems.

 

[bigshooter]

he is going with the WD Raptor on the AMD setup though. I wonder what kind of difference that would make in overall system performance. I guess he could always upgrade to a faster drive later though.

 

[JZilla]

I'll second that. Although I would prefer a the keyboard from the amd system.

 

[bgeh]

overall, i'll go with the AMD system

 

[JZilla]

Why?

The only thing it has going is the NForce sound and the raptor (which I wouldn't want to have anyway). Am I mistaken when I think that the NForce really can't be upgraded past the XP3400+? If AMD were continuing with the AthlonXP, I would have upgraded my XP1800+/VIA KT266A right now with a NForce2/Barton XP2500+, which really is THE uber-value combo right now.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If neither is overclocked, the P4 will be much faster for gaming. The TomsHardware P4 - 800 review showed that the P4 2.4C was always faster than a 2700+ in the games they tested and was faster than a 3200+ in some games.

For CAD programs and business apps the XP is faster (though a 2.4C will run Word fast enough ).

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Make a list of the differences between the two to make it easier to understand for others.

Anyway, the AMD system will be better overall because of the Raptor, but IMO if you can spend a little more on the Intel setup and get a Raptor on that, you'll be happier.

Also, where do you live? If you live in the US try newegg.com googlegear.com

 

[Sid59]

ill take the 2nd. The P4C

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: AgaBooga
Anyway, the AMD system will be better overall because of the Raptor,

only for disk-intensive applications like video editing. For video encoding and gaming the faster P4 CPU will be better. In games, the Raptor might load the level data a fraction of a second faster, but once in the level the AMD's framerate would be lower (much lower for some games).

 

[Trente]

Originally posted by: AgaBooga


Also, where do you live?

I live in Israel; So I'm not going to take the risk of buying hardware from newegg, or anywhere else outside my country, for that matter.


And another thing: What do you guys think about the Samsung 959NF 19" Monitor? (though i'm not sure it is targeted to US market)


TIA!

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: JZilla
Why?

The only thing it has going is the NForce sound and the raptor (which I wouldn't want to have anyway). Am I mistaken when I think that the NForce really can't be upgraded past the XP3400+? If AMD were continuing with the AthlonXP, I would have upgraded my XP1800+/VIA KT266A right now with a NForce2/Barton XP2500+, which really is THE uber-value combo right now.

And Intel is moving to Socket 775 after their 3.4GHz Prescott, so there's no difference, is there? AMD is moving to a different processor while Intel is moving to a different socket (for absolutely no reason as usual). How is one reason better than the other?

How much more would some sticks of PC3200 RAM cost on the AMD system? I have used Geil, and it's very hit or miss. I had two sticks of PC3500 Ultra Platinum that wouldn't run past 180MHz. Plus, if you could get PC3200 RAM, you could run your processor on a 400MHz FSB. You don't have to overclock the processor if you don't want to, but the faster FSB will make that perform better than the P4.

Originally posted by: Trente
And another thing: What do you guys think about the Samsung 959NF 19" Monitor? (though i'm not sure it is targeted to US market)
TIA!

And that's a great monitor from what I've heard. The 955DF was suggested by many people when I was considering getting a new monitor, and the 959DF is the next step up (from what I understand).

 

[JZilla]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: JZilla
Why?

The only thing it has going is the NForce sound and the raptor (which I wouldn't want to have anyway). Am I mistaken when I think that the NForce really can't be upgraded past the XP3400+? If AMD were continuing with the AthlonXP, I would have upgraded my XP1800+/VIA KT266A right now with a NForce2/Barton XP2500+, which really is THE uber-value combo right now.

And Intel is moving to Socket 775 after their 3.4GHz Prescott, so there's no difference, is there? AMD is moving to a different processor while Intel is moving to a different socket (for absolutely no reason as usual). How is one reason better than the other?

How much more would some sticks of PC3200 RAM cost on the AMD system? I have used Geil, and it's very hit or miss. I had two sticks of PC3500 Ultra Platinum that wouldn't run past 180MHz. Plus, if you could get PC3200 RAM, you could run your processor on a 400MHz FSB. You don't have to overclock the processor if you don't want to, but the faster FSB will make that perform better than the P4.

It's not. Oops, I only read (Computex article) about the future switch of sockets by Intel today, after I posted, shame on me. And shame on Intel for switching sockets, here I was thinking that a socket 478 865/875 mobo would be able to handle next years cpus just fine.

But seeing as these two systems costs the same, I am still pointing towards the Intel. IMO a 865/2.4C ghz is still more attractive than the NForce2/XP2500. If Trente were to buy just the mobo and cpu, I would have suggested the uber-value combo, as I find this combo so damn hot. It simply is such an amazing value, here in Denmark the NForce2/XP2500 combo costs almost half of the 865/2.4C combo and then you get the soundstorm for free. Very tempting.