Why are people buying AM2?

[dasmokedog]

AMD has been out in front for a long time. Many may think the new C2D are over stated and continue to support their old out dated AMD habits. These people are going to be really upset a couple months down the line when the C2D are destroying everything AMD throws at it. Yes I am, and always have been, and Intel fanboy.

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: dasmokedog
AMD has been out in front for a long time. Many may think the new C2D are over stated and continue to support their old out dated AMD habits. These people are going to be really upset a couple months down the line when the C2D are destroying everything AMD throws at it. Yes I am, and always have been, and Intel fanboy.

Do you realise how immature that really is. This sort of stuff goes on at the [ H ]

 

[wolfman11]

Do you realise how immature that really is.

QFT

 

[OBCT]

I have to build a new computer for college, and I went with AM2. College starts for me at the end of August, and I can't risk low Conroe availability. And like other people said, it's a good upgrade path. Especially when I'll be in school most of the year (not exactly reeling in the money, ya know?), a $100 upgrade is a lot easier than a $500 upgrade.

 

[PingSpike]

AM2 would be more attractive to me if didn't require high end expensive dd2-800 memory to perform only as fast as s939 with plain old ddr400. When I make the ram jump, it'll probably be conroe. You can throw some cheap ram in there and it'll still do well.

 

[classy]

Why people keep saying 939 is faster is beyond me. AM2 will be on average 2-5% faster than 939 clock for clock.
Tech Report
Xbitlabs
There are few instances where the low latency of 939 has the upper hand but it ain't many. The AM2 chips are better overclockers and future faster chips will be released for AM2 as well. And the prices are about the same for a comparable setup as well. So if a person goes AMD I see no reason to choose 939 except for two. The person already has good ddr and the fact ddr platforms are very stable. There are a lot of factors into buying a system now, price, speed, future, stability, a lot of factors for the consumer to weigh now.

 

[harpoon84]

S939 *is* faster than AM2 *unless* you are running CL4 DDR2-800, which is quite expensive.

A64s just prefer tight timings over sheer bandwith, it's that simple.

 

[iluv2fly]

Why anyone would buy an amd?

In my case. I'm going from a single core AMD 3200+ to a dual core A64 X2 4600+ for $230 including shipping.

Price = Low Cost. I don't have to spend money on a whole new rig.

Ease of upgrade = the upgrade is done in 15 minutes. No tweaking, it just runs.

Performance = Not the best but very good. I most likely won't be able to notice much real life difference in today's games.

Those are the reasons I stick with an AMD cpu this time. Of course if I was going to build a new computer then Intel is the way to go this time!




And for all of you who are a die hard fan of AMD or INTEL.

It just means that in some point in time you are going to screw yourself. Just go with what's best for you at the moment. If it's for performance reasons or budget reasons don't be brand loyal. Look after your own best interests.

I have noticed that people who limit them selves to one brand usually do so because the have limited knowledge about the other brand. Either they have not tried the other brand, maybe they spent very little time with the brand or they are basing their knowledge on some bad experience 4 years ago. That equals outdated knowledge!

Don't limit yourself!

Enjoy the best of both brands! 🙂

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: harpoon84
S939 *is* faster than AM2 *unless* you are running CL4 DDR2-800, which is quite expensive.

A64s just prefer tight timings over sheer bandwith, it's that simple.

I agree with classy on this. AM2 is faster than 939. And AM2 doesn't care about memory timings at all compared to 939. It only cares about memory speed. DDR2 800 (cas 4 or 5) is no more expensive than DDR400 (cas 2) and will probably be chaeaper very shortly.

 

[Pederv]

Waitin for my 4800 X2 S939. Fastest that my motherboard officially supports.
Chose the 4800 over the 4600 because 3% to 5% performance boost may not be worth $300, but it is worth $50. Especially when what it would cost me to go AM2 or C2D is considered.
I figure I'm going to see a bigger jump in performance going from a 3800 X2 to a 4800 X2 than I did going from a Barton 2800 to a 3800 X2. I'm now where I planned to be a year ago and I did it for $300 less than it would have cost me a year ago. I'm not complaining.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: harpoon84
S939 *is* faster than AM2 *unless* you are running CL4 DDR2-800, which is quite expensive.

A64s just prefer tight timings over sheer bandwith, it's that simple.

I didn't realize that $130 for a 2GB kit was considered expensive...

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4815800

Then again, I already have a fast 2GB DDR1 kit and if I needed to upgrade my current s939 processor I definitely wouldn?t upgrade to AM2.

 

[Thor86]

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: harpoon84
S939 *is* faster than AM2 *unless* you are running CL4 DDR2-800, which is quite expensive.

A64s just prefer tight timings over sheer bandwith, it's that simple.

I agree with classy on this. AM2 is faster than 939. And AM2 doesn't care about memory timings at all compared to 939. It only cares about memory speed. DDR2 800 (cas 4 or 5) is no more expensive than DDR400 (cas 2) and will probably be chaeaper very shortly.

On the contrary, everything I read, AM2 like S939 cpus are not bandwidth starved, so high mhz DDR2 has absolutely little advantage over s939 with low latency memory timings. But, you cannot complain about prices for both currently.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I realy think that alot of people just buy the newest stuff so they can brag about it.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: Thor86

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: harpoon84
S939 *is* faster than AM2 *unless* you are running CL4 DDR2-800, which is quite expensive.

A64s just prefer tight timings over sheer bandwith, it's that simple.

I agree with classy on this. AM2 is faster than 939. And AM2 doesn't care about memory timings at all compared to 939. It only cares about memory speed. DDR2 800 (cas 4 or 5) is no more expensive than DDR400 (cas 2) and will probably be chaeaper very shortly.

On the contrary, everything I read, AM2 like S939 cpus are not bandwidth starved, so high mhz DDR2 has absolutely little advantage over s939 with low latency memory timings. But, you cannot complain about prices for both currently.

No they are not bandwidth starved but DDR2 667 at cas3 performs the same as DDR2 800 at cas5. And DDR1066 at cas5 will perform better yet. Certainly not worth the price premium for DDR2 1066 though.

 

[jgigz]

I went from a s754 to am2 and i regret every minute of it. my 3000+ ran so much smoother and better than the 3800+. I even got good mushkin ddr2 800 ram @ 4-4-3-10 and the perfomance is still lack luster. I wish i would have went to 939 and have a system i could optimize and not something Im trying to get it to perform equal to a processor thats that much older than it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: jgigz
I went from a s754 to am2 and i regret every minute of it. my 3000+ ran so much smoother and better than the 3800+. I even got good mushkin ddr2 800 ram @ 4-4-3-10 and the perfomance is still lack luster. I wish i would have went to 939 and have a system i could optimize and not something Im trying to get it to perform equal to a processor thats that much older than it.

Maybe just me, but I don't believe you.

 

[theteamaqua]

idiots buy AM2 at thius point of time ... E6300 can be OC to 3GHz easily, and 3.5GHz max on air ...

it smokes anything AMD has to offer, and also AMD cpu arent so good with OCing...

 

[BassBomb]

if u have 939 buy an X2 now

if u have non-939 anything Conroe is the way to go

 

[JK949]

I am one who has other things to spend money on. I have an X2-3800 and outside of a cpu upgrade,
getting cheaper by the day almost, I have everything I need to play a few
games, COD 2, DOD HL2 ect, web surf and all the common things people do with
their computer. I don't need the latest greatest fastest components out
to brag about. I'm also not made of money. It's what people need to do
what they like to do on a computer. Some people are simple and easily
satified with last months screaming setup.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Since AMD slashed prices I see everyone buying AM2 socket who's now interested in AMD.. I don't get it.

Not only is it (DDR2) slower than 939 (DDR)
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/05/23/amd_reinvents_itself/page34.html

You will most likly be running slower yet with cheap DDR2 - 533 or DDR- 667 and not buy expensive DDR2-800 which cheap Ballistix $99 a gig DDR can beat all three, all day.

Second issue is mobos' I see no $60 full atx mobos like the sky high clocker Asrock 939 Sata2 out there for AM2. The boards cost more.

Slower and more money?

BTW, THG isn't exactly reliable. Almost every other AM2 vs s939 comparison shows the AM2 platform to be 5% to 10% faster than s939. Plus, as other's have mentioned, AM2 has an upgrade path, s939 does not.

Edit - 1 more thing, you can buy AM2 now. You can't buy Core 2 now, and probably won't be able to until 1Q 07.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: dexvx
S939 is dead.

That's what people have been saying about socket 754 for two years.

Originally posted by: dasmokedog
Yes I am, and always have been, and Intel fanboy.

You must be smoking from the same pipe as Felix. 😀

Originally posted by: iluv2fly
I have noticed that people who limit them selves to one brand usually do so because the have limited knowledge about the other brand. Either they have not tried the other brand, maybe they spent very little time with the brand or they are basing their knowledge on some bad experience 4 years ago.

QFT. Most of the people I've met in person who are like that (blindly using only one brand) are never the most knowledgeable people.

Originally posted by: iluv2fly
Don't limit yourself!

Enjoy the best of both worlds! 🙂

Isn't that what bisexual people say. 😕

Originally posted by: jgigz
I went from a s754 to am2 and i regret every minute of it. my 3000+ ran so much smoother and better than the 3800+.

Did you install the patches for dual core?

I went from a socket 754 Newcastle 2.4GHz to socket 939 x2 2.5GHz and didn't notice any performance difference. If your old system was already "fast enough" then you won't.

I think there will be some people who don't live/die on benchmark numbers that will be kind of dissapointed by their "upgrade" to Core 2 Duo. Sure, everyone can [measure a difference, but how many can actually tell a difference by just using it day to day? I'd say that some can, but most can't, and half of those who can are really seeing the benefits of a Windows reinstall more than a CPU change - all as long as their previous system was already "fast enough."

Originally posted by: theteamaqua
idiots buy AM2 at thius point of time ... E6300 can be OC to 3GHz easily, and 3.5GHz max on air ...

it smokes anything AMD has to offer, and also AMD cpu arent so good with OCing...

Yes it's faster than AMD, but if you think AMD processors are not good with overclocking then you must be smoking the wacky weed.

Then again, with the way you write...

Zebo, I can't answer why people are spending a few hundred on high end x2 processors, but let me tell you the reason why I personally purchased some AM2 stuff.

1) Curiosity.
2) Price. I got some $36 AM2 retail box Semprons and a cheap Biostar board.
3) DDR2. So what if it doesn't benefit AMD chips? I can use it with either AM2 or LGA775.
4) Semprons get dual channel.
5) Motherboard and CPU together cost less than any decent Core 2 Duo high-overclocker-capable motherboard.
6) The Core 2 Duo E4300 is not available yet.
7) I have a difficult time justifying spending close to $350 for a CPU which only outperforms a $175 CPU by closer to 20% while costing 100% more. For "overall" system performance I think the money is better spent on a Raptor drive, or for "gaming" performance the money is better spent on a better GPU, or for "internet" performance the money is better spent on more bandwidth. Of course if you're wealthy enough to not need to budget...

I'm just hoping for a sub-$100 motherboard that can do high FSB by the time the E4300 comes out. 😀

 

[wolfman11]

Originally posted by: theteamaqua
idiots buy AM2 at thius point of time ... E6300 can be OC to 3GHz easily, and 3.5GHz max on air ...

it smokes anything AMD has to offer, and also AMD cpu arent so good with OCing...

Actually idiots make comments like yours...

There are lots of reasons why people buy what they buy: cost, familiarity, what looks like a good deal in a flier, ignorance, bad advice, etc. And a lot of people won't overclock whatever they buy - Conroe or no (yes, the horror). It's a component of a tool. It's nothing to be rabid about. Also, looks like a lot of folks here have had great success overclocking AMD cpu's - 700mhz overclock on stock voltage for me on stock heatsink...just pure FUD in your post dude.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: wolfman11
looks like a lot of folks here have had great success overclocking AMD cpu's - 700mhz overclock

Heck, there's people getting over a GHz overclock. That's in the realm of "amazing" even with Netburst CPUs.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: wolfman11
looks like a lot of folks here have had great success overclocking AMD cpu's - 700mhz overclock

Heck, there's people getting over a GHz overclock. That's in the realm of "amazing" even with Netburst CPUs.

I wish I was one of those people lol...Although I have an x2 which isn't an extremely super duper overclocker compared to single cores 🙂

 

[SolMiester]

Originally posted by: Mucker
Agree with Zebo. 939 is offering alot of bang for buck right now. Personally, I am waiting for Conroe maturity. In about a year, not only will the kinks be worked out, but prices will be alot more attractive. I've no interest in AM2, especially coming from 939.....

#1 post this thread....S939 chip can be had for a steal, I'm now in a position to go from single to dual core at great prices....Thank-you AM2 & Conroe.