Intel vs AMD

[Uriel]

Looking at Mobos again. Obviously, we all know the Pentium's are faster, but the AMD is cheaper.
I really dont like overclocking. I dont wanna have to buy DDR2 ram and I wanna go with whatever is going to be cheapest.

So what should I get? Is Intel's performance that much better to make a noticeable difference? Yes I want to max Oblivion but I'm not much for absolute top notch comps.

 

[JNightshade]

Looking at Mobos again. Obviously, we all know the Pentium's are faster, but the AMD is cheaper.
I really dont like overclocking. I dont wanna have to buy DDR2 ram and I wanna go with whatever is going to be cheapest.

So what should I get? Is Intel's performance that much better to make a noticeable difference? Yes I want to max Oblivion but I'm not much for absolute top notch comps.

Er... Pentiums are shit. I think you're thinking of Core 2 Duo, which is what I recommend- the E6600 is a FANTASTIC deal, and it absolutely owns.

 

[Uriel]

Haha, too lazy to edit the pentium. Yah duel core is what I be talking about.

 

[Cole]

As nightsahde said,
Pentiums are not faster. While they may have higher clock speeds(Ghz), they do less per clock and end up being slower and hotter.
AMD dominates Pentiums.

Also as Nightshade said, Core 2 Duo(Conroe) is Intels new stuff. Intel finally got off there ass and did something. It's like a fat ugly girl getting sexy and athletic.

Edit: Sorry didn't see your post there.

 

[Uriel]

No worries, but whats gonna be worth getting?
X2 or Duel Core?
I wanna run most games on max but I gotta be thrifty. I don't wanna buy more ram

 

[Asus]

You can get an AMD X2 socket 939 and motherboard for pretty cheap especially if you already have DDR memory. That would be a good deal if you wanna stay cheap. If you were planning on buying memory anyway then get DDR2 memory and a Core 2 Duo. (Don't confuse it with Core Duo, it isn't the same thing). AMD's X2 on socket AM2 are a decent choice although Core 2 Duo performs a bit better.

 

[Fliko]

AMD's X2 on socket AM2 are a decent choice although Core 2 Duo performs a hell of a lot better.

Corrected...

X2 can run pretty much every game on max as far as processors go though. So it's really your choice.
As of now, CONROE is the more powerful processor, but who knows, this might just be a 1 in a million for Intel

 

[Asus]

Obviously the how much better depends on the program and your choice of words to explain the same thing. =p
But Core 2 Duo does perform better and have a better price/performance ratio. Buying Ram again... is what snagged me from going Core 2 Duo or AMD's socket AM2.

Yes I want to max Oblivion but I'm not much for absolute top notch comps.

At this point the GFX card is still the bottleneck in games. It might change as new cards come out but at this time you will get similar FPS running at max settings with either CPU choice. Although if it is in your budget, go Core 2 Duo.

 

[Uriel]

So if I get a $400 Vid card I should be safe w/ either choice?

 

[Asus]

It would probably be better if you gave us specific models that you were looking between for CPU and GFX cards and a budget.

 

[Uriel]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1908185&CatId=0

Saw this Vid card too

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2410575&CatId=0

Would I be able to max out on Oblivion and be comfy for UT2007?
Or should I wait out for DX10 vid cards?

 

[Fliko]

I'd probably go for AM2 if you go the AMD route.

I'm not sure about this, but it is all in all at the same price range...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2537644&CatId=2417

 

[The Brick]

But then he'd have to buy new ram.


Also, there is one (very cheap) motherboard for Core 2 Duo that supports both DDR and DDR2. It's called the Asrock 775dual-VSTA. It can also run both AGP cards and PCIe. It's a pretty good motherboard if you don't want to overclock too much (or at all). If you get an e6300 with that, it will outperform the mobo+amd x2 4200+ that you linked. As for the graphics card, the 7900GT doesn't need more than 256mb, so getting the 512mb version is a waste of money IMO. Also, there's an ATI card faster than that one, and a hell lotta cheaper. ATI X1950pro.

That's cheap, will run oblivion on max and is power efficient.

 

[Asus]

That is a pretty good option, Brick. Asrock has made some really flexible boards recently. Wonder if it performs similar to the other boards.

 

[Uriel]

So what would be the smartest investment?
-Waiting until after Christmas obviously (how many days?)
-Wait for the DX10 cards?
-Just buy DDR2 ram for a nice Duel core 2 mobo?