AMD vs Intel

[Handy Al]

Need some input. Buying a new PC. I looking at 2. Same Manufacturer, same amount of RAM and HD. Basically they are the same computer but one has a AMD processor and the other an Intel.

The AMD is cheaper. Any advice?

[MilDoc]

I've had several of both, and if the speed is equal or near equal, I go with AMD.

[jackellis]

I buy Thinkpad laptops, which have Intel chips. I build my own desktops, which have AMD chips. So far, no problems.

[crokett]

Buy the AMD and put the money you saved into a RAM upgrade. More than anything else, that will help with the speed.

[Hoover]

A M D never had a problem, regrets or buyers remorse for buying AMD. Unless you are a rabid gamer, who has to have the latest and greatest, and bragging rights for the title of Mr. Speed Racer, AMD is reliable, fast and troublefree.

[headhunter636]

I've used both in home built systems and store bought. What Processor is in the Intel? I would normally say stick with AMD because you get a lot of bang for your buck, but the new Core i7 processors are probably worth the price difference if you plan on using the extra horsepower.

If you want, post links to both systems. I love to shop for computers and since my wife won't let me get a new one, I can shop for you.

Dave

[LCHIEN]

BUy Intel. I have some stock.

[LinuxRandal]

Needs, budget, and cooling should all be considerations. The Intel I7 series, will be the way to go, if your budget is there, you have needs like heavy photoshop, cad, ray tracing, etc, or gaming. The AMD's are not up to speed with the I7 series, but MORE then fast enough for the average user and moderate gamer. They run cooler, and are cheaper right now.

[cgallery]

Agree w/ LinuxRandal: Either go w/ the Intel i7 for speed, or go w/ an AMD for price. Reliability is the same.

[jziegler]

Both companies make good processors. Right now, Intel has the highest performance, and AMD has a better price/performance ratio. As others have said, unless you need the ultimate in performance, the AMD will serve you well, and the RAM upgrade (or more disk space if you collect lots of media files) would be a better upgrade. Even photo editing will be alright with an AMD (I'm using a 2-3 year old AMD that was mid range at the time for moderate photo editing and it's only a little slow most of the time), unless you are doing large amounts of heavy editing. Casual gaming should be fine on either. So unless you need the name or have extreme needs. AMD is fine.

Jim

[drillman88]

I have built 7 computers using AMD and never had any trouble with the cpu. I would agree with the others assesments. If not a high end user go with the AMD.

[phrog]

I've built a number of computers over the years and have used both - never a problem with either.
Richard

[cwithboat]

I spent 35 years in the semiconductor industry watching the quality levels grow to astounding numbers. I would give much more concern to the manufacture of the mother board and auxiliary units (disk drives, assembly, power supply, etc) than to the IC constructors. Buy a name brand computer with a good service record.

[Handy Al]

Both machines I'm looking at are HP. The HP Pavilion p6230y with a AMD Phenom™ II X4 Quad-Core Processor 2.6GHz and the HP Pavilion Desktop p6240f PC with a Intel Core2 Quad Processor Q8300 2.5GHz.

Everything else is the same. The Intel is only about $22 higher.

[JSUPreston]

I know other's have their own opinions, but given the rash of issues I've had with HP computers at the office lately, and the lack of support, I would encourage you to possibly look at another vendor. Their QC seems to be lacking as of late.

One of the HP machines I've had trouble with was mine. Have NBD onsite warranty, but it took HP 1 1/2 weeks to ship the motherboard and get someone onsite to fix.