AMD X2 3800 vs a P4 3.2ghz, big performance difference?

[neweyedeya18]

get a pentium extreme and overclock it, it would be more fun than just buying an amd. but honestly go amd, 2 are always better than one

 

[Raphael Argus]

Hey, great information. If you run into any troubles with a certain game, is it pretty easy to set it to use one core?

 

[Nitestick]

simple just use task manager. ctrl-alt-del to open task manager. go to the applications tab and right click on the app you want to set. click "go to process", it will then change to the processes tab at the corresponding process for that program. right click on it and click "set affinity", then either set the app to run from Cpu0 or Cpu1. Tom's Hardware Guide have a program to automatically assign processor affinity to a value you set. the only downside is the program has to be open

 

[Raphael Argus]

After you have adjusted the process to use just one core, will it stay that way everytime you open it, or is it something that needs to be done everytime the program is launched?

Relieved to see there is a work around.

I've been waving an Intel banner and I'm getting pretty excited to switch to AMD. Plus, it will be so freakin nice to switch from this Prescott chipset that runs HOT!

 

[Nitestick]

the tom's hardware guide program has to be opened first and then any program that is opened while it is open will be automatically assigned. i just added the shortcut to the program to the startup list so that it opens when windows boots. also i've noticed that apparently once you add a program and its affinity the THG program has to be closed to save the setting. otherwise if you say added the program and rebooted while THG was still open it would lose the saved setting

 

[infiltrator7]

i have the x2 3800 with windows 32 bit, and theres no problems whatsoever gaming. the only problems i've had gaming was when i installed the COD2 intel dual core patch, and it actually slowed the game down. i just reinstalled the game, and it worked fine again, so gaming works fine, it just doesn't utilize both cores.

 

[Raphael Argus]

Can anyone tell me if the Opteron is a better chipset? I'm not planning to overclock, at least not initially, but should I lean towards an Opteron if I do? It seems like they only run a few bucks more.