question?

[DiscJokey56]

stupid question but what number in all the processor specs determines how fast the computer is? is it like the GHz and what does- AMD® Athlon-64 3400 - in this case the 3400, what does that number determine? thanks

 

[ohGrFreak]

i would use Ghz to determine the speed of the proccessor, but that doesn't really matter anyway considering this:

I have an Intel P4E chip running at 3.2 Ghz
An AMD chip running a much lower clock speed can totally put to shame my 3.2 Ghz P4E.
Look at the AMD chips like this, even though a 3200 AMD might perform like, or even outperform a 3.2 Intel P4, it's real clock speed is like, 2.?? Ghz.
I'm not sure of the real clock speeds of AMD chips, since I have only one comp running an AMD chip, that one happens to be a AMD Athlon XP 2400, which it's realy speed is 1.99Ghz, but, it performs or outperforms aN Intel 2.4 chip.

So, it's not the speed that matters, it's what the chips do with that speed.

 

[DiscJokey56]

alright thanks

 

[slvrstang]

For MOST of the AMD cpus, the 2400 2600 and such is its comparable speed to intel. A 2400+ is comparable to a 2.4Ghz P4. But then AMD went and messed it all up with their 3500+ and 3700+ on the 939 platform that are not comparable to a 3.5 or 3.7ghz P4.

 

[AND_YOU_ARE]

AMD kicks @ss when it comes to clock cycles compared to intel. AMD can run more cycles because the pipelines are shorter, so they can run more data in less time. So my 3200 actualy runs at 2.2ghz but out preforms a intel 3.2 ghz. AMD knows how to design chips.

 

[slvrstang]

Lol....more per cycle isn't always better. Speed is also important. If AMD is SOOOO great, why is Intel still in competition, and why aren't there any AMD chips that just dominate the market...Each company has its pros and cons.

 

[ohGrFreak]

Lol....more per cycle isn't always better. Speed is also important. If AMD is SOOOO great, why is Intel still in competition, and why aren't there any AMD chips that just dominate the market...Each company has its pros and cons.

Well two things really:

1: Intel knows how to market to the "less smart" people. When people start getting into computers and they may not know a lot, they tend to go towards the more advertised and the faster clock cycle, just because they do not know any better. I for one, wanted to Intel because I've had a bad experience with AMD, but yes, the facts prove that comparable AMD chips tend to crush Intel chips in performence.

2: Intel has had a Hyper Threading type chip longer.