Author Topic: 1 Gig Thunderbird for $209, is that a good price? (Read 900 times)

Ripsnort · « **on:** February 05, 2001, 08:58:00 AM »

Just checking out potential upgrade options, title of posts asks the question,however, I have another question...I've used primarily Intel chips, whats the difference besides price?

[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 02-05-2001).]

Skuzzy · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2001, 09:23:00 AM »

Pretty good price, if it includes a fan and heatsink.

Although, it is a Socket A processor, which will not drop into an Intel socket.

Never used an AMD, I do know there are software differences between the Intel and AMD processors. The AMD does not support the full MMX instruction set, but has its on 3DNow instructions.
Most video drivers make use of the Intel MMX instruction set, but I have never really checked to see which ones would use the 3DNow instructions so I cannot comment as to a difference this may make.
It would be something I checked before taking the plunge into the AMD world.

Just some thoughts.

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Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
President, AppLink Corp.
http://www.applink.net
skuzzy@applink.net

Ripsnort · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2001, 09:31:00 AM »

Thanks for the quick response Skuzzy, something tells me that another $70 bucks for an Intel 966 would be worth my computer hardware illiterate worthwhile self.

straffo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2001, 09:42:00 AM »

That's a good cpu for the price but as skuzzy said you need a socket A mobo to use it (got a TB 1ghz myself since 1 month it rocks).

mason22 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2001, 09:47:00 AM »

hey Rip,
www.pricewatch.com

THE place to go for prices!!

i am thinking of upgrading to a 966 or 1ghz also! (going to stick with Intel though)

Skuzzy, (if you read this), I have an Asus P3V4X, the specs say " 733mhz + " as far as the processor. Will it handle the 966 or 1ghz as long as it is a slot 1 chip?

Skuzzy · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2001, 09:58:00 AM »

mason,.the specs do indeed top out at 733Mhz for this motherboard. According the ASUS WEB site, the board is still not upgradeable past 733Mhz. There is no BIOS upgrade to allow a faster processor for it.
It just may be a limit for the particular VIA chipset on that board.

------------------
Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
President, AppLink Corp.
http://www.applink.net
skuzzy@applink.net

214thCavalier · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2001, 09:59:00 AM »

A 1.2 GB AMD Tbird kicks the butt of a P4 1.5 GB intel, nuff said.
Nobody in there right mind would currently stick with Intel thinking they are the best processor.
As far as AMD's 3dnow and MMX there are far more games optimised to take advantage of 3dnow than there are MMX.
I hear Intel may have just made some drastic reductions in CPU prices, reason being of course more and more people have seen the light and buying a Tbird and Motherboard for less money than they can buy a higher rated P3 that actually runs slower !
Seriously my Tbird and Abit KT7-Raid cost less than i could have purchased an Intel CPU on its own.
I have run Intel cpu's all my life and thought long and hard before moving to AMD, the Athlon K7 was not enough to prise me away from Intel but these Thunderbirds just kick so much butt i had to have one

Ripsnort · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2001, 10:04:00 AM »

Mason, excellent website, thanks!

Skuzzy · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2001, 10:05:00 AM »

Cav,...never said that Intel was best. As a matter of fact, I really do not like Intel. I am stuck with Intel due to the many OS platforms I have to support. There are some slight differences in the instruction sets which keep me away from AMD. Not that most people would know it. They only show up in operating systems that make extensive use of the 32 bit instructions, which MS does not use that much of.
As far as the 3DNow vs MMX, good information to know about.

Actually Cav, the games themselves can only use a very small subset of either the MMX or 3DNow instructions. It is the video card drivers that would make the best use of either.

------------------
Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
President, AppLink Corp. http://www.applink.net
skuzzy@applink.net

[This message has been edited by Skuzzy (edited 02-05-2001).]

Swager · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2001, 11:11:00 AM »

Hey Rip,

This websight has up-to-date prices on computer hardware. Take a look and maybe it can help!
www.anandtech.com

Vermillion · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2001, 12:38:00 PM »

I bought one of the early Athlon 700's (VIA133 chipset MB) about a year ago, for about half the cost of a comparable Intel chip, and it has been wonderful.

Not a single complaint, and its extremely stable at 800Mhz.

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure

prz · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2001, 01:50:00 PM »

on a 950 TBird with KT7 since awhile, runs great, both Windows & Linux

Ghosth · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2001, 02:06:00 PM »

Well I'm shopping hard right now and the big question here is do I spend the few extra bucks for Tbird, or go cheap & buy duron.

BTW, thanks for the pricewatch link. Might just be able to afford the Tbird Abit KT7 combo they list.

Robert · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2001, 05:27:00 PM »

hey guys !
i have a PIII 500 with a geforce card and pc100 mem. can i use any of the parts from this computer with one of those 1+ghz chips or do i have to get all new parts ?

RWY out !

bloom25 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2001, 08:15:00 PM »

I'm sorry, but some of you are a little bit confused.

The AMD Athlon and Duron support the FULL MMX instruction set that was added with the Pentium 166. (In fact, they run MMX instructions FASTER than the P3 OR P4.) AMD processors DO NOT support the P3s SSE instruction set. This is not a big loss since hardly any software takes advantage of them anyway. The Athlon and Duron both have a FPU some 34% better than either the P3, Celeron, or P4! AH, being a DX game, will be faster on an Athlon system at the same clock speed than a P3.

The Athlons are also cheaper than the P3.

Honestly, IMO you would have to be either an Intel sales rep or seriously misguided to buy a new system right now with either a P3 or a P4. The Athlon: 1. Is faster. 2. Reaches higher clockspeeds. 3. Will continue to use the same socket for a little while longer. 4. Is less expensive. 5. Is highly overclockable. (I'm running Thunderbird 700@927Mhz.)
The P3: 1. Is finished, there will be no P3s released faster than 1.13 Ghz. (It's unlikely even this processor will be re-released.) 2. Is outdated. 3. Is more expensive. 4. Is slower. 5. Is non-upgradable above 1 Gig.

The p4: 1. Horribly expensive. 2. 1.2 Athlon is cheaper AND outperforms it in most tasks. 3. Is due for a process shrink to .13 micron and a socket change. (This means if you buy a P4 system you will not be able to upgrade it !!! This alone should convince you not to buy one.) 4. Takes Rambus RAM. (Shudder, chills.

) 5. Requires special MB, case, PS. 6. Generates gobs of heat. 7. Suffers from serious design flaws.

The only bright side to the P4 is it's new SSE2 instruction set. Even AMD is impressed enough with them to include them in their next processor. (Palomino is the code name for this one.)

In summary, if you buy an Intel system ... you have likely had a lobotomy and do not know it.

As has been said many times before, the Athlon is better in ALL respects over the Intel processors. (Ok, there is one tiny little thing: Athlons do not have a thermal diode, which means you better not try to run them W/O a heatsink mounted. If you do they will burn up.)

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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

Author Topic: 1 Gig Thunderbird for $209, is that a good price? (Read 900 times)

prz