Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Apache on August 22, 2000, 10:38:00 AM
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If someone was giving you a cpu and your choice was the Pentium III or Athlon, which would you choose & why? Assume the speed is 1gb mhz. Please note that this is a free cpu, therefore price is not subject to this discussion.
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Apache
=XO= VMF-323 Death Rattlers
VMF 323 Death Rattlers Web Site (http://home.earthlink.net/~bkapache)
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PIII. I base my choice solely on being a consumer, not an expert. I've just seen too many folks who use AMD being short changed or having problems in running programs that an Intel chip of the same speed could do handily. Aces High is one of them.
-Westy
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Does that meant he Athlon processor does not handle AH very well? This will be a deciding factor for my next machine.
I figured the 700 to 950 Athlons would be a smashing machine for Aces High!
Good Post Apache!
I also heard processor prices may be decreasing a bit due to new processors comming out. Is that true??
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Thanks Westy. This is the kind of info I am looking for.
Thanks Swager. I heard the same thing about prices. I believe someone told me that the Pentium IV is on the horizon and it has a speed of 1400 Mhz.
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Apache
=XO= VMF-323 Death Rattlers
VMF 323 Death Rattlers Web Site (http://home.earthlink.net/~bkapache)
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neither... (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
Duron is the word!!! (codename: Spitfire (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/eek.gif) )
It's very pricey and can hold up with a PIII of same or even better CPU frequency. Sadly AMD sells them only up to 700MHZ - they don't want to make an adversary to their own Thunderbird. Another good reason: it uses SocketA!! Finally they get rid of that darn slot thingie - really hated it!!! Only real drawback: not much overclocking possibilities... even at normal speed they develope some good heat!!
Kirin
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lol Kirin, maybe I should qualify the question like this. Intel or AMD? (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif) As you may have noticed, I didn't include Cyrix. I have had nothing but high failure rates with anything Cyrix makes.
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Westy, the Athlon is nothing like the old K2 chips
I have an Athlon 700 (oc'd 800) and it runs as fast in AH as any Intel processor on the market of the same clock speed.
Plus it was alot cheaper
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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"
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Rgr that Verm. But it's the problems of folks who had the K2 that soured me on AMD. they were always cheaper but in my eyes there was a reason, that being sub-par performance. Something to do with the math co-processor, or lack there-of.
AMD might make a really good, "up to speed" chip now, and Apache would be wise to listen to you and others with the new AMD cpu's before making a decision, but my next purchase will be an Intel P-III or P-IV chip. Kind of like the reputation General Motors developed for themselves in the early-mid 80's, their cars really] sucked and it takes a long time to change opinions and perceptions.
Another item I would never consider buying is an SB "Live." This as a result of so many problems I've seen folk have as well as my own troubles with an AWE64.
This, again, is only my opinion as semi-literate "PC stuff" consumer and not as a techo-dude or geek (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
-Westy
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I'd go with the P3. But then you can also reach me at david.staines@intel.com (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
It all seems to boil down to personal preference. AMD users had initial problems with motherboards/powersupplies/agp. P3 users had problems with i820 chipsets and SDRAM memory. Both companies seem to have things under control now. They all benchmark closely. It doesn't really matter... though you may want to check out your power supply and make sure it is AMD aproved before going that route.
AKDejaVu
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I faced this very decision just a few months ago and after researching the question I came to the conclusion that the PIII was the clear choice.
I agree with Westy. As a consumer I prefer the PIII.
You'll hear both sides of the question, but when it comes down to a decision you can count on the PIII.
My PIII 750mhz works perfectly.
Just my opinion.
Ranger Bob
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I built a gaming PC last December. Using the Athlon 600 and the Asus K7M motherboard.
I have had no problems playing AH or any other on-line gaming flight sim. The Athlon performs just as well as any PentIII. and to boot the Athlon is generally cheaper. One can get an Athlon 600 to 700 for a song now. Just make sure your PC has a 500mhz processor for good video performance, elsewise your vid card will be cpu bound.
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I have been using a 600 MHZ Athlon for several months now in AH and have had no problems with it. Wouldn't hesitate to get another one. I don't think that past problems with any cpu should have much to do with how they run in the present.
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Was an intel user for ages, and in March went the Athlon route and got a 700. I have not looked back, ZERO problems with it, awesome speed and has worked flawlessly. It was MUCH cheaper then the intel version, thats what really swayed me, same performance but cheaper price. IMHO you cant go wrong with either brand, with older AMDs they just sucked.
p.s. is the geforce mx card worth looking at, using a tnt2 ultra right now and wondering if it would be worht it.
p.s.s. Verm what did you do to overclock it? just upped the FSB or did you use one of those clock modifiers?
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Dnil---Skyhawk until I get Dnil back :)
Maj. 900th Bloody Jaguars
Part time aircraft restorer. www.kingwoodcable.com/jheuer (http://www.kingwoodcable.com/jheuer)
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I too was a diehard Intel fan until I got this processor.
Zero problems out of mine, and I'm even running a GeForce at x4 (3D Prophet SDR), but of course I'm running the VIA chipset and updated BIOS.
Dnil, I just bumped the FSB in the BIOS. I'm running PC133 memory so it was pretty easy to do.
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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"
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i have run both chips i question and prefer the amd processor. i currently have an amd 800mhz processor and i am very happy with it and never had any problems.
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In building my new system I am looking at the same problem. If I go athlon what is the best mobo to get?
I need something with some space on it and a great board.
If I go PIII the Asus P3V4X is the only board I am considering but I am clueless to a good athlon board with the expansion space.
S!
Rocket
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I also was a diehard Intel fan, up to now (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
But with my last computer I got myself a AMD Thunderbird 1000MHZ alias 1GHZ (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
(I build these things on an everyday basis)
It is foolproof, AMD thunderbird and a Motherboard with a VIA KT133 chipset, it works outstanding, and with my ASUS GeForce 2(AGPx4) I got one lean mean playing machine (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
I have not had a single problem since I got it, so therefore I aint afraid to reccomend that setup.
But as AKDejaVu says, make shure you get the right powersupply.
I know that price was not an issue here, but the AMD is way cheaper too.
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(http://home.sol.no/~laerga/lassel.gif)
The Wild Vikings
Commanding Officer
lasse-
[This message has been edited by lasse (edited 08-24-2000).]
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I would buy neither. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif) Intel has a new processor coming out later this year. I've heard it will use a 462 pin socket, making it totally incompatible with previous processor types. I just hope Intel finally wises up and drops that terrible RDRAM they have been promoting. Pay more than twice as much for it, and it's actually worse than 133Mhz SDRAM in nearly every single benchmark I've yet seen.
As for the Duron, that's actually kind of like a Celeron is to a PIII. The Duron runs at a lower FSB and only has 64Kb of on-die cache.
If I HAD to buy a processor right now, I'd probably go with a fast Athlon Thunderbird, since consumers can't yet buy the really fast PIIIs. (I think 850 Mhz is the max you can get retail.) I'm considering it myself right now...
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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS
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After having built both a AMD Athlon and Intel PIII box, and testing them with my friends. (many different games and benchmarks & pro 3d software)
I would buy the AMD.
Main difference is you are not paying for th name. Otherwise you are splitting hairs.
I'm a person who doesn't fall for the "name brand is always better" idea.
I evaluate each on it's own real merits.
It kinda dumb to say "All Fords are better" (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
As for prices dropping....
The best time to buy a new cpu is when the next generation is coming out. Let the guys with too much cash get ripped off buying the newest/greatest/outdated-next-month model.
Regards,
Snoopi
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Right about the duron, except:
FSB is the same as the T-bird; they just sell Durons at lower multipliers than the Thunderchicken.
Celeron's larger L2 cache mirrors the contents of the L1 cache, Duron's does not, so in essence those 64 k of L2 count more.
Duron has a lower voltage than the T-bird (1.5 to 1.7 and 1.75 for the 1-ghz), and the max voltage easily attainable for a Socket A Athlon is 1.85 (read: you've got more headroom for overclocking it).
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I just read an article about someone getting a Duron 700 stable at 998 Mhz on an Asus A7V with no problem at all. The Duron provides the best performance per dollar of ANY CPU EVER MADE! AH should run at incredible speeds because of the K7 series powerful Floating Point unit. (133 percent better than the Coppermine.)
P.S. You know that AMD's next gen processor has the codename "Mustang." (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS