[LiveBrianD]

I wonder if intel will start doing things like amd - everything uses the same socket (but might require a bios update), and the older chips stay around for a while as cheaper options. It would be nice if you didn't need a new motherboard for every new CPU...

What do you do anyway with 4 computers in the house? I only have 2, and the laptop doesn't even get used too much (sometimes it's quite handy though).

[waldojim]

http://www.tomshardw...ark,3120-3.html

Just though I would post up some real life results worth noting here. It is interesting to see how the i5 is the first CPU to keep Skyrim's minimum frame-rates at 1080P - even on a 7970 video card. The next thing of note - is that the Pentium G860 is only out-classed by the Quad core Phenom 980. The FX 8120 sits down there at the bottom of the list - bested by even the Athlon X3.

Value comes in many forms. Price, performance, TCO, etc all come into play at some point. Going through all the benchmarks, the picture never really changes. If you want to GAME with your machine, even the cheapest i5 is going to do better than the best AMD has to offer. Not by values that won't be noticed either. Moving from 13fps (min) on an 8120 playing Starcraft to 23 on the 2400 is quite a noticeable change. In Starcraft, 23fps is playable, 13 is not. At this stage, we have a $10 difference in chip price, with almost a 50% performance difference. There, of course, are other expenses to be considered, like the motherboard. But even those differences can be drastically reduced.

Now - that entire article I posted up is geared towards gaming functions only. None of those tests dig into desktop/application performance.

So - the question now becomes - which would you buy based on all factors? Consider ACTUAL performance (not just clock speeds or core counts), cost, power consumption, and the desired workload.

Once everything is added up, then you have the answer to what you should buy. For some uses, Intel will clearly win (gaming only for example), others will be a bit murkier.

edit: One quote worth posting from Tom's:

Quote

With the sub-$100 Pentiums performing so well, Intel's $125 Core i3-2100 easily beats more expensive Phenom II and FX models. And the $190 Core i5-2400 dominates the sub-$200 landscape without challenge, really. As such, we're almost-shockingly left without an AMD CPU to recommend at any price point.

This post has been edited by waldojim: 05 February 2012 - 02:29 PM

[snorg]

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

[coastie65]

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

Hey snorg, you can to some degree, but then cooling becomes a greater issue.

[waldojim]

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

Yes, yes I can. SO can my wife.

[waldojim]

coastie65, on 06 February 2012 - 07:06 AM, said:

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

Hey snorg, you can to some degree, but then cooling becomes a greater issue.

Not really, most laptops are designed for either a 25 or 35watt cpu. Simply ensure your new one falls into the same category. In my case, I can upgrade to a 2960xm should I desire such nonsense.

[coastie65]

waldojim, on 06 February 2012 - 09:17 AM, said:

coastie65, on 06 February 2012 - 07:06 AM, said:

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

Hey snorg, you can to some degree, but then cooling becomes a greater issue.

Not really, most laptops are designed for either a 25 or 35watt cpu. Simply ensure your new one falls into the same category. In my case, I can upgrade to a 2960xm should I desire such nonsense.

Yeah, I knew they had the lower wattage CPUs for that reason and there was a bit of an upgrade path, but cooling is always a concern in those things as far as I'm concerned. I haven't checked the upgrade oaths in the two around here ( Have i3 2110 in one, at least I think that is what it is ).

[waldojim]

coastie65, on 06 February 2012 - 09:32 AM, said:

waldojim, on 06 February 2012 - 09:17 AM, said:

coastie65, on 06 February 2012 - 07:06 AM, said:

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

Hey snorg, you can to some degree, but then cooling becomes a greater issue.

Not really, most laptops are designed for either a 25 or 35watt cpu. Simply ensure your new one falls into the same category. In my case, I can upgrade to a 2960xm should I desire such nonsense.

Yeah, I knew they had the lower wattage CPUs for that reason and there was a bit of an upgrade path, but cooling is always a concern in those things as far as I'm concerned. I haven't checked the upgrade oaths in the two around here ( Have i3 2110 in one, at least I think that is what it is ).

Well, the cooling in the W520 is supposed to be good for up to 100watts or so. Given that the 2960xm is 55w and the Quadro 2000m is 45w.

[coastie65]

waldojim, on 06 February 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

coastie65, on 06 February 2012 - 09:32 AM, said:

waldojim, on 06 February 2012 - 09:17 AM, said:

coastie65, on 06 February 2012 - 07:06 AM, said:

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

As far as I know you cant upgrade the CPU in a laptop, so posts about laptops in this thread are irrelevant.

Hey snorg, you can to some degree, but then cooling becomes a greater issue.

Not really, most laptops are designed for either a 25 or 35watt cpu. Simply ensure your new one falls into the same category. In my case, I can upgrade to a 2960xm should I desire such nonsense.

Yeah, I knew they had the lower wattage CPUs for that reason and there was a bit of an upgrade path, but cooling is always a concern in those things as far as I'm concerned. I haven't checked the upgrade oaths in the two around here ( Have i3 2110 in one, at least I think that is what it is ).

Well, the cooling in the W520 is supposed to be good for up to 100watts or so. Given that the 2960xm is 55w and the Quadro 2000m is 45w.

Geez, most good desktop processors are only at 95w. Don't know if I would want to try that though.

[waldojim]

coastie65, on 07 February 2012 - 06:31 AM, said:

Geez, most good desktop processors are only at 95w. Don't know if I would want to try that though.

didn't figure I would. I figured, in the future, I may pick up a 2720 or 2760, as they are 45watt chips and support the machines full 32GB limit. It is too bad that only a handful of processors support it...

[coastie65]

waldojim, on 07 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

coastie65, on 07 February 2012 - 06:31 AM, said:

Geez, most good desktop processors are only at 95w. Don't know if I would want to try that though.

didn't figure I would. I figured, in the future, I may pick up a 2720 or 2760, as they are 45watt chips and support the machines full 32GB limit. It is too bad that only a handful of processors support it...

I'm not ready to start poking around in Lappy's except for memory upgrades, which I've done.

[crazy4laptops]

I can't vote on the options given... I am all for AMD video cards but yet I am a fan of both AMD and Intel... the i7 is a photoshop beast! The AMD vision platform is also powerful! I can't easily decide this...

I am leaning for AMD in Desktops
Intel in laptops

[waldojim]

crazy4laptops, on 12 February 2012 - 02:07 PM, said:

I can't vote on the options given... I am all for AMD video cards but yet I am a fan of both AMD and Intel... the i7 is a photoshop beast! The AMD vision platform is also powerful! I can't easily decide this...

I am leaning for AMD in Desktops
Intel in laptops

That is quite interesting, as I would vote the exact opposite.

Intel in desktops (at least in any CPU over $100), and AMD in laptops. The AMD APU's are very impressive, and for the most part, more than the average person needs - even for light gaming.