What processor to buy?

[vex]

I know it is all IMO based stuff, but I am looking for a new system.

A customer of mine will build me a shuttle based machine but I can not descide on a processor.

I have always used Intel processors but like the 'non-corporate/conglomorate' suppliers like the excellent Firefox and Star Office.

Is Intel still the processor of choice or AMD, if so what spec from either manufacturer?

This will be a non gaming machine, used for personal photo and video editing and general wp, spreadsheet and graphics play!

What ideas?

Chris

[_dobbo_]

My last few machines have been AMD. Bang for buck I find they beat the crap out of intel, others may not agree.

[pdV6]

_dobbo_ said:

My last few machines have been AMD. Bang for buck I find they beat the crap out of intel.

I agree! Last few machines I've built have been AMD. No problems, perform well & cheaper to build than the equivalent Intel kit.

[Plotloss]

If the machine is set to be a classic 'Home PC' used for gaming, bit of office type stuff, bit of media then you would be utterly bonkers to look at anything but an AMD chip.

If you are 90%+ Office applications then in the main they are optimised for the Intel instruction set

Horses for courses you see.

[Zod]

The processor to buy at the moment just has to be the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+. It's a dual core, 64 bit processor and is about half the price of the top model, the 4800+ which is not much faster at all. It is better for games than anything from intel.

[pdV6]

Plotloss said:

If you are 90%+ Office applications then in the main they are optimised for the Intel instruction set

But I defy any "office" user to tell the difference whilst working! My best guess is that the equivalent Intel chip might sit idle for 99.99% of the time whilst you're word-processing as opposed to maybe 99.98% of the time on an AMD platform...

[mcflurry]

Forget the processor, make sure it has a fast hard drive and loads of ram

[pdV6]

mcflurry said:

Forget the processor, make sure it has a fast hard drive and loads of ram

[wizzpig]

If it's Video editing and graphics your after buy an G5 PowerMac with a 2.7GHz engine. True 64 bit architecture and additional twin FP processing with bi symetrical multi processing support. Basically this means that the G5 will eat video intensive or graphic hungry applications for breakfast.

[Plotloss]

pdV6 said:

Plotloss said: If you are 90%+ Office applications then in the main they are optimised for the Intel instruction set But I defy any "office" user to tell the difference whilst working! My best guess is that the equivalent Intel chip might sit idle for 99.99% of the time whilst you're word-processing as opposed to maybe 99.98% of the time on an AMD platform...

True enough I suppose.

Have always wondered what the instruction set optimiser for Visual Studio actually does cant see it doing much for simple opening and editing but I imagine macros that run over documents running to many hundreds of pages run quicker.

Or perhaps I would hope that to be the case.

[vex]

I dont disagree with the Mac argument, but this is going to cost me about £500 all in so a mac really is not the answer.

wizzpig said:

If it's Video editing and graphics your after buy an G5 PowerMac with a 2.7GHz engine. True 64 bit architecture and additional twin FP processing with bi symetrical multi processing support. Basically this means that the G5 will eat video intensive or graphic hungry applications for breakfast.

[Zod]

AMD and intel also hav true 64 bit architecture now. Forget the G5 Macs. They are about to be obsolete as Apple is movcing to intel.