Need Top Expert Advice on processors ....

[Nexus_06]

Hi guys this is my first post here, and I think I have a little problem on my hands that has me confused. (sorry but my English is not very good)

I´ve looked for days now on varios forums and reviews on this area, but I´m Still puzzled.

Ok the story is (often told) I was going to buy a new computer and I needed a new faster computer for 3 main uses

1) I am a young Architect and needed a faster pc for 3d designing and rendering on architectual programs like archicad and architectural desktop.

2) I like to encode svcd with dvd2svcd and needed a faster computer to make the cce work faster

3) backing up my DVD´s with a new dvdrw I am planning to buy.

So I went down to my pc shop to get a new Intel P4 2.6Ghz cpu with an ITEL motherboard with 512MB DDR and an optorite dvdrw.

But he told me not to spend so much money on the intel and that I should get an AMD Athlon xp 2800+ cpu with an ASUS A78X-X Mother board becaus It was a lot cheaper and equally fast, and some people even thought It was a better procesor than the P4.

I´ve never had and AMD processor before only Intels because of the problems that amd had with overheating and unstable processor.

So I don´t know what to do.
Should I get the P4 2.6ghz or the athlonxp 2800+ with the asus board.

- Which one is better for my purposes and why ??

- Which one is faster and stable and why ??

- Is this still true with the overheating, that really scares me because I usually never shutdown my pc (got cable modem).

please help me choose P4 2.6Ghz vs Athlonxp 2800

[Faustus]

Both should be fine. If you are planning on running CAD and VIDEO type applications then you might be better off with the P4, it will have a slight advantage due to the SEC2 (I hope thats the correct acronym) instruction set. If saving some cash is a high priority get the AMD, I'm sure you'll love it also.

[Solarjetman]

I agree, you will save a little time with the Intel, but the edge is very very small. It may not be worth the extra money.

And do not abandon the AMD just because it does not have an Intel sticker on it. They used to be unstable but since about 3 years ago, they have become fantastic processors and are not unstable at all.

[Faustus]

I agree, you will save a little time with the Intel, but the edge is very very small. It may not be worth the extra money.

And do not abandon the AMD just because it does not have an Intel sticker on it. They used to be unstable but since about 3 years ago, they have become fantastic processors and are not unstable at all.

Actually my AMD DX2 66mhz, and DX4 120mhz were very stable.

[Craig Tucker]

I have an XP2800+ at home and a 2.4Ghz P4 at work and run Pro-Enginner and SolidWorks on both of these machines no problem, they are both more than adequate for the job. For 3D CAD packages it is the graphics card that needs more consideration than the CPU (obviously CPU matters but if you are talking 2Ghz + chips then they should all do the job fine) make sure you spec one, that the software you are going to use fully supports.

I would go with the Athlon, better value for money. Just make sure you get a good cooler.

[ofbarea]

For CAD systems you need to have a reliable video card, lots of memory and the fastest CPU you could get.

Consider a system based on Intel 875 chipset because they have a really fast memory subsystem (Dual channel DDR400 – PC3200).

And no matter what system you buy, Avoid Windows XP and stick to Windows 2000 (plus all the service packs) because you will have a faster system without the need of a large quantity of tweaking.

[Nexus_06]

gee thanks guys all of you have been a real help, really

I remember many years ago 4 or 5 I once had and amd k7 or k9 or something like that and all i could remember nothing but problems until I changeed the cpu fan, so i said to myself never again a amd. and never looked back

but from what I read now and what you guys have said amd have really improve and I´ve found many amd fans backing up amd over intel.
as many have said in conclusion it a better buck value in performance over intel and even though intel might be a little bit faster its hardly noticable.

one more question is there much differance between the atlonxp 2700 and the atlonxp 2800+

cheers guys

[tigerman8u]

please help me choose P4 2.6Ghz vs Athlonxp 2800

Nexus_06 check www.tomshardware.com they have a comparison of cpu's from 100mg to 3gb. they also test the cpu's for mp3 conversion and video encoding. I also enjoyed the tests comparing intel versus sis chipset. it was interesting to note the sis chipset dominated the mp3 and video encoding. The amd barton has 512 cache also. If you check the above sight many ppl are oveclocking the amd 2500 to 3000+ and even 3200+ with no problems whatsoever. www.newegg.com has a combo for $146.50, ie amd 2500 barton with motherboard. this supports ddr400 memory. my brother got this combo with 512mg ddr400 and it's a very nice fast setup. p.s. with lower speed memory he said he didn get the full speed and advantages of the amd 2500. this will be my next setup. hope this helps.

[Solarjetman]

If you check the above sight many ppl are oveclocking the amd 2500 to 3000+ and even 3200+ with no problems whatsoever.

I HIGHLY recommend you do not overclock your CPU if you are going to be doing CAD work. You might get a speed boost, but you are already aware of how much time goes into those scetches. It would be disasterous to lose it before you save.

If you were only playing video games, or making personal VCDs, I would say you could try. But I'll say it agian. I would not do it on a computer ment for architect work. There is too much to lose.

[tigerman8u]

Solarjetman,
i've never done any overclocking myself. i'm only gone on what i;ve read. since i was considering this setup could you tell me if i'm running into trouble by trying this or would i be better off letting things as they are. i know from what i've read the cpu is supposed to run hotter. ie does the cpu or whole system become unstable ? any foresight into this would be greatly appreciated. thanx

[rallynavvie]

I'll vouch for the Asus A7N8X; a friend has it and it's been running magnificently. He's got an Athlon 2600 in it I believe. Depending on the version you get it can have some cool onboard features as well. I believe all of them feature dual-channel RAM. Get Mushkin Black 3500 in both the dual channel slots and you'll not be worrying about memory for a while.

Overclocking does not necessarily make for an unstable system. A lot of folks are running dual Barton 2500s clocked to MP2800s without any instability at all, and that includes long hours of rendering in After Effects. As long as you take the needed measures for safety such as a good power supply, more than adequate cooling, and sound mechanics you shouldn't have to worry too much. On the other hand if you're overclocking your Barton 2500 to an XP3200 and pushing for an 800 FSB than you're just asking for trouble

[RabidDog]

I would agree about overclocking, if you are using yopu Pc for work do not overclock, the increase in speed is simply not worth the potential problems. Many people will say they overclock with no errors but if you get problems thats no consolation. ALso you may not get disastrous problems but any type of memory corruption or disk corruption is going to cause major defects.
Also it would invalidate your warranty.

[tigerman8u]

thanx for the input and advice. i know from reading at tomshardware you need a good power supply and good cooling like rallynavvie stated. Thanx for confiming that. might be something to play around with on my 2nd system. ps one sight i was looking at was selling the barton 2500 as a 3000 overclocked, would this void the warranty if sold to you this way as a motherboard combo. i will try to find url to the sight and post to see what you think. thanx