Tough CPU decisions

[linuxgeekery]

I'm about to build (or maybe buy) a new desktop. I was originally going AMD - then Conroe came out. It's now become an extremely tough decision AMD is hella cheap, but Conroe is blazing fast. What do you guys think?

[croak77]

I'm still rocking my AthlonXP 2500 Barton.

[%hMa@?b<C]

save up for an Intel Yorkfield! I know I am.
http://www.mikeshardware.co.uk/Roadmap20XX.htm

[jdong]

At this point, I highly recommend multi-core systems. They are just simply so much better at responding to today's multitasking workloads, and ready to be further exploited in the future.

I would stay away from last-generation Intels (anything with the Pentium/Celeron name) because they are just simply inefficient. You might be able to build a $200 PC, but you'll pay in terms of power consumption and frustration pretty darn fast.


So, that leaves you with the Conroes and the X2's. For now, the Conroes will get you the best price/performance and performance/watt, but all the Conroes -- even the lowest Conroe model -- provide a LOT of performance... If you don't think you'll need its power, you're gonna be wasting money compared to an entry-level X2.


So, the bottom line is, price out the cheapest system from both sides and see which will suit your needs and make the most sense. Remember that depending on what you do, your CPU might not even be your bottleneck. Don't lose sight of a quality video card or RAID setup if that's the kind of performance you need.

-----------

Personally, I own AMD64 single-core systems and a Core Duo laptop. Given my recent positive experiences with my Core Duo, if I were to purchase a desktop today, I'd buy a Conroe E6600. I regularly do CPU intensive work that I prefer to be completed somewhat quickly, but am not motivated to shell out money for a Conroe Extreme or anything. I also don't game, so I can go for a very cheap video card setup and divert more money to that Conroe and perhaps a SATA RAID setup.

[arsenic23]

Despite the fact that I'm pretty much an AMD fanboy, I'd have to say that if your building a high dollar/high performance machine, Intel is the way to go at the moment.

So if your looking for high performance get a Conroe ( I lust after the EX6800 ). If your looking for good performance on a budget, go AMD.

Really, right now is a great time to buy a new CPU.

[jonzep]

core 2 duo is the way to go if you can afford it.

and it seems to perform very well under linux as well... (http://www.linuxhardware.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/22/0415251&mode=thread)

[cord]

If you do end up going AMD, make sure to buy an AM2 socket based system to give the option of future upgrading as opposed to socked 939.