AMD Duron vs PIII

[Crayon]

I know the question is like comparing an apple to an orange, but I really need some advice.

I'm about to get myself a new system, either on this weekend, or latest by next week. The computer store guy recommended me a system with AMD Duron 600MHz. I'm not sure if I want to do that. Both of my old systems are Pentium-based; one is Pentium 486-66Mhz, another Pentium MMX 200Mhz. I'm not sure if I want to give AMD a try. You see, I don't feel "secure" with AMD. I've heard of lots of complaints with the AMD chips. Some poeple told me some games cannot be run with AMD. Some told me their application programs cannot be run on AMD too. And some others said you can't turn on an AMD system for too long, as it had cooling problem. If you let the AMD system runs for too long, the processor becomes very hot, and will start to give problems.

I'm not sure if I should give it a try. I read the reviews on AMD Duron in both tomshardware.com and anandtech.com, and they gave very positive impression to me.

I've never used any processor other than Intel so far (about 6 years). And if I'm getting the AMD Duron, I think I will go for the 700MHz chip. But a PIII-667MHz system would cost about the same as a system with AMD Duron 700MHz in my place!

What should I do?

 

[jsm]

I would go for the AMD Athlong - not the Duron. The Duron is a great processor - don't get me wrong. But, extra L2 cache is always a good thing.

I have been successfully been using non Intel CPUs for quite some time now (starting with a Cyrix 486) and have had few problems with them. The only problems I have ever discovered with non Intel CPUs is with the Cyrix chips and having to disable the L1 when installing WinNT. Other than that, the only problems are sometimes with specific revisions of Via chipsets. Make sure to double check the chipset in the AMD box you are getting and make sure it has a newer rev of the southbridge chip (version CE accorinding to Sharky and Anand).

An Intel branded CPU is a good thing. But, for the most part, you are paying for the Intel brand name and their marketing muscle.

 

[Kjazlaw]

the people you have talked to about amd processors are very misinformed. i've never heard of any games or applications that are incompatible with amd processors. and although it is true that the athlons run hot, the duron, running at 1.5 volts, is not prone to overheating. i'd say go for it...

 

[Insane3D]

I would have to suggest a "classic" Athlon as well. They are very cheap now as they are being replaced by the T-birds and Durons. The Durons and T-Birds are great, but the platform is still new, and you would be better served with a KX133 chipset and a "classic" Athlon 700. You would most likely be able to hit 900 with that CPU and a good mobo, as the 700 has the better NEC cache. I would suggest the KA7/KA7-100 and the 700 Athlon as well as a good heatsink/fan setup and you will be very happy. You could probably get all that for a total of $350 or so. The P3 would be a nice set-up as well, but I think the Athlon is a better "bang for the buck" right now, IMO. Good luck...

 

[bonkers325]

go intel
no amd for me

 

[EmperorNero]

ahh, thanks for your very descriptive and thorough reason for going w/ only intel there, bonkers.

I just got my new K7V (kx-133) and 700mhz classic athlon up and running yesterday. no problems yet. but I haven't really put my sytem through any strenuous test yet. I'm gonna d/l SETI@home and I'll tell you the results. but for now, I'm still finding new drivers for the components.

 

[Quickfingerz]

IF price is an issue, get a Duron + a SD11 motherboard. $60 + $75 = $135. $200 more for RAM and a decent video card, and sound card and your total is less than $350.

 

[Mem]

If you go the Athlon route you will need a Athlon approved PSU,so you are better of with the Duron which is not power hungry like the Athlon.

 

[Childs]

With Intel...you pay for piece of mind. It works. You dont have to question it. A little while ago (seems like 50 million years ) I went with the K6-2 300 with 3dNow, that supposedly ran faster than their Intel counterparts. What AMD failed to tell people is that the FPU sucked, and the apps (games) needed patches to get it to perform like it should. I not even going to bring up the Super 7 mobo compatibility problems. I got so sick of hardware troubleshooting and waiting for patches...I just said f*ck AMD and bought a P3-350, and never worried about it again.

Now...I've read good things about Athlons and Durons, but again...there seems to compatibility issues with certain video cards, you need to install patches for the mobo, etc. My cousin even recently got a K7 700 and Asus K7M (?) and it is now dead. The only issues with Intel chips seems to be how high you can OC them, but with the new stepping it doesnt seem to be a gamble anymore. You pay alittle extra, but you get it back 10 fold in reliability in my experience.

Working on computers is fun, but I'd rather use them.

As with purchasing any components...wait awhile, and see what problems they have. Never be the first one to get the latest thing. So far the Duron seems like a good deal...but AMD usually gives you something that seems like a good deal, but it really isnt. If you dont want to worry about it, go with Intel.

In any event, good luck with your purchase.

 

[Insane3D]

Childs, I do not agree that you do not get piece of mind with a Athlon system. My system is faster and just as stable as my old BX/P3 combo. The issues with video cards was with Irongate chipset, not the Athlon itself. Also, a K6-2 300 system is not even comparable to a newer Athlon platform. I agree that the K6 series CPU's left ALOT to be desired, but the Athlon platform is a totally different story. I bought a 850 Athlon OEM and a KX-133 mobo for under $500 (can you even find a 850 P3 anywhere?) and cranked up the FSB and I am running 1ghz. I can run Prime95 "torture test" for over a week while playing games and surfing, and I have NO problems. I paid less AND I got peace of mind...

My .02....

 

[Childs]

I dont doubt that you have piece of mind with your Athlon...I know people who swear by them. I just know that for me and my past experience with AMD, along with the recent death of my cousins Athlon, I'd think twice about getting one. I dont have to think about an Intel chip.

Ya know...once bitten, twice shy.

 

[Quickfingerz]

Well, i recommending not saying anything bad about the k7 chips when you don't know much about them. The compatibility problems arised in the AMD 751 chipset. This is not the case with the kx133 and kt133 chipsets. These chipsets have no more compatibility problems compared to the via 133a for intel chips. I don't have pease of mind with intel systems because i feel like i own something that was made by the devil. This is only my opinion on the Intel Corp. Many people feel the same way.

 

[Childs]

The chipset is part of the problem. A chip is only as good as the chipset, and by itself its pretty useless. It all comes down to the piece of mind statement...you really shouldnt have to worry about how stable the chipset is, you simply buy the chip, overclock it, and use it. You are defending something that shouldnt need defending.

 

[DaddyG]

Quickfingerz,

The FIC SD11 only accepts SLOT a processors. The DURON is socket A. The FIC AZ11 is the board for socket A CPUs and its more expensive (=/- $135) than the SD11.

Crayon,

If you only feel comfortable with Intel then that's what you should buy. Remember, the 667 P3 runs at 133 FSB which leaves little room for overclocking, if you want to overclock. A P3 650 running at 100 FSB would be a better deal if you want to 'squeeze' more out of the cpu and overclock to 133.

 

[redpriest_]

Let's go through the facts, shall we?

Fact #1: Intel CPUs are buggier than AMD CPUs.

Compare:

http://developer.intel.com/design/pentiumiii/specupdt/24445318.pdf

to:

http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/athlon/techdocs/pdf/22557.pdf

Big difference there; so where is your peace of mind Childs? Non-existant? Sorry if I shattered any illusions you may have had. In fact, AMD processors are more x86 compatable than Intel processors! What a laugh that is.

Let's go further

Fact #2: Intel chipsets are buggier than AMD's chipsets

Want proof of this?

http://www.forbes.com/tool/html/99/Oct/1011/mu8.htm

i820 problems didn't just stop there. It ended with a RECALL of i820 boards that used SDRAM! i840 has had the SAME PROBLEM, specifically when error correction memory was involved.

You know Childs, if I based my experience with a processor family by family members' experience, I suppose I wouldn't recommend intel for anybody, judging by on how many occurances I've received a DOA intel CPU. But that doesn't OVERRULE other people's tried and true experiences. If AMD cpu's had such problems, Childs, don't you think AMD would be LOSING money instead of posting quarter after quarter of profits??

 

[Childs]

ROFL Get a life!

And for the record, I've built hundreds of PCs, and I know that in MY experience Intel based systems are more reliable, and its something that I never have to second guess. With AMD, its not just the CPU, but every component has to be considered for compatibility....the chipset, motherboard, graphics card...everything but the CPU! And it wasnt until recently that the AMD chips started to perform the way they were supposed to! Go look at some more web pages trying to get YOUR peace of mind. I have mine, and thats all I said.

 

[redpriest_]

In YOUR experience, LOL.

How many Athlon systems have YOU set up YOURSELF, personally?

 

[Childs]

Umm...I think you forget the point of my post.....I DONT buy Athlons. Go ahead...read it again. Its alright. Then you can go back to looking for Pro-AMD articles.

 

[redpriest_]

If you haven't built your own Athlon system, then where do you get your information from? I'll tell you what it is: HEARSAY. Unless you have built AMD systems extensively, you have no right to come out and act like a great authority on the subject when in fact you know NOTHING.

 

[Childs]

My cousins Athlon...I tried to recesitate it when it died. I didnt buy it, and I didnt put it together. I did alot of research trying to figure out what it was, and low and behold, there are reports from tons of people with all sorts of compability issues with the Athlon platfrom, going from the motherborads, video cards, to the stinking power supply! Whats up with that? Trouble shoot power supplies? That my AMD Nazi friend, is too much hassle for a guy who just wanted to play Counter-Strike and listen to MP3s. This guy makes squat, yet he spent his money on a new motherboard, 2 power supplies, and a new video card. Do you think that makes me want to run out and buy a Athlon? I can care less about being able to say F*ck Intel, and more about a stable platform.

Or maybe you just have a small case of Intel envy....apparently AMD owners feel the need to...overcompensate. If it makes you feel better...its not the chip that matters.

 

[Insane3D]

Ok...Ok...Everyone just relax..

Childs- You obviously strongly believe that Intel is better, so keep building Intel systems and be happy

Redpriest- I agree with you, but this is going nowhere. If everybody liked the same thing it wouldn't be any fun!

Can't we all just get along?

Peace, Love, and Overclocking...

 

[redpriest_]

That's the lamest thing I've ever heard, Childs.

It's about an alternative platform, and I don't doubt your friend had any problems. However, people can and DO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS with an intel platform.

i820 + i840 + LX owners beware!

 

[Crayon]

OK, guys. Cool down!! Sorry for posting the question, and let you guys, especially Childs and redpriest_, argued on the subject title. Both of you have your points. But hey, no matter who wins, there will still be people buying either AMD or Intel processor, right?

Thank you for all the valueable information. For your information, I've settled for an Intel's Pentium III 700 MHz. Don't get me wrong. AMD is good too, I know. But I prefer Intel. OK, maybe their Pentium III logo looks better and cooler than that of AMD?!

 

[Childs]

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

All I did was try to make a simple comment about Intel chips giving ME piece of mind, and the AMD patrol tried to string me up! If there was anything to do at work today, believe me, I wouldnt have subscribed to the thread. I do apologize for getting...childish.

At one time I wanted to believe in AMD. I was in college, broke, and could barely afford rent let alone an Intel CPU, so I went with the (in my mind) infamous K6-2 300. I dealt with all of the compability and performance problems because I couldnt afford anything else, and now that I can, I just go with whats proven. What happened to my cousin, as well as what I researched, simply reinforced my opinion of AMD. Perhaps my opinion on the CPU war seems unfair to those who think different, and I can accept that, but no one is going to change my mind until I see something different than I've seen in the past, especially if its reduced to a "religious war". You guys shouldnt care that much about my opinion anyways...its an opinion...if there was a right and wrong answer we wouldnt be talking about it.

No hard feelings redpriest_...enjoy you Athlon. I understand the importance of competition in any industry, we all benifit from it. And Crayon..OC that badboy to 933+! I did on a BH6 1.01 and PC100 Memory. Be sure to get one with cb0 stepping!!

Now for my real calling.....Counter-Strike!

 

[EmperorNero]

childs, don't bother claiming something is better when you don't have enough experience w/ both stuff. your reason for intel being superior is that you've built only intel systems and is stupid enough to say intel is better when you haven't even touched one. your cousin's comp is probably just a fluke...can you tell me intel has never made a bad processor? secondly, ignorant ppl like yourself tend to blame the processor when something crash - it could have been windows, a specific program, etc. don't bother making rediculous claims until you've tested both kinds of processors thoroughly.

as to the original question: I've just played quake for a little more than 3 hours w/ norton antivirus running in the background - not a single crash. if you get the right kinds of hardware, an athlon system can be rock stable.