dual core war

[element]

so I'm pricing out dualie systems cause my AMD64 3200+ 1 gig of pc3200 ram rig slows to the pace of a turtle stuck in gorilla glue when I try to render stuff in blender 3d with yafray and try to do any other task (yes even browse in firefox!) I sometimes render stuff that takes 6 hours or more and I want to have a usable machine in that time.

Ideally I'd like to be able to game and render at the same time, Is that likely? Like for example run UT2004 or Ut2007 and render in blender3d/yafray at the same time?

So I priced out amd and intel boxes and here's my preliminary findings (all prices based on newegg so far)

Amd dual core:
Processor: 2.2ghz 4400+ $639
Mobo: DFI lanparty socket 939 $135
Ram: 1gb corsair VS 184 pin DDR400 PC3200 $136
Vcard: $400 (6800gt)
Total: 1310

Intel dual core:
Processor: 3.0GHz $373
Mobo:Asus p5wd2 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 955X Onboard Audio/LAN $224
Ram: 1GB corsair VS DDR2 $138
Vcard: $400 (6800gt)
Tot: 1135

So the intel box comes out cheaper. Now I know you're all AMD fanbois so convince me why I should spend $200 more for near the same performance. or offer alternatives. (jk bout the fanbois quip. hey I am one too my current box is AMD)

 

[imported_Kensai]

AMD.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Kensai
AMD.

 

[element]

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: Kensai
AMD.

I love this place I learn so much here. Can I get cliff notes though? I'm not reading through all that.

 

[hugekebab]

AMD

 

[WackyDan]

Neither.

Don't jump on either bandwagon before it's time. If you don't have multi-threaded games and apps... which there are plenty of multithreaded app, just not games at this point- then I wouldn't go dual core. You'll only be an early adopter of expensive me forst technology.

Wait until there are enough games and apps you want/need to use to justify it... maybe by then Intel and AMD will be on their 2nd gen of dual core and be doing it right.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

They're too expensive now. Wait a couple of months.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

This is a no-brainer, X2 all the way.

1. Destroys the Intel in performace
2. Will overclock much better
3. Run much cooler and uses less electricity

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: hugekebab
AMD

 

[DaveSimmons]

You could just spend $500-600 on a render-box and $30 on a KVM switch.

Gaming performance will be much better than the intel dualie since it's just 3.0, which is much slower than your current 3200+.

Rendering performance on the render-box will be as good as the intel if you get a single intel 3.0. You might even get some Dell Hot Deal if intel does really bench better for blender 3d with yafray (I haven't looked).

 

[DaveSimmons]

Gaming performance will be much better than the intel dualie since it's just 3.0, which is much slower than your current 3200+.

... in games intel fans

(d'oh! quoted instead of edited.)

 

[MDE]

How are you paying $136 for Corsair VS PC3200? Isn't it around $80 on Newegg? Also, do you really need an SLI motherboard with all those frills? You could easily get a cheaper board with the features you need.

 

[element]

ooo some good points by everyone. I thought about another box and kvm switch that would be cheaper but i don't want to take up space with another PC in here. the cheaper ram cheaper NF4 board might bring the AMD price closer ot the intel pricepoint. i will wait for now and see what arises. thanks everyone.

 

[coomar]

don't you have ram already that will work in the amd system?

 

[IEC]

Ram: 1gb corsair VS 184 pin DDR400 PC3200 $136

Um wth? That should be $80 a GB, not $136!

 

[Duvie]

So the intel box comes out cheaper. Now I know you're all AMD fanbois so convince me why I should spend $200 more for near the same performance. or offer alternatives. (jk bout the fanbois quip. hey I am one too my current box is AMD)

Hahahahaha...NEAR SAME PERFORMANCE!! LOL!! I dont see that in any reviews...not even close buddy...please hooked on phonics and reread....the 840 gets handed its arse let alone 200mhz even slower...

In modern single core cpus the amount the 830 gets thrashed by the X2 4400+ would easily cost 200-300 more dollars if not 600+...This is like a 200 dollar 3200+ A64 geting stomped by an 800 dollar FX55...and then some...


I think you could alos shop and find a price for a retail a bit better then $640...i could be wrong but I though I saw some preorders at link tankguys for the 600 dollar range

http://www.tankguys.com/athlon64-4400-socket-p-1104.html

 

[element]

Originally posted by: Duvie

So the intel box comes out cheaper. Now I know you're all AMD fanbois so convince me why I should spend $200 more for near the same performance. or offer alternatives. (jk bout the fanbois quip. hey I am one too my current box is AMD)

Hahahahaha...NEAR SAME PERFORMANCE!! LOL!! I dont see that in any reviews...not even close buddy...please hooked on phonics and reread....the 840 gets handed its arse let alone 200mhz even slower...

ah Duvie Duvie Duvie, have you finally lost it and crossed over from mere fanboi to full fledged zealot? If you're so good at reading maybe you'd like to tell the class how you came up with 200Mhz slower clockspeed for a 3.0Ghz intel versus an AMD 3200+ which is clocked at...wait oh no not 3.2Ghz!!?! but 2.2 Ghz :-o oops. Someone played hookey in his hooked on phonics class and it wasn't me!

hehe i keed i keeeed! :-D

 

[SlitheryDee]

Amd dual core:
Processor: 2.2ghz 4400+ $639
Mobo: CHAINTECH VNF4/Ultra Socket 939 $92.00 (or if you want to stay with DFI: DFI nF4-DAGF $96)
Ram: 1gb corsair VS 184 pin DDR400 PC3200 $89
Vcard: XFX PVT45GUDF3 Geforce 6800GT 256MB $349.00
Total: 1169

Intel dual core:
Processor: 3.0GHz $373
Mobo:Asus p5wd2 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 955X Onboard Audio/LAN $224
Ram: 1GB corsair VS DDR2 $138
Vcard: $400 (6800gt)
Tot: 1135

Corrections in bold.

Difference: $34

Edit: Had to fix the whole thing. Damn I screwed that one up bad.

 

[BurnItDwn]

If you insist upon building dual core now, then I'm going to bite my tongue and say the intel option offers a bit more performance per dollar, however, realize that the Athlon Dual core 4400+ will perform about 30% to 50% faster then the Intel dual core 3ghz in games. Though The intel 3ghz will do a pretty good job of trying to keep up with the dual core Athlon in Rendering.

If you are not in a hurry to do this, and will tolerate waiting for a few months, it is my belief that used single core 200 series Opteron CPUs will start showwing up at decent prices after buisnesses upgrade some of their dual Opterons, to Dual Dual-Core opterons .... The mobo's are still going to be pricy, but depending how many buisnesses upgrade, and how saturated the market gets, you may run into some 2.2ghz opteron 248 CPUs between 200 and 300 bucks a piece (and you would be leaving yourself open to an upgrade to 2 x dual core CPU's yourself down the road if desired) (currently they are $489 a piece though, so not really a viable option).

Or as others have said, use a seperate box for rendering and for games, if you really want to do them both at the same time.
Also, I'm not sure how much RAM the rendering software uses, but if it's a memmery hog, and uses 200+ MB of ram, you may want to consider 1.5GB of ram, and if it uses 500+MB of ram, then even 2GB is worth some consideration.

Anyhow, Best of luck to you

 

[element]

nope I'm not going to build now, but in a few months, all options are still on the table and I will look at the prices again when i'm ready to buy. a used single core opteron might make a nice render box, thanks for the suggestion. i'm also hoping though that blender3d with yafray will be able to utilize dual core chips for double the performance. That's why I'm not looking too hard into the second single core rig option. I'd like to halve the render times when I'm not using the box for anything else.

thanks very much to all those that made suggestions, even the ones I disagree with.

 

[imported_booradley]

Heres a tip: neither. A quality single core processor from either Intel or AMD would be a much smarter choice. If you're willing to spend $600 on a processor (and you are) a 4000+ will get you much further than that X2 (with cash to spare).

 

[duckdown]

what up with the fx-57

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: element

Originally posted by: Duvie

So the intel box comes out cheaper. Now I know you're all AMD fanbois so convince me why I should spend $200 more for near the same performance. or offer alternatives. (jk bout the fanbois quip. hey I am one too my current box is AMD)

Hahahahaha...NEAR SAME PERFORMANCE!! LOL!! I dont see that in any reviews...not even close buddy...please hooked on phonics and reread....the 840 gets handed its arse let alone 200mhz even slower...

ah Duvie Duvie Duvie, have you finally lost it and crossed over from mere fanboi to full fledged zealot? If you're so good at reading maybe you'd like to tell the class how you came up with 200Mhz slower clockspeed for a 3.0Ghz intel versus an AMD 3200+ which is clocked at...wait oh no not 3.2Ghz!!?! but 2.2 Ghz :-o oops. Someone played hookey in his hooked on phonics class and it wasn't me!

hehe i keed i keeeed! :-D

where do you get the 3200+...the way you fvcking wrote it implies you listed the AMD DUAL CORE then the INTEL DUAL CORE and then implied the 200 difference (which is true between what you have listed) is possibly not wort it cause the performance was similar...I see no mention of 3200+ so I assumed you are talking about the performance of the 4400+ X2 versus the 830 P D...

if you were making that comparison my first statement stands true...

The 200mhz was being stated cause the 840 D is 3.2ghz and the 830 is 3.0ghz...3.2ghz -3.0ghz is 200mhz....I have never really seen many reviews with the 830 but I deduct from the ass-whooping the 840 D gets that the 830 would be even worse...

If I misinterpreted it...it is becuase you dont know how to fvcking write...

 

[Pabster]

If you MUST go dual-core, the X2 is superior. Especially for gaming. I don't game at all (well, occasionally ) so gaming performance means little to nothing for me.

Pentium "D" series don't support HT which really stinks. I think Intel should have enabled HT on the entire series, not just the uber-geek-expensive EE 840.

If you are looking mid-range the X2 4400+ is a decent value. Not great, but decent.

I'd seriously consider if you REQUIRE dual-core. You might be better off with a super fast single core from either manufacturer. FX-57 is as good as it gets but the price...

 

[tynopik]

just out of curiosity have you tried setting the priority of the blender process to idle and setting the processor scheduling to give best performance to programs instead of background services?

>Pentium "D" series don't support HT which really stinks.

i think this is a good thing as most apps don't benefit and all the 'snappy response' benefits are already taken care of by the 2nd core