AMD or Intel?...That Is The Question.

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What is the difference in the processor you chose? Not much really, but price. This is when you stick with the mainstream processor choices. Both AMD and Intel are the top two choices that you have.

Intel is the leader in the processor market, and one of the main reasons is marketing. With Intel, you get the pretty little bunny suit guys, flashy commercials, and cool little key chains. With AMD, you get the processor, box and performance. Simple as that.

Both AMD and Intel are great processors. The difference can be seen in the price points more than performance. Take an AMD Phenom X4 Quad Core processor. The price on New Egg for this processor is around $170.00. The comparable processor offered by Intel is the P4 Core2 Extreme QX9775 that sits right at $1550.00.

Now there are some reasons to opt for the higher priced processor. If you want to really to over clock the processor, as some do for games and just because they can, then go with the P4 and a NOS cooling system. The entire system will set you back $6k and up, but you can crank these to around 6GHz from what I hear.

From the talk at the water cooler, I hear that the AMD processor Black Edition is a good contender for over clocking also. They have pushed it up and gotten good results with this chip, but I have only heard about air cooled numbers. It remains to be seen what can be done with exotic cooling.

One last point about the AMD, it uses less power than the Intel. This is a good thing if you are looking to be "green" with your computer choices. Keep in mind, that the total system will determine the best use of power. This can be achieved by consulting with your local computer store and the use of good components, but this won't be the cheapest system on the shelf, only the best.

If you are like most people who own a computer, then the AMD will do you just fine and it won't hurt your wallet as much.

I personally have been using AMD for many years in my systems. I do have an Intel box that I am using right now. Again, the normal computer using person would have a hard time telling which one they are using sitting right in front of them.

AMD and Intel are your only really true choices for processors now. If you want a good quality system, you can use either one. All buying an Intel gets you is bragging rights. You don't have to go with the top of the line processor from either company either. You can get what you need, not want, at a very low price.

Check back and I will talk about video cards in a few days.

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