This has probably been done to death, but I just need more information.

I'm building my own PC and I've heard a lot of great things about AMD and Intel processors, but I just can't decide. I need more pros for either one, I think.


So! What do you think?

This is like Mac vs PC question.

Way too many variables.

Why don't you list your pros and cons first?

I've been a strictly AMD guy for about a decade and a half now. I'm currently running 64-bit Ubuntu on my Dell desktop and 64-bit Windows 7 on my laptop, loving both of them very much. My primary reason for sticking with AMD is that they are consistently cheaper than Intel for the same or better performance.

I've heard that Intel offers superior chips for laptops due to heat issues, but if you're building a desktop-type computer, AMD offers significantly better performance for the same price.

depends on your motherboard

amd if you have a good socket (AM3)

I'm a fan of Intel at the moment, but they sort of fluctuate on which is better. Intel recently hit pay dirt with their Atom processor.

My Intel processor also seems to run cooler in my notebook than my AMD processor did in my last notebook. To be fair I am comparing a newer processor to an older one, though.

I would also add that Intel just lost a 1.45b USD antitrust lawsuit in Europe, just had another one filed against them this week by New York's antitrust office. While this may have nothing to do with actual quality of the hardware, a lot of their rather... unsavory business practices are coming to light.

it.depends.on.his.socket.nothing.else.

Intel Core i7

That's awfully backwards. You pick a processor, then go fetch a compatible motherboard.

That's the way I was taught to build. I guess I just took that for granted that people selected processor first...? :shrug:

I don't think the opposite makes any sense. If you have a motherboard that you need to use, then you only have a couple valid choices for processor. AMD vs. Intel usually becomes a completely irrelevant question. It becomes purely "what's the best processor I can afford that fits in this slot and has the correct clock speed?" If you didn't know the answer to that before you acquired the motherboard, I sure hope that motherboard was free or has a great return policy.

um no.

When picking one (a motherboard) you need to keep in mind cost, features, what sort of gpu you want, longevity of the socket, etc. Technically I guess you choose intel or amd when picking a motherboard, but other things should factor into that decision like I said, mainly price. I mean yeah, you can have some brands in mind to aim for, but you really need to find the correct mobo that ties your system together first when building a system.

Well there are several socket architectures even within just AMD or Intel, so it's a little more complicated than that. Also, expansion slots are rather standard across all boards regardless of other architecture features, so it's a fairly simple process to just get a graphics card or something. I always selected processor first, then a motherboard with that socket type that also includes all the other features I want. There's more mobo variety than there is processor variety.

Lots of socket variety? Not really, if you want the current "best".

I've just had lots of bad experiences with doing exactly what you said, just buying whatever board works with the system I'm building. Its just sloppy.

Well yeah, just buying whatever works is sloppy, I totally agree there. But what I'm saying is since I don't always want the current absolute "best" due to financial constraints, then yeah, I do have to consider the other socket architectures. But that doesn't mean I just take the first mobo to come my way, I would only choose one that is, how to say, "up to snuff".

?

Are you concerned that someone might decide on a new processor that only comes with magical motherboards that 1) cost more than the processor, 2) won't have both integrated graphics and PCIe options, and 3) won't come in a variety of form factors for all your expansion needs? I mean, if you pick an Intel Atom, you might be a little boned on point 3 just because nothing else uses socket 441 and Atoms all get stuffed into netbooks, but for making a tower out of tower components, motherboards have varying prices with varying features that don't vary a whole lot between CPU sockets.

I like to buy my case first and use whatever fits into that.

lol

I buy faerie children and lock them up in my case with a water drip and some glitter. It gets the job done.