Ok, so I've heard it claimed by all the computer enthusiasts, and it seems to be the general (not universal) consensus of the computing world that AMD makes superior chips, but I have never really heard any hard proof or evidence why this is so. I am looking for information about my next choice of processor. I will be running windows and linux in a dual boot configuration, and I will be using the computer for graphics intensive gaming applications. Why is one prcessor better than the other - i want the nitty gritty details on this one...

Thanks

Generally it comes out that Intel make the higher performance processors by a nose, however AMD are streets ahead in terms of price performance. So they are vastly better value. Just hotter

All true, but also think Intel=Microsoft, AMD=Linux
If you want to support the underdog against the corporate monster, buy AMD.

I have been using AMD ever since the K5 (Pentium equivalent) and they have just got better and better.

Cheers

from all that I read, the average user will be hard-pressed to see the difference. I do see some consensus that AMD gives more performance for the dollar.
Remember that a fast processor may just leave you with a slow drive or memory as the "weak link"

Intel is currently ahead by a nose, their FSB is faster, 533 as opposed to the XP 2300+ at 400, RDRAM still outperforms DDR, and above all, the clockspeeds are higher... With the same video card you can probably get a 20% higher fps out of Glxgears or Quake III with the fastest intel than you could with the fastest AMD. Oh, and pay 3 times as much...

I picked up my AMD T-bird 1.2Ghz before the P4 came out, the fastest intel chip was the P3 1.03Ghz at the time and AMD had its butt kicked up and down the playground and cost 1/2 as much, and this was at the very bottom of the chip low times when Intel had cut prices considerably (they're back to inflated again).

Overall, clock speed is just as important as RAM, a good NIC, a high ATA (or SCSI) hard drive... and a good video card, something I blew off for last and didn't fix for a year.

Cheers,

Finegan

You REALLY want the nitty gritty details? go here -

www.tomshardware.com/cpu/index.html

More detail than you could possibly want

Don't do new AMD chips have the 3dNOW extension that is supposed to make graphics faster over the Intel chips? I also remember reading a benchmark a year ago that compared a AMD chip and PIII i think, and AMD considerably outperformed the Intel chip...
As for the 3dNOW thing i was talking about:
/*part of /proc/cpuinfo */
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse syscall mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow

See the last two flags? What is all that about? And even on the box i bought the processor in, it said something along the lines of "Our new 3dNOW extension will enable you to experience smoothest graphics blah, blah... "
-NSKL

As I look in my crystal ball I see this thread being very long.

Facts about INTEL and AMD systems:
Intel's Pentium 4 processors may look interesting in the vast collection of benchmarks. Compare the benchmarks against real world conditions and you get different results.

AMD processors gets overlooked in benchmarks when they are compared against INTEL's Pentium 4 processors. What many people miss is that AMD processors do very well when running 16-bit code and doing day to day task (copy files, formatting disks and hard drives, opening up programs, etc). Many INTEL processors since the 486 can not handle 16-bit code very well. Mmm...Most LINUX programs still using 16-bit code. Not many programmers are willing to rewrite the code in 32-bit code to be used on a Pentium 4 systems.

AMD processors may be hotter than Pentium 4 but don't forget to include the heat from RAMBUS memory that came with the Intel motherboard. AMD and INTEL still have the same heat output from the chassis exhaust.

AMD users always laugh when Pentium 4 users are doing raw FPU calculations.

3DNow and MMX are just extra instructions that very few developers ever look at. Few video card drivers have those instructions enabled.

End of facts

I have been using AMD processors during the days 386 processors came out. My AMD 386 processor still works. I own both AMD and INTEL systems. Always my AMD Athlon system, which has a slower clock speed and memory speed than my Pentium 4 with RAMBUS memory, still is my number one machine that I use the most. I would still get AMD systems over INTEL systems if I was buying a new computer. I'm thinking of selling my INTEL motherboard, processor, and memory. Then get an AMD system.

BTW, AMD's 64-bit processor looks very interesting even NVidia is thinking of using it for their servers.

cool, this is really helping, thanks for all the replies, everyone