Comparing AMD and Intel Processors - Steve's Experience

[Stevedye56]

Just out of curiosity I was wondering who prefers AMD over Intel and vice versa. I just built a computer off an AMD X2 processor and love it. I realize that the cache is lower (L2) on the AMD processors now, but how significant of a difference is it? I started getting angry with Intel after two Intel computers that I had failed. They were Dells so that might have been part of the problem. I just tried a few computers with the Core 2 Duo and I must say they were outstanding.

-Steve

 

[MeJennifer]

Right now AMD has no good answer to Intel's Core 2 models.

 

[moe darklight]

I'm biased because I have a mac ... I sure wouldn't complain if apple came out with AMD macs though...

 

[trajan22]

One year ago I would have voted AMD, but the intel core 2's beat anything AMD can offer right now. So I guess you could say I prefer whoever offers the better product.

 

[Mk]

Oh c'mon, how is AMD winning? I haven't even heard of them outside graphics for like a year.

 

[Stevedye56]

I'm biased because I have a mac ... I sure wouldn't complain if apple came out with AMD macs though...

Don't you have Intel processors in your Mac? Or is it an older Mac?

-Steve

 

[moe darklight]

steve... jobs? is that you? ... I...

lol yea I have an intel mac. I need it for editing and music... and procrastinating on PF of course.

 

[Stevedye56]

steve... jobs? is that you? ... I...

lol yea I have an intel mac. I need it for editing and music... and procrastinating on PF of course.

Haha no, I wish though. I love the part about procrastinating on PF. The comput ers at school are too slow to procrastinate. The Techs removed DOS and RUN on the start menu so I just made a simple batch program and found out that we were running on <1 GHz computers with 128mb-256mb of ram

 

[Ki Man]

i voted AMD just to make things interesting and tip the balance. i care more about the GHz than the brand

 

[Stevedye56]

i voted AMD just to make things interesting and tip the balance. i care more about the GHz than the brand

Last time I checked the Pentium D was owning all in GHz and they are dual core. But this doesn't mean they are the best.

-Steve

 

[graphic7]

Why only AMD and Intel? They're both only x86 vendors. There are many other processor manufacturers out there that produce far more interesting and open processors, such as PowerPC and SPARC. x86 is without a doubt one of the most proprietary architecture. AMD has been sued a number of times by Intel for various infringements, and for anyone but Intel, fabricating x86-compatible CPUs is suicide. With PowerPC and SPARC, on the other hand, the entire architecture is open. These specifications are written from the user's standpoint, and thus, do not specify things like whether or not the CPU should have an MMU, if that MMU should be on the CPU, or even if the MMU could be implemented in software. To begin fabricating SPARCs, all one needs to do is pay $50 to SPARC Intl. to acquire trademark usage and comply with the SPARCv8 or SPARCv9 specificatons. PowerPC follows a similar route.

And what's ironic is that some of you, I expect, advocate usage of free software, but you're still using very much closed hardware. Truly ironic, don't you think? The two most important components of your systems are closed -- the CPU and the BIOS.

 

[Stevedye56]

Why only AMD and Intel? AMD has been sued a number of times by Intel for various infringements, and for anyone but Intel, fabricating x86-compatible CPUs is suicide.

1) Because that's all I felt like putting up.

2) Disagree.

 

[graphic7]

1) Because that's all I felt like putting up.

2) Disagree.

Perhaps, you should be more informed and read the Wikipedia article on AMD, specifically, the bit about 'litigation with Intel'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amd

More likely re: (1) is that's all you've ever heard of.

 

[Stevedye56]

Oh, come on! You can not be serious!

In response to last sentence.

 

[graphic7]

Oh, come on! You can not be serious!

No, I'm not joking. Its always been the case that to fabricate x86-compatible CPUs, you must seek an 'agreement' with Intel. Very few companies have this agreement, and one of them is AMD. The majority of other architectures out there, nowadays, do not require this, like SPARC and PowerPC, which anyone can fabricate without the fear of being sued.

 

[Stevedye56]

More likely re: (1) is that's all you've ever heard of.

Not true, but you make assumptions as you wish.

I also am more than familiar with the cases...

-Steve

 

[graphic7]

Not true, but you make assumptions as you wish.

I also am more than familiar with the cases...

-Steve

So why do you disagree that x86 is a highly proprietary architecture?

 

[Smurf]

And what's ironic is that some of you, I expect, advocate usage of free software, but you're still using very much closed hardware. Truly ironic, don't you think? The two most important components of your systems are closed -- the CPU and the BIOS.

Hey, I've never heard of SPARC and PowerPC. If it's better why don't you share some information websites or something, stead of just talking down?

 

[Stevedye56]

SPARC has had endevors with both AMD and Intel...

Im not denying that it is a highly prioprietary architecture. I am just wondering who likes AMD and who likes Intel. You clearly do not like either and are just pushing SPARC and PowerPC like crazy. I have heard of both of your famed processors . I agree with Smurf also

 

[Smurf]

huh? I havn't voted. I'm using an AMD right now, but usually i use Intel. I don't even know where I'd get anything other than those two.

 

[graphic7]

Hey, I've never heard of SPARC and PowerPC. If it's better why don't you share some information websites or something, stead of just talking down?

You might try reading the Wikipedia arcticles of each respective architecture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerpc

http://www.opensparc.net/ houses a completely open Verilog implementation of one of Sun's SPARCv9-compliant processors, the UltraSPARC-T1.

http://www.openfirmware.org/ houses several implementations of OpenFirmware (a.k.a IEEE-1275), which is the open "BIOS" that many PowerPC and SPARC-based systems use.

Just to point a few things out: SPARC and PowerPC were both 64-bit architectures by 1994 or 1995. SPARC and PowerPC, both, set out to be open architectures from the beginning. Both are RISC-based CPUs, which are highly scalable -- meaning, they can be used on anything from embedded-devices to 72-processor, enterprise-level servers.

 

[Stevedye56]

Sorry Smurf, my response was not to you, I should have quoted.

 

[graphic7]

SPARC has had endevors with both AMD and Intel...

Im not denying that it is a highly prioprietary architecture. I am just wondering who likes AMD and who likes Intel. You clearly do not like either and are just pushing SPARC and PowerPC like crazy. I have heard of both of your famed processor companies. I agree with Smurf also

SPARC and PowerPC are not companies. They are architectures, manufactured by a wide-range of companies, because they're open architectures. Sun and Fujitsu have their own SPARCv9 implementations. And many companies in the early 90s had SPARCv8 implementations, like Sun, Fujitsu, Texas Instruments, Ross, etc.

IBM, Motorola, Freescale, etc. all have their own PowerPC implementations, as well.

 

[Stevedye56]

SPARC and PowerPC are not companies. They are architectures, manufactured by a wide-range of companies, because they're open architectures. Sun and Fujitsu have their own SPARCv9 implementations. And many companies in the early 90s had SPARCv8 implementations, like Sun, Fujitsu, Texas Instruments, Ross, etc.

IBM, Motorola, Freescale, etc. all of their own PowerPC implementations, as well.

I do not recall saying they were companies... Sun Microsystems is the company. Let me direct you to a wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Microsystems

x86 Parts.

Sun isn't clean of the apparent sin of being included with the x86 architecture...

 

[Stevedye56]

Now can we just have a clean vote? Or do we need a Unix one also?
Maybe I should have just titled this x86 fans only.

 

[Smurf]

Okay. So for the person who doesn't understand very much about processors or how they work. What does all that mean?

Edit: What does x86 mean?

 

[graphic7]

I have heard of both of your famed processor companies.

You clearly said they were companies.

I do not recall saying they were companies... Sun Microsystems is the company. Let me direct you to a wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Microsystems

x86 Parts.

Sun isn't clean of the apparent sin of being included with the x86 architecture...

Yes, Sun is a major AMD64 vendor, nowadays, but they're also just another vendor of an implementation of SPARCv8/SPARCv9.

 

[Stevedye56]

Ok my mistake I did not mean to type that. That was a stupid mistake I am not that stupid.

Can we end this rant? Because clearly we are getting nowhere in this thread.

 

[graphic7]

Okay. So for the person who doesn't understand very much about processors or how they work. What does all that mean?

Edit: What does x86 mean?

x86 is the name of the architecture that Intel created and sells. AMD is just another x86 vendor, and the only reason they're an x86 vendor is they constantly reverse-engineered x86 CPUs Intel produced throughout the 80s and 90s, often doing clean-room implementations. This is why I say x86 is not an open architecture. Its highly ironic to advocate the usage of free software while using x86.

 

[graphic7]

Ok my mistake I did not mean to type that. That was a stupid mistake I am not that stupid.

Can we end this rant? Becasue clearly we are getting nowhere in this thread?

Absolutely; however, alternative, open architectures need to be advocated. This was an excellent opportunity, because, apparently a lot of the people that voted in this thread aren't aware there are alternatives to x86.