Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

even if you dont do "supped up gaming" which everyone should, a AMD64 is still the best choice. runs cooler, faster, better memory controler for ram usage, better L2 cache's, better fsb, better core.

Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Hi, I'm totally new at this and could use some help.

My brother needs a computer and has a limited budget. He wants to make sure that he can at least play The Sims 2. He's not looking for a suped up gaming machine, just something simple. Here are the computers I'm looking at on http://www.hp.com/buynow. Now if you had to choose between these two computers, which would you get:

1.) HP a1130e series
-Athlon 64 3200+ operating at 2.0 GHz
-512MB RAM @ 400MHz
-NVIDIA GeForce 6200 w/TurboCache 256MB support (it comes with this card and PCI express slot)

OR

2.) HP a1110y series
-Intel Pentium 4 516k (2.93GHz, 533MHz FSB)
-512MB DDR2-400MHz (2x256)
-No card is included and there are no PCI express slots. However, I would just buy a video card that would work with The Sims 2

Please let me know what you guys think. Thanks a lot!

-android

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Well, for gaming go AMD.......and the 6200 borrows RAM (that aint good)


you can custom build one cheaper

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

It be wiser to just custom build one. But the AMD would be a better choice. Also the 6200 would lag a bit with the Sims 2.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

AMD it just makes sense. Now you can build your own from newegg for alot less than Hp ever will. Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811195014 _______Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813135177 ________ Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9103537_______ memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146900 _______Hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148039 ______Video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131420 _____DVD/Cd drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...6827131407____ That is about $800 us and you just use your old monitor keyboard and mouse. Here is what you get: AMD64+3000, 1gb PC3200 ram, 120GB harddive, Case with 350watt PSU, ATI x800gt, Beige DVD/Cd drive, PCI-express motherboard.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Pethegreat, he said he doesn't need it to be that great, a X600 would be just fine, knocking off like 75$, plus he doesn't need a gig of ram. And also, he doesn't sound like he knows that much bout computers, and I know that it isn't that hard to build one, but if he ran into some kind of problem installing windows, you know, little things, such as boot settings wrong, jumpers on cd drives wrong, ect., he may be completely confused. But I wouldn't suggest buying an hp. Don't buy any of those, hp, gateway, dell, compaq, emachines, ect... THEY ALL SUCK! but if you don't plan on ever upgradeing any parts in your comp, or ever having to reinstall windows, go with dell, they build decent enough pc's for decent prices, just if you upgrade em, you have to buy from dell, they charge rediculous prices to...

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

I felt that reply was dragging on...If you do go custom, or decide to just go with the hp, get the amd built one, I myself have an intel, but I got the thing for free. ^_^

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Hmm...looks like I'll be going the AMD route. Thanks for the quick replies. I don't know that I'll be building the computer, but I'll probably at least get the AMD and upgrade it to the 3500+ and not get their Nvidia video card upgrade. I'll just get a different card and install it myself. Any good card recommendations in the $125 range? Thanks again!

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

please use the new super dooper edit button........

yeah, for gaming AMD is the way to go, Intels are good.......but AMD is better for gaming

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

If I'm looking at getting the ATI Radeon x600, would it be a bad choice to get one of the generic ones? Like the Sapphire, or ABIT, or Diamond?

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

well, Sapphire is far from generic..........the other two i havent seen much off

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

with out a doubt the AMD

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Hi, If I can ask, do you have a set preference for ATI in particular or? Because for just a little more you could also go with the geforce 6600GT, which is probably (give or take) the most cost effective/efficient card out right now. It runs just about everything out there with great performance for the price you pay for it. If perhaps other games besides the sims 2 would be installed and played in some future time, especially something like a doom 3 or half-life 2 or something along those lines, then this card will be able to go along just fine.

As far as branding goes, these days it doesn't really matter much anymore as to who makes the cards, they are all following the same reference design specs as laid out by either ATI or Nvidia, just that some manufacturers will go about it differently, for ex. BFG tech. makes their cards for both companies but, they overclock the core and memory over the design specs, so as to offer something different from the the other makers. You also pay a little more for that as well.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

6600GT will do ya good if you don't want the high end ATI XT card.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Oh ok well, If you want to go with the x-series cards then from ati, I would go with maybe a step up from that x600 to the x700 or maybe the x700pro in particular. just that little bit more of performance out of the x700 over the x600, maybe not too much noticeable in actual gaming but it is a better card, for ex. 8 pixel pipes for x700 as opposed to 4 for the x600 etc. etc.

Price points for these x700's should be within your budget range too, low $100's not exceeding $150 with shipping even, from I believe places like newegg.com and zipzoomfly.com.


EDIT: Oh also, Glad to be able to help a fellow washingtonian out too! lol, I'm about 30 miles south of you by the way, down here in T-Town, Tacoma-lakewood.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Thanks for the recommendations Everman Starkmoor, but I think that the 6600GT is a little steep for me right now. And no, I've got not preference as to brand. I'm really trying to keep the cost of the card at $150 maximum. Thanks.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

AMD for gaming... Intel for spreadsheets, word etc. Also buy a custom built so much cheaper

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

AMD for gaming, plus it's cheaper too.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

^ Not really they work out about the same price

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Not really with the spreadsheets. AMD still seem faster for every day user stuff. Iv used a lot and the AMDs seem faster they don't lag at all when opening multi spreadsheets and word processors. But thats to me anyways.

But for what your going to do this be the best to get:

AMD 3500+
1GB of ram
6800GT or X800
A good $80 PCI-Express motherbored
120GB HD 7200 RPM
On bored sound or a Soundblaster Live PCI sound card

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

Mobo:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138264
Cpu:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103568
Ram:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820141152
Video:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102504
Psu/Case:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144161
Optocal:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827131256

$600 shipped. Only nubs by prebuilts.

Re: Please help: Athlon 64 or Pentium 4?
 

AMD is a lot cheaper than Intel.
3000+=$146
630 (3.0ghz)=$178

The kicker is The 3000+ outperforms the 630 in almost every task, run cooler, and uses less power.