TheSwamp
CAD Forums => CAD General => Topic started by: t-bear on March 15, 2004, 01:37:35 PM
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Ok, I got a question...
We're in the process of upgrading our CADD dept here and I've got 2 'puters I'm lookin' at...the specs are as follows:
Station #1....
MOTHERBOARD INTEL D865GBFL / ATX / Prescott P4 / 800FSB / DDR 400 / AUDIO / Integ. Gr. / 8X AGPG / 10-100 LAN
OPERATING SYSTEM MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL / FACTORY INSTALLED
PROCESSOR INTEL P4 2.6GHZ HT / 800 FSB / 512K L2 CACHE
MEMORY 1GB - 2 x 512MB DDR333 DIMM (Qty 2)
HARD DRIVE 40GB / 7200RPM / ATA-100
HARD DRIVE - 2 None
OPTICAL DRIVE - 1 52MAX IDE CD-ROM - BLACK
OPTICAL DRIVE - 2 None
FLOPPY DRIVE None
GRAPHICS CARD eVGA GeForce FX5200 8XAGP 128M DVI/SV
SOUND CARD INTEGRATED 6 CHANNEL AUDIO
CASE / PWR SPLY ATX MID TOWER CASE / HT Ready / 300W / USB / 2ND FAN / BLACK
WARRANTY 1 YEAR DEPOT WARRANTY
MONITOR None
KEYBOARD BENQ MEMBRANE KEYBOARD - PS/2 - BLACK
MOUSE MS WHEEL OPTICAL MOUSE - PS2/USB - BLACK
MOUSE PAD None
SPEAKERS None
LAN CARD INTEGRATED INTEL 10/100 LAN
FAX MODEM None
TAPE DRIVE None
POWER PRODUCTS None
APPLICATION SOFTWARE None
UTILITY SOFTWARE None
SCANNER None
PRINTER None
PRINTER CABLE None
Station #2
MOTHERBOARD ASUS A7V8X-X / ATX / ATHLON-DURON / DDR400 / AUDIO / 8X AGP / LAN
OPERATING SYSTEM MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL / FACTORY INSTALLED
PROCESSOR AMD ATHLON XP 3000+ 333 FSB W/512K OD L2 CACHE
MEMORY 1GB - 2 x 512MB DDR333 DIMMS (Qty 2)
HARD DRIVE 40GB / 7200RPM / ATA-100
OPTICAL DRIVE - 1 52MAX IDE CD-ROM - BLACK
OPTICAL DRIVE - 2 None
FLOPPY DRIVE None
GRAPHICS CARD eVGA GeForce FX5200 8XAGP 128M DVI/SV
SOUND CARD INTEGRATED 6 CHANNEL AUDIO
CASE / PWR SPLY ATX MID TOWER CASE / HT Ready / 300W / USB / 2ND FAN / BLACK
WARRANTY 1 YEAR DEPOT WARRANTY
MONITOR None
KEYBOARD BENQ MEMBRANE KEYBOARD - PS/2 - BLACK
MOUSE OPTICAL WHEEL MOUSE - PS/2 - BLACK
MOUSE PAD None
SPEAKERS None
LAN CARD INTEGRATED 10/100 LAN
FAX MODEM None
TAPE DRIVE None
POWER PRODUCTS None
APPLICATION SOFTWARE None
UTILITY SOFTWARE None
SCANNER None
PRINTER None
PRINTER CABLE None
As you can see, the only diff is the mother board and processor. Price is a wash....$35.00 higher for the P4. We're buying two stations and installing Inventor Suite on one and 2K4 on the other.
So....what are your feelings on which is the better set-up?
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I've never used anything else but Pentiums for cad. I hear AMD is just as good, if not better, but I'd take the P4, since it's on the company dime.
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http://www6.tomshardware.com/motherboard/20020905/kt400-16.html
http://www.hardwareguys.com/picks/motherboards.html
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AMD are usually a bit cheaper,so I'd personally get an AMD,but as Daron said if your companies paying for it sod it go for the Intel.AMD actually run at slightly lower clock speeds than other processors of the same specified clock speed,you can find comparison tables on the net,such as this: http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20031223/index.html
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I voted for Intel, but that vote is based on an OLD AMD...which, on a regular basis, made me M-A-D.
My company has me on a Celeron and I haven't had a WHOLE lot of problems, but they do happen now and then. My Pentiun II Celeron had lots of problems, but again, that was an older computer (the one after the AMD).
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For $35, go for the pentium (that's my opinion anyway)
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Being that both Motherboards are pretty much the same, I would go for the intel board. I have a older AMD processor and the reason I bought it is that it had 2MB of on-board cache compared to 512k on a comparable Intel board. I have pretty much two identical machines(1 intel and 1 amd) and could feel a difference with the two different processor types.
Pieter
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Quite honestly I like AMD much better than Intel but in the above examples, if that is indeed the two you have to choose from, go with the P4 box. The main reasoning is the FSB ...
The systems themselves are essentially the same with the exception of the MB...
If you can get a minor change on the P4 box, request DDR400 memory instead of the DDR333. The performance will then match the FSB of the MB and processor.
The AMD will not actually run at 3000+ but in a benchmark test it performs at or above 3Ghz because of the built in XP commands in the chip itself. AutoCAD unfortunately does not make use of these features so it will not help with it. At least that is my understanding of it.
So.. P4 it is...
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Aaahhh My field of expertise, ... sorta.
Here's the scoop of the poop. Intel has taken the lead for the better processor for quite some time. However, both Intel and AMD have their own niche. Intel is designed mainly for workstations where AMD is designed more for the gamers and hardcore enthusiasts. Intel, when they create their chips, have always pushed the chip to the limit of stability and labeled their processor at that speed. AMD has always labeled their processors a bit slower than the maximum stability. Intel is not very good for overclocking, stability issues mainly. AMD, who has designed their chip for the hardcore enthusiast, has great overclocking abilities. Intels chip is designed more towards a workstation and works great for CAD, Photoshop and other processor intense applications that use math quite a bit. AMD, better for gaming and other not-so-intensive math, but more intense graphics.
So, If you looking for a Workhorse, CAD machine type of system, go with the Intel and a good Graphics card.
My vote is the Intel.
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sheesh, all this just after I ordered an AM :yikes: D 3200
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Yes, but your amd is, I presume, NOT on the company dime.
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if only :roll:
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If'n it makes you feel any better I ONLY use AMD AthlonXP chips at home .. I have 4 systems right now and each one has Athlon XP 2600+ w/ 256 DDR333
Now the reason I voted for the intel system is that the DDR can be DDR400 and the MB has a 800Mhz FSB..
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You have four Athlon XP's at home! :shock: Your boss must be paying you too much :)
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Nah...he "liberated" them.....
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You have four Athlon XP's at home! :shock: Your boss must be paying you too much :)
Actually I do....
And no....I don't get paid too much.... even BG doesn't get paid too much...it is all relative....
Nah...he "liberated" them.....
And no, I did not liberate them.....I actually purchased them ALL ....
Actually in the last 7 or 8 years I have had around 15 or 16 different computers....
The way to do it is quite simple....
BUILD YOUR OWN!!!!
I can purchase the 400W Case, 800MhzFSB MB, 256Meg Memory, 80 GB HD, related peripherals etc for right at $250-$300
Yeah, they are not super duper gaming systems, but, they work quite well...I built my latest one right after Christmas...Thinking of cannibalizing my oldest one and building a new system, can probably do so for around $150 or so....It just depends on what I want in it...
I bought 2 computers out of the box and I had nothing but trouble from them, so, I have decided that I will not buy another unless the price is competetive...If I can get it for under $500 I might consider it, but absolutely no more....
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Thanks for the info, I was just looking at upgrading
my home system for cad and was not sure which way
to go, sounds like for the little more money that intel
costs it will be a better fit.
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i have an amd athlon at home and i have an intel p4 in work. i am a hardcore gamer and i do, using cad and games push both machine to their limits. to be honest i have found that my machine at home is faster, but it is not slowed down by a network connection etc. prople have been quoting clockspeeds and this that and the other, truth is, we are talking nonosecods in difference. regardless. it really doesn't matter what o.s. you use if its speed your talking about because commander data would be the only one you could tell the difference in the speed of the machines.
i have an athlon at home (on which i use cad at home aswell) because it was 50% cheaper for the motherboard and the processor ( it had a higher spec than the intel processor) i thought theat it would be a poorer knock off of the intel chip but i was very wrong. they are both very good products and a little competion never hurt nobody, unless your a one legged man in an ass kicking competion.
bottom line....swings and roundabouts.
it will probably be your software that will be giving you restrictions before your hardware will, at the spec you quote above anyways
Diarmuid
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I'd have to agree with you about that,the main difference would be your type of operating system, also the software combinations/conflicts and the user of the workstation.
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Thanks all....looks like I'm going with the AMD.
Can't wait to get my new toy!
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So the vote's in on the P$ and you decide to go AMD. Minority rules Ted?
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I'm wierd....what can I say! Actually, I really like the AMD chip and was leaning that way to start. Adesk supports AMD (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=3647438) so.... As you can see, I have more than enough horsepower either way. I was really just curious as to your thoughts, doesn't mean I'm gonna join the herd. :lol: :wink:
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:lol:
Well, I have to admit that that while the P4 is the one I voted for, I will still only purchase the AMD.. WHY???
They are generally much faster than P4's when running XP (for a much lower price) and when using the system for general computing.
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What HE said LOL
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This is the site that I rely on when making choices like this one.
http://www.anandtech.com/cpu/index.html