Now we know what
Intel and AMD is offering, let us get down to the important
facts, Price, Performance and Does It Work For Me. Here is a breakdown of the
CPUs and their expected US$ prices.
Intel
820 2.8 Ghz 1 Meg Cache $241
830 3.0 Ghz 1 Meg Cache $316
840 3.2 Ghz 1 Meg Cache $530
840EE 3.2 Ghz 1 Meg Cache $999
As you can see, Intel has a big advantage at the low end ( Don't look at the 840
price if you are weak of heart ), while they just cannot compete for raw power
at the high end. Nevertheless, these prices may seem scary to many of us, until
you realise you are getting 2 CPUs for that price, but are we getting value for
money. Here is a breakdown of the cost of that second CPU, as taken from several
Websites. I do not include the 840 EE.
Intel
CPU
Single CPU Price Dual Core Price
Cost For Extra CPU
Now we can see some interesting stuff :) Not only is the Intel 820 and 830 cheap
but the cost of that 2nd CPU is a very good deal. Again, the 840 comes out of
this very poorly, and we are forced to pay 40% more than a second regular P4 at
3.2 GHz. AMD has no model to compete at the bottom, coming in at the P4 840
Price Point, and as we can see, the X2 4200 is almost exactly the same price as
two 3500+ CPUs. The 4400+ seems a much better buy adding extra Cache ( which
really helps with Dual Cores) while saving just over $70 on a second 1 Meg 2.2
GHz CPU ( I believe though this is a 754 price but may be the new 3700+ coming
to market now ? ) Going past the 4400+ sees some steep price rises topping out
with the 4800+ at the same price as the 840 Extreme Edition. Luckily, the
savings on the 2nd CPU are good, especially for the 4800+.
So what does this all mean, is the P4 820 a bargain and the AMD X2 overpriced ?
Well, we do not have all the data yet, because we have not added in the cost of
a Motherboard or the memory. Remember, Intel needs DDR2, a little bit more
pricey than DDR, and the Motherboards are currently more expensive. Further, the
Intel System will need a bigger PSU ( 50 W more ) and better Case Cooling.
