Tech Link (Processor): AMD Athlon64 X2 5200+ vs Intel Core 2 Duo E6400

This is a cheat post :) done on Saturday, March 03. But hey, I have to make up for the days I haven't posted since I was out on vacation. Anyway, enjoy this head to head review by LegionHardware.

It is amazing to think that the Athlon64 X2 processors are now 2 years old while the original Athlon64 architecture is 4 years old. For so many years the Athlon64 processors made Intel’s numerous versions of the Pentium 4 and Pentium D processors look somewhat silly. Only in the last 7 months or so has Intel been able to take the performance crown from AMD. Of course, to do so they had to completely redesign the Core 2 architecture from the ground up and while the result is incredibly impressive, it hardly makes the existing AMD processors look silly.
Of course the Athlon64 X2 5200+ was never meant to cost just $220 US, especially in the first quarter of 2007, but for obvious reasons it does. Even though the 5200+ never won a gaming benchmark it was able to match the E6400 on a number of occasions. Given the age of the Athlon64 X2 this is a tremendous achievement and although the 5200+ does have a fair clock advantage, it is still rated at well below 3.0GHz! These Athlon64 X2 processors will have to do for now, as backup is not expected until 2008 and even then AMD does not expect a speedy transition to their new platform.

AMD has done a lot for the industry and even more for the consumer and this is something everyone should recognize. Unfortunately, the only mistake made by AMD over the years that has hurt the consumers is their crazy need to re-invent new sockets. The Athlon64 started life as a 754-pin processor and then after everyone purchased one, AMD quickly migrated to a 939-pin socket. At the same time they managed to pull off a big juggling act between the 939-pin and 940-pin platforms before they became one when the AM2 socket was introduced. This also saw the demise of the 754-pin socket which was still being used by the Sempron processors.

For the moment at least the AM2 platform is a safe option uniting Opteron, Sempron and all Athlon processors. So given the option between the Core 2 Duo E6400 and Athlon64 X2 5200+ which would you choose? Personally I would still go with the Core 2 Duo as it really is a remarkable processor series. As I have stated in the past when on a tight budget, I would select the E6300 and if funds allow the E6600 would be my high-end option. However, if you have a similar budget to that of my friends which allows for a $220 US processor, the E6400 is a fine option.

While I would chose the E6400 based on the results seen here today, my friend still went with the Athlon64 X2 5200+ and with reason. As I said earlier, he wanted a high-end ASUS motherboard, preferably something that supports SLI should he choose that path, and a Nvidia chipset was a must. If he was to purchase the E6400 the ASUS P5N32-E SLI was the number one choice and with a price tag of $250 US it would have cost more than the processor. Therefore by going with the 5200+ he was able to pick up the ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe for just $180 US. At the end of the day the performance difference between these two processors is quite limited.

The reason I would chose the Core 2 Duo processor is because I am always seeking the very best performance for my dollar. This is what the Core 2 Duo delivers and given there are relatively cheap motherboard solutions out there, I see no reason not to purchase a Core 2 Duo processor. Both platforms have matured to a point now where building a system based on either can suit a number of budgets. Overall, I must admit I am amazed at how cheap the Athlon64 X2 processors have become and how well they compete with the Core 2 Duo’s at their price point!

Source:AMD Athlon64 X2 5200+ vs Intel Core 2 Duo E6400

Rant: Welcome the sucky AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+

I've read a few reviews about this newly launched processor and what can I say, they suck big time. They can barely compete with Conroe and they even have the gall to label it with "6000+" (which is like saying, 6GHz).

Boy oh boy, this new processor just can't cut it. A brand spanking new processor, can't even go toe-to-toe with an aged Conroe. HotHardware has this to say:

Ultimately, the Athlon 64 X2 6000+ isn't fast enough to wrestle the performance crown from Intel's high-end Core 2 Duo processors, but it does push AMD's performance up a rung on the ladder. At this point it's clear that it's going to take much higher frequencies, or rather a new architecture for AMD to overtake Intel again. But for now, another round of price cuts will put AMD on somewhat equal footing in terms of overall value.

XbitLabs also posted their review and they aren't impressed as well:

Frankly speaking the launch of the new AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ processor is not a very big event. Until promising new cores based on K8L micro-architecture come out, AMD will hardly be able to surprise us with anything. After the launch of Intel Core 2 Duo processor family, AMD K8 micro-architecture turned pretty obsolete. While in the budget and mainstream market AMD manages to success just fine thanks to smart and aggressive pricing policy, then the high-performance segment seems to be a tough nut to crack for AMD at this time.

So if you want to suck, or a masochist wanting to have a crappy system, or just plainly insane, you can go ahead and own such system. On the other hand, you can still stick with your Conroe!

Tech Link (Processor): Intel Core 2 Duo Vs. AMD X2 AM2--Top to Bottom

ExtremeTech whips out a decent article on the new Chipzilla processor and match it up against the competition. This is just another reference for you FanBoyz out there, in case you ran out of ammunition to go head to head against AMDroids. Ownage!

Final Thoughts: Your Needs

It's clear that Intel's Core 2 Duo lineup offers superior performance across the product line when compared with AMD's Athlon 64 X2. In some applications, even a lower-cost Core 2 Duo can outperform some of the higher-end Athlon 64 X2s.

Source:Intel Core 2 Duo Vs. AMD X2 AM2--Top to Bottom