Renaming the "dark side"

[ricksimm]

I have been building and playing around with AMD for about a year and a half. Every time I go to an AMD forum now all I see is delays from AMD and VIA and people going to remarkably expensive measures to get an XP to run with a stock Intel. I'm sure somebody will disagree but I don't want to spend more than twice what a 2.66 P4 costs to approach the speed of that P4.

It appears that Intel is now the "LIGHT SIDE" and I suspect that they will stay there.

A customer taught me a lesson the other day when I was trying to explain to him what an AMD processor was (who's amd?) and how an AMD XP2400 really meant that it would run like an Intel 2.4GHZ. The reaction was nothing but blank stares and a total look of apprehension. The more I talked the more I realized that all I was doing was explaining something he wasn't really interested in and talking myself out of a sale. DUMB. I built him a 2.4B P4 on an Abit IT7-Max and he is totally happy and recommending me to his friends. I'm going back to building Intels for myself and others because it only makes sense.

I really don't think AMD's situation shows much promise.

[mdzcpa]

Some valid points you make.

But, what your client does not know is that the comparable XP 2400+ system would have been the better performer for the money:) AMD's rating system remains conservative up until the P4 2.8...this is the point where the XP 2800 begins to lose some ground. But below that, it's all AMD if you want to compare AMD performance ratings to Intel mhz.

[ronnie0738]

At least for now, AMD has the best mhz or performance for the buck, but AMD is raising their prices and closing the price gap with Intel.

[ricksimm]

I understand that and agree with you. But a lot of people spending money on a computer could care less about explanations they just cannot understand.

I forgot to mention the concern I have for selling somebody a system and getting them to trust me when they turn around and read about people being laid off at AMD.

I cannot stake any small reputation I may have built by gambling on AMD at the moment.

Thanks for your response.

[OPPAINTER]

Originally posted by ricksimm


I cannot stake any small reputation I may have built by gambling on AMD at the moment.

Thanks for your response.

No Gamble involved, either you build a good AMD system or you don't. If AMD were to up and dye tomorrow it doesn't mean the AMD system I built last week is going to stop runing.

OPP

[mdzcpa]

Good point Opp:)

And...just for the record, I do quite a few client builds myself....so I do know where you are coming from. Those clients that insist on Intel get Intel. Those looking for the best value and my advice get AMD. All I know is that after spending the last 2 years building mostly AMD rigs for clients based on my recommendation, my reputation is such that I have more business than I can handle right now.

The P4 has the sheer performance crown...but trying to sell $600 and $700 CPU's in todays throw away PC market is nuts. And anything less than the top o the line P4 which is more affordable gets beaten by AMD.

If the current trend did continue on, then no doubt the P4 would eventually become the value/performance leader. But Hammer is just around the corner. AMD has milked the K7 longer than they ever thought they would have to due to the extended IT recession (and poor general economic condition). Hammer would have been here already if not for things being bad in the industry. AMD is playing it smart by delaying until the IT sector picks up. There will be a ton of pent up IT demand when corporate budgets flesh out again for that kind of spending. AMD is planning to be standing there to hand them what they need when it happens.

Until then, there is no doubt that things will be tough on AMD. They did not plan on the extended IT downturn. Although Intel is profitable...they have had some terrible performance as well relatively speaking. We'll just have to wait and see what plays out when things recover late next year.