en4rcment

Can someone please tell me (in layman's terms) why the ASUS board is better than Intel 875P Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU, Model "D875PBZLK"?



Here's my current lineup(things I'm planning on buying):

-Intel Pentium 4/ 2.8E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology

-Intel 875P Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU,
Model "D875PBZLK"

-Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack) 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200


Package is around $557 (before shipping)


:!: Oh! The processor does not come with a heat sink and fan. Which fan and heat sink should I get? I want a quiet fan that is supposed to be in the P4 2.8 not a loud one like they put in the P4 3.0.

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CingularDuality

Yikes! :shock:

Didn't you see this:
Cheaper and faster... I don't understand why you would pay more for a lesser product...

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en4rcment

:? Yeah. I just wanted to go the Intel route this time...not AMD. Just a personal choice.

One other thing. The AMD ATHLON 64 3200+ operates at 2.0GHz. How is this faster than a 2.8 GHz processor? Is it because the Athlon can open the FSB to 1600Mhz?

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L0GiCaL1

It is the same reason the Intel claims 2.8 Ghz. Using operating system structure and different processing techniques for WindowsXP and later OS's allows the processor to perform better than it's actual clock speed rating. Without those inherent calculation pathways, the processor can only run at it's true clock.

Why is it costing so much en4? I priced the same setup almos 100 dollars cheaper?!

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Raven Shield Admin

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. - Douglas Adams

Overlag

because i think the last stats i read show a AMD Athlon 64 does 10 operations per clock while a P4 only does 8.... or something like that.

Intel went one way, they reduced the instructions per cycle (IPC) and that allows more mhz. Mhz sell cpus because people KNOW 2.8ghz is better than 2.0ghz right?

AMD kept the old style of there K6 CPU all the way up there K7 line using 9 IPC... i think they do 10ipc now...not sure.

I still not understand this. Your buying from a mate, they should be giving you a discount, yet it costs more?

Then you have the faster and cheaper choice of AMD and you want intel? odd?

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From Adam Webb

en4rcment

:!: My prices are coming from newegg.com. It turns out that the guy I buy parts from couldn't come close to their prices and he wasn't up to speed (no pun intended :P ) on the fast dual channel gaming memory we use.

Newegg prices:

Intel Pentium 4/ 2.8E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology $189

Intel 875P Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU, Model "D875PBZLK" $133

Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack) 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 $235

Total: $557


:?: You guys think newegg.com is charging too much?

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Overlag

if you get a intel motherboard, say goodbye to any overclocking, which in turn stops you from getting 30-50% extra speed that makes your system level with an A64.....

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From Adam Webb

L0GiCaL1

The cost is not in Newegg.com's prices... it is in the products you are buying. That Corsair memory is almost twice the price and really honestly no better than CAS 2.5 PC3200 No-name memory. Remember everyone gets the chips for their memory sticks from the same 3 basic manufacturers. Same part and lot numbers even. There is no reason to pay $100 more for something that just has a name on it and nothing different. I showed you the same system for ~$460 at MWAVE and they generally carry the same inventory and pricing as Newegg.com. If you are going to spend the other $100 anyway... and have settled for P4... at least the get the 3.0Ghz. You'll see more performance increase for that $100 than you will buying that overpriced RAM.

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Raven Shield Admin

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. - Douglas Adams

en4rcment

Is this generic memory you're talking about dual channel memory (shipped in matched sticks) and is it low latency? The CAS latency on the Corsair is: 2-3-3-6 T1 (a tiny bit better than a 2.5). I read some reports that said 3D applications make better use of the memory than most other applications. So if you are using 3D software (like games, autocad, 3DSM) you should get the fastest memory with the lowest latency.

I was originally gonna get the P4 3.0GHz, but as I mentioned earlier, I was told it had a very loud fan and then Overlag said that 200Mhz in the P4 world is nothing and if I was going to go intel I wouldn't notice the difference between 2.8 and 3.0. Also, the P4 I am getting has the 1MB L2 Cache...The P4 3.0 with 1MB cache is currently unavailable.

Yeah, I read that. But I wasn't planning on overclocking my CPU. I think I'll be able to game just fine (with the current games) without overclocking. Plus, if a noob like me tried to overclock, I'd be posting about how I fried my computer... ops:

Although I am still keeping my options open about getting the ASUS motherboard (in case I need to overclock down the line). Any other advantages to the ASUS mobo?

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L0GiCaL1

You can buy generic CAS 2 RAM as well, but the performance increase is going to be like 2-5%. Not worth $100 to me, but it isn't my money.

CPU coolers are meant to be replaced.

Overlag also warned you to stay away from the Prescott core. I agree. The 0.09 micron core on the Prescott suffers the same fate as the high-end Athlon XP series 3Ghz+. When it is loaded up with processes it will heat up and you will see bleed-over which will totally ruin your day in a game when it starts locking up and rebooting on it's own from "memory" errors. The Prescott is a good reason not to go Intel because they have pushed the expanded P4 core too far. They went from 0.13 micron cores to 0.09 micron cores.... that is just asking for problems. If Intel would have added the 1 MB L2 cache on the 0.13 micron core technology, they would have had a much better chip. That is why the Prescott is as cheap as it is. They know it too and are telling to sell a piss-poor chip to offset the design costs. That is also why they released the P4 EE chips. To cover their 6, so to speak.

The ASUS board actually PERFORMS better. As in, blows every other P4 board on the market out of the water and definitely off of the playing field. It performs better memory management, AGP/PCI Bus management, IDE/SATA transfer speeds are higher. You name it, it does it better. I'm actually surprised the board doesn't cook/clean/do laundry.

I am honestly asking myself why you would pay as much for something that is 30-50% less effective, efficient, and powerful. You've already said your friend cannot even compete in terms of price which was a real driving factor in the Intel purchase. Why would you not reconsider the whole thing instead of only the motherboard?

If I can help you with stats or references to anything in discussion here, let me know and I'll link you to some stuff.

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Raven Shield Admin

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. - Douglas Adams

Overlag

NOOOOoooooooooooo a P4 with 1mb cache is a PRESCOTT. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE SUPPERHEATERS k?

btw, how comes the corsair is 2-3-3-6??? mine was 2-2-2-6. I wouldnt buy 2-3-3-6 memory at corsair prices as Logical1 said, any normal generic ram (Adata!!!!) will do the same job at "only 2.5-3-3-8. My Generic Adata Pc3200 200fsb chips do 240fsb with 2.5-3-3-8....and so does my corsair. But which cost £100 more?

Why are you buying Intel? because of its Name? Really pisses me off that people buy slower stuff because of its Name. Intel and Nvidia come to mind.......

en4rcment

This is becoming an exercise in frustration....

I started researching the Prescott core and you guys were right. It runs so frickin' hot that it needs a water-cooled system to keep it's temp down.

I want an Intel because I want to take advantage of the dual channel memory. Plus my brother works for a local college here, and they are switching to P4's because the AMD's were starting to malfunction on them.

You guys might as well post some links for me to consider...

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Overlag

bandwidth isnt everything.......Nvidia's geforces prove this too they have something like 28gb/s vs ATI's 21gb/s and whats better? so...

P4 and a Nvidia gfx card then? :x

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From Adam Webb

en4rcment

Ok guys...

Yesterday I went in with an open mind and hit the web hard for reviews of the AMD Athlon64 3200+.

Reading reviews and benchmark tests are difficult, since one test will show one processor winning and another will show another processor winning.

After reading through many, many, reviews. It does seem that Athlon64 3200+ seems to do better in the gaming arena that the similarily-priced P4's (the EE P4's can beat the Athlon, but who wants to pay that kinda money?). The 3200+ even beat it's next generation brother, the FX-51 on some tests. What I don't understand is how P4's win at 3D rendering (most of the time) but AMD wins at 3D games (you would think the cpu that could render faster would be able to give faster fps in 3d games). I don't have much use for mpeg encoding or MP3 converting. I use these processes very infrequently when compared to gaming.

My problem seems to be deciding between the two below package options now:

The Intel route(priced at newegg.com):

-Intel Pentium 4/ 2.8C GHz 800MHz FSB, 512K Cache, Hyper Threading Technology
-Intel 875P Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU, Model "D875PBZLK"
-Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack) 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200
TOTAL: $555.00


The AMD route(priced at Mwave.com):

-AMD ATHLON 64 3200+
-ASUS K8V DLX
-KINGSTON 1GB DDR400(512MB X 2) (yeah, I would spring $40 more for name-brand memory)
TOTAL: $561.28


Both options would be a HUGE upgrade from my current system. With Intel, I would be set up for the future of dual channel memory. With AMD I would be set up for the future of 64 bit technology.

I have a lot of soul-searching to do here. Plus, I want to see if I can get these prices down...

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CingularDuality

Heck, just decide on what you want and then wait two months to purchase it. You'll probably save a hundred or so dollars...

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