Okay. What are the main pros and cons between Intel and AMD and why? What are the ranges of available processors to buy, how much they tend to cost and what the high end versions are, and if they're worth it? Different CPU sockets on a motherboard, ensuring CPU compatibility, futureproofing with a new motherboard. Cooling a new system, dependent on the system you have. Overclocking, it's risks and benefits. Different processors for differing needs. Memory modules, compatibility, varying types. Ensuring compatability. Jumper pins and other non mouse-clicky things, setting master and slave settings, sharing IDE slots.
Okay Intel CPU's run hotter, slower and less efficiently than their AMD couterparts...AMD CPU's (the modern ones) are much better. Intel Chips beat AMD's in video encoding, but in pretty much all other tests AMD CPU's beat Intel. With AMD's a 3000+ is equivalent to a 3GHz Intel CPU, the AMD may only run at something like 1.8GHz but it does more work per cycle. AMD have CPU's which are 64-bit ready so they are going to be compatible with future 64-bit software, high end AMD CPU's are the FX-55, FX-57 or the X2 (dual core) line, they come in 3800+ up to 4800+. There is also the single core 3800+ and 4000+ which are the high end single core ones before the FX series. High end Intel CPU's are things like a 3.8GHz Intel Extremem Edition with HT technology, they also have dual core CPU's as well. If you're going to be gaming then go for AMD, without a doubt they are better, AMD dont have support for DDR2 but you dont need it, sometimes DDR2 means a performance drop, but if you're goin to have an AMD CPU make sure you have DDR400 (PC3200)
Also the AMD CPU's are now in socket 939 (replacing socket 754), this is the socket to go for if you may want to upgrade, its also the socket that you should go for if you want the X2's of FX's... The Intel socket is LGA775, this is their new socket and will replace socket 478. Also with the AMD CPU's make sure you get a motherboard that can support the FX or X2 line (may have to do a BIOS update but new boards should support them)
Intel are mainly reliant upon high clock speeds and a lower IPC (instructions per cycle) than AMD architectures. AMD have much lower clock speeds (around a GHz) and so their processors have a higher IPC. I'll explain this based on AMD Athlon64 and equivilent Intel P4s. Intel usually have an advantage with the P4s in video and audio encoding, and also sometimes compression. For pure video editting, a P4 would suit more than an A64. Only the P4 6xx series CPUs as i know of support 64 bit. AMD64 have decent performance in all areas, but excel in gaming and 3d apps. They're usually cheaper than their equivilent P4 alternatives aswell. AMD64 is also stronger than Intel at compiling code aswell. AMD64, as you might notice has 64 bit extensions, and can run 64 bit Linux dstros as well as MS Windows XP Pro x64 edition. For Intel, all I can say is LGA775 for future sockets, its the mainstream socket now, and should remain so for a while. AMD Athlon64s have now in mainstream only 1 socket. Socket 939, it replaced socket 940 and now outdated 754 with just 1 socket. This is the socket for at least a year before a new one is brought out, meaning that its the most future proof. All Athlon64 and Athlon 64 FX with socket 939 are compatible with the socket. Both now have dual core CPUs, 2 cores onto one die, which translates to excellant multitasking performance. AMD dual core is called Athlon64 X2, and is much more elegantly designed than the Intel counterpart. However, for gaming performance AMD still say that the single core Athlon64 FX CPUs are best. But in my opinion, they cost too much and a regular A64 or A64 X2 will be great. The X2 chips use socket 939, and unless stated otherwise all that is needed is a BIOS update on the motherboard. Nice and easy there. Afaik, Intel's high end CPU is still the Pentium 4 Extreme editions, these are P4s with more cache than normal, however they are insanely expensive and not worth the money. But if you want encoding performance then P4s usually outperform the AMD64 ones in this department. As far is cooling is concerned, A64s usually run a lot cooler than the P4 mainstream Prescott. However, they still need good cooling, and Arctic cooling and Thermaltake make good HSFs to cool them respectively. For overclocking, the Athlon64 Venice core CPUs overclock well, trying to overclock a Prescott P4 will usually end up in nuclear fusion scale temperatures. Memory: AMD still use DDR memory, now mainstream PC3200 or higher. This is the most common form of memory in most PCs. Intel use DDR2 now as mainstream and has higher clock speeds and also higher latencies. DDR2 and 1 are not interchangable, but as long as you choose a DDR2 mobo, any DDR2 stick should work. Note: AMD may change to DDR2 in the future, but for now its still DDR. As for jumpers and drives: Jumpers on drives can be set to 2 different configurations. They can set a drive to be a master or a slave. A master drive is the main drive and the one the PC will try to boot from first. A slave drive will act simply as an additional drive. E.g. You would set the jumpers on a HD to be master, and set an optical drive to be slave.
