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Thread: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

  1. #1
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    AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    I'm leaning towards an AMD/Asus based DAW. I can't determine whether I should go for the dual core or not for $100 more. Or, if someone knows a better reason to stick with the P4's please let me know.

    I'll be running either PTLE/Mbox2 or Cubase SX3/Firepod.

    AMD picks:

    1. Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 1 GHz FSB (Socket 939) Dual Core, rated at 2.0GHz, L2 Cache 2x512KB = $322

    2. Athlon 64 3700+ 1 GHz FSB (Socket 939), rated at 2.2GHz, L2 Cache 1MB = $233

    ----or even-----

    2. Athlon 64 4000+ 1 GHz FSB (Socket 939), rated at 2.4GHz, L2 Cache 1MB = $334

    Which would be the best pick?

  2. #2
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    Uh, yeah, that sounds good.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  3. #3
    fezz parka
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    Six of one, half a dozen of the other. I think choosing the right OS/service pack is more important than the processor...

  4. #4
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    Obviously I posted in the wrong forum. Nevermind.

  5. #5
    fezz parka
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    No, you didn't. All of your choices above will run everything fine. Pick one you like, and go with it. FWIW, ProTools doesn't like XP with service pack 2, so the OS is more important than the choices you have above. FWIW, I run ProTools on a P4 2.8ghz with Win 2000. Runs like a champ.:yay

  6. #6
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    Hey, you got a good answer from Fezz. The choice of processor is no big deal, the right OS is where it's at. What, this is the "wrong" forum because people didn't start dissecting the guts of the chips?

    By the way, the correct answer is: Mac OSX 10.4 running on an Apple Dual G5.

  7. #7
    fezz parka
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4



    One of these days I'll see the light and get a Mac...

  8. #8
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    Unfortunately, Jim is right. I believe 10.4 is running a UNIX kernel isn't it?
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  9. #9
    Forum Member BigsbyTracks's Avatar
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    Re: AMD vs. AMd Dual Core vs. P4

    I wouldn't go with a dual core processor unless you had specific metrics to indicate that your chosen DAW software truly runs any faster under your chosen OS and service pack. I suppose you can most likely find out about this from forums devoted to the specific products. For all I know, the OS could use the second core to do windowing and other chores while the DAW software is monopolizing the first one. In that case, the dual core 3800+.

    Price performance wise, the lowly Venice core 3200+ still wins at $152 if it's fast enough to run your app. That's what I bought in order to put more money into other parts of the machine I ordered this week, like disk capacity/performance. From the metrics I've seen, a 10% CPU speed increase and 1MB of cache in a 3700+ do not result in performance that justifies the 50% price increase over a 3200+. But I was configuring a low-end game machine for a kid.

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