@scottalanmiller said in Spec'ing a new computer from Dell or?:
@kamidon said in Spec'ing a new computer from Dell or?:
No, they are NOT faster and have NOT been faster since the early 2000s when they first came out with their quad core.
Actually, AMD was faster in the 32bit era, their AthlonXP was the fastest desktop proc at the end of that era. Intel had completely fallen on their faces with their useless Pentium IV platform and couldn't recover. And they had dropped the Pentium III and couldn't spin it back up fast enough to compete.
If you remember, AMD went into the 64bit era having been crushing Intel, then destroying them by making fast 64bit while Intel was still pushing the Pentium IV 32bit, then attempting to save face by re-releasing their Pentium III and calling it a new name: Core. They failed and didn't sell well and the performance was pathetic.
AMD then created the Opteron market and destroyed Intel in performance all through the 2000s. Not by small amounts. We are talking huge amounts here. AMD totally owned the server market for most of that decade.
Then around 2009 AMD faltered and Intel got their game together and started making new designs that were 64bit native and accepted that Itanium had failed and they had to just play AMD's game. They did so really well and Intel ruled the roost for about 8-10 years. AMD had very little to show. I think you are remembering that era and confusing it with the decade leading up to it.
Then around a year ago AMD came out with new cores that kept pace with Intel, but at lower cost. And now, a few weeks ago, blew them away with new designs that are significantly outperforming what they had just a few months ago.
YES, now this I absolutely agree with. But they've lagged behind since early 2000.
Intel > AMD for the time being.
I believe though, Ryzen 4 will blow Intel out of the water. Intel is stuck right now until 2021, they can't get the 7nm.