NeXus LAN

What brand of CPU do you prefer, what is your reasoning behind it?
Facts please, dont smash anyone for their preference!

I dont have enough experience with dual-core processors but from what it seems like from the benchmarks and the little experience I have, I think i'd rather fork out the money for an Intel Chip
Preferrably

Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 Wolfdale 2.66GHz 6MB L2 1333MHz  $179.99 (With free 3 day shipping and handling, I might add)
 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115038 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115038)   

Offers performance and it doesnt break the bank, I advise getting a new heatsink though.

I can't really vote. My first PC I built was a AMD T-bird, second was a AMD 2100+ (1.7) I believe, next was a AMD 3100+ then when a pin bent I replace that with a 3800+ and I just got my Laptop with my first Intel Core duo.

I noticed a huge improvement when I went AMD to Intel Core2. I had a DualCore Athlon and then went Core2 6750 desktop, before I went and sold it get my new laptop of course. The speeds bewteen the two were unbelievable. I would say that not only a CPU update would be warranted, but also a Graphics card.

Yes, I definitely agree with Tiny... for raw over all performance Intel is the way to go.  Now with that said, if you have a low end graphics card, the CPU will be little difference when gaming.

Order should be graphics card, amount of ram then CPU for gaming.  If you use your PC for other things of course than the CPU would be just as important.

well since I work in the wholesale computer parts business I have some inside knowledge about AMD and Intel. I have to deal with the companies quite often.

Intel: Price is higher for a bit of a performance increase (for the most part, but not always)

Warranty service and representation is the big difference. I can have an intel product replaced the next day in advance and shipping paid both ways. I can call an Intel rep directly and have answers to any question within minutes to hours.

AMD : got Intel beat by price.

AMD RMA process is a joke. Their web site can be a pain in the arse at times, and a replacement can take up to a month! We used to have a regular rep, but they cut costs and removed that division of their company.

Frankly I worry about the future of AMD at times as they definately have gone down hill of late (last year or two). I'd hate to see them leave the CPU world as they do their best to keep Intel from a monopoly.

Hmm, didnt ATI buy them out a year or two ago?

Other way around Modious. AMD bought ATi. Now it looks to be a bad move for the cpu department. AMD may only survive as a graphics card company. I sure hope they can turn it around and begin to make great cpus again. Can you imagine what you would have to pay if Intel was the only game in town?

I am still using an AMD Athlon XP 3200+ on an nForce 2 chipset with AGP. Can't speak from experience but, for my 2 cents, all the reviews I have read over the past year proves to me AMD is in a world of hurt. Intel chips out perform AMD quite often in the areas that gamers care about.

yeah and let me point out that now AMD and ATI use the same crappy website.  ::)

Don't count them out, yet.  Intel and nVidia are still trying to catch up to AMD/ATi.  Good read:

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=547

What? Even the article admits that AMD is trying to catch up to Intel still. I skimmed through it and it just seems like total speculation.

Right now my AMD 3.0ghz is fine, in all honesty.

If I were to build a totally new pc right now, I would choose Intel. However, I'm in no rush to switch to them at this point.

opinion, well im a long time intel user, gone amd.  when i went for my latest system i have purchased, i took 29 days of reading up on intel , amd , and motherboards.   amd and intel both make the best you can get. but i am now all for amd and i find it almost absolutely ludicrous to buy intel anymore. The tiniest best thing about amd is you can save money to get a better graphics card.  oh my goodness i dont want to read up anymore.

What I meant by catching up to AMD is that Intel/nVidia are trying to get to the point where ATi/AMD are at due to them having (whats still considered) a major brand in both the CPU and graphics processing departments in hardware.  In processor choices, you either have AMD/Intel- graphics, you have nVidia/ATi (AKA AMD).

At this point, AMD offers better processor market share then anything nVidia has, and offers better graphics processing then what Intel has.  AMD is still struggling, but it's major competitors are hauling ass to try and catch up to where AMD is currently positioned- which the article does mention.  Don't get me wrong, I think AMD is on a down spiral still, but it's too early to fully discredit them, especially with their competitors trying to play catch up.

We all know Nvidia and Intel wont team up unless one buys out the other, Hopefully Intel > Nvidia. It probably wont happen. Its too hard to tell if the whole "Nehalem" will have a major impact on the CPU and GPU markets.

Yeah, I doubt a merger would ever happen, but I remember being shocked at hearing AMD/ATi merged.  It seemed like a good thing at the time, but rumors lately have said they're trying to get rid of ATi.

On a second note, Nehalem is catching a lot've buzz, especially with it being hailed the successor to the Core technology.  30% decrease in power usage for the same amount of power as a Core processor - or better yet, 10% more consumption power for 20-30% the output?  Integrated graphics processing?  From some of the previews I've read, it sounds almost too good to be true.

I'm sure the integrated graphics processing is to only help the GPU, its no videocard replacement.

With 8 cores and that much power all in the processor?  I doubt it, especially combined with Intel's integrated video/graphics support in their current motherboards.  While I doubt as well that them combined that it'd fully out rule the need for a fully-seperate graphics controller, I think they're on to something.

It's obvious they're trying to move in on nVidia and ATi's territory with this kind of tech.