I want my Phenom-based Spider system....now

[HEXUS]

So why can't I buy one from a leading etailer in the run-up to Christmas, huh?

Read more.

[dangel]

Nano-spider shortages - gah!

[Lee`]

The best part is a Q6600 machine won't even set you back £999, if your looking for a pre-built I would go with this and pop in a 8800GT then get a nice big shiny dell 2407 with the remaining cash.

[DeSean]

it appears that whilst the trio aren't the absolute fastest around for the money, performance is reasonable. That's why I've set my heart on such a system, after having such good experiences with my present AMD-based machine.

It always makes me wonder just what people expect when they get a new "AMD based machine" because they have had "good experiences with their current AMD machine". Particularly if the motherboard manufacturer is different.

Quite simply, if the Q6600 is faster for the money, especially overclocked, then you should choose that over any of the crud AMD is releasing now. The CPUs dont perform well enough for the price, the motherboards use the mediocre SB600, and the HD3870 makes impressive power savings but is inferior in many ways to the 8800GT and in most ways to the imminent new 8800GTS.

(btw I'm not some kind of Intel/Nvidia fanboy, my previous system was AMD/ATi, I chose on the basis of price/performance at the time)

[Mossy]

It always makes me wonder just what people expect when they get a new "AMD based machine" because they have had "good experiences with their current AMD machine". Particularly if the motherboard manufacturer is different.

Quite simply, if the Q6600 is faster for the money, especially overclocked, then you should choose that over any of the crud AMD is releasing now. The CPUs dont perform well enough for the price, the motherboards use the mediocre SB600, and the HD3870 makes impressive power savings but is inferior in many ways to the 8800GT and in most ways to the imminent new 8800GTS.

(btw I'm not some kind of Intel/Nvidia fanboy, my previous system was AMD/ATi, I chose on the basis of price/performance at the time)

AMD Fanboys differ from other types of fanboys

[this_is_gav]

...and the HD3870 makes impressive power savings but is inferior in many ways to the 8800GT and in most ways to the imminent new 8800GTS.

The thing is, regarding the ATi side, it's not just performance. If you want pure performance, then there's no doubt you're left with a nV 8800GT or the new 8800GTS. ATi can't really compete in that sense. But in every other sense, Linux drivers excluded, they aren't just competing, but bettering the 8800s.

That doesn't ring at all true with the CPU side of things. As much as I'd like AMD to respond to Core2 with at least an equivalent product, it's not happened. Power consumption isn't dramatically better, it's no cooler, and it certainly can't live up to the speed of the Core2s.

That said though, they aren't so far behind that they shouldn't be considered. You'd never ever know which was which unless you benchmarked one, or you do some lengthy encoding or crunching. The ATi isn't at all far behind the 8800GT and the Phenom isn't obliterated by the Q6600. It's not like the bad old days of some Cyrix chips for instance. The competition can be considered now. If you're an AMD/ATi fanboy then you aren't really going to miss much by sticking with their products if you wanted to.

[DeSean]

The thing is, regarding the ATi side, it's not just performance. If you want pure performance, then there's no doubt you're left with a nV 8800GT or the new 8800GTS. ATi can't really compete in that sense. But in every other sense, Linux drivers excluded, they aren't just competing, but bettering the 8800s.

That doesn't ring at all true with the CPU side of things. As much as I'd like AMD to respond to Core2 with at least an equivalent product, it's not happened. Power consumption isn't dramatically better, it's no cooler, and it certainly can't live up to the speed of the Core2s.

That said though, they aren't so far behind that they shouldn't be considered. You'd never ever know which was which unless you benchmarked one, or you do some lengthy encoding or crunching. The ATi isn't at all far behind the 8800GT and the Phenom isn't obliterated by the Q6600. It's not like the bad old days of some Cyrix chips for instance. The competition can be considered now. If you're an AMD/ATi fanboy then you aren't really going to miss much by sticking with their products if you wanted to.

I've highlighted some of the important parts of what you said but I think it enforces my original argument in some ways. Unfortunately for AMD, the company with the most "powerful" solution on the market will get many sales of its lower end products as a result. Plus, as far as I am concerned, you average user peering into his magazine/talking to a salesman will think "well Joe told me that Nvidia is best right now": he will think of price/performance (e.g. "what card will play Crysis best...") and he won't really be interested in the things the AMD may be better at (aside from power usage, I'm not even sure myself... HD playback or VIVO? Also 8800GTs now have a better, quieter cooler).

Lastly you have my chipset point. P35+X38 are extremely capable, and Crossfire isn't tempting enough for lots of people to use it and make money for AMD on Intel based motherboards.

[JumpingJack]

AMD Fanboys differ from other types of fanboys

Ain't that the truth...

[flip-mode]

AMD Fanboys differ from other types of fanboys

No, they don't. Fanboys are fanboys. There were people that bought Pentium Extreme Editions, Geforce FX5800 (when they could find them), and Radeon HD2900XT. Fanboys are all the same, despite their different colors.

[dangel]

Idiots are idiots. Those who choose to believe that one company is their friend over another just haven't clocked onto how capatalism works.

[[GSV]Trig]

Not much going off on the news front today?
Or perhaps some free Intel goodies have arrived somewhere with possible suggestings of an anti AMD post from what appears to be someone who knows little about the PC industry atm?