Why AMD is a better choice than Intel: A Cost & Performance Comparison


** Prices shown in this article are from August 2001. Therefore this article is of limited use in today's computer market.  **

NOTICE: This document draws on independent research & testing done by groups such as Tom's Hardware Guide and AnandTech.com. This document sets forth quantitative evidence in favor of AMD in regards of price and performance. No qualitative judgements are made. We are not promoting a personal preference, and are not implying that A is better than B.

Preface

At Notorious Networks we want you to get the most for your money. We won't just try to sell you whatever has more profit (which incidentally is the Pentium 3 processor).

Yes, we want your money, but we want to get it honestly and with your satisfaction.

This is why we want to show you why an AMD is a better choice for your computer's processor. There is nobody else in Toronto (that we know of) who will tell the truth if it means taking a smaller profit.

Abstract

The following article outlines the ways in which AMD is a better choice for a computer's processor.
The reasons are:

1. cost less
2. perform as well or better than Pentium 3 or Pentium 4
3. upgradeable for longer than Pentium 3 based PCs
4. have won many awards
5. being used in government, business, and research
6. affordable yet powerful
7. more performance and more "bang for the buck" when compared statistically against other processors.

The AMD processor series is a high-performing, quality alternative to Intel's lineup of CPUs. However, due to Intel's marketing expertise, many people remain wary or scared of choosing a computer with an AMD processor. In this article I will outline the reasons why people should seriously consider choosing a computer with an AMD processor versus one with an 'Intel inside'.

1. AMD processors cost less.

Examine this chart, which compares AMD and Intel processor prices, from our pricelist.
You will see that AMD's 'economy' model, Duron, is cheaper than Intel's Celeron.
AMD's 'performance' model, Athlon (also called Thunderbird), is cheaper than Intel's Pentium III.
The Pentium III 1.0 GHz costs double the price of the AMD Athlon 1.0 GHz (prices in August 2001).

2. AMD processors perform as well as or better than Pentium 3 or Pentium 4 computers.

Business Performance

Take a look at this performance chart, (taken from testing done by Tom's Hardware Guide.)
The chart measures the performance of the computer in demanding situations, for example a network server.
Higher score = faster performance.

In the above chart you can see the following:

• An Athlon 1.2 GHz has identical performance as a Pentium 4 1.6 GHz.
• An Athlon 1.2 GHz using the new DDR-SDRAM beats a Pentium 4 1.73 GHz.

Based on this chart we can extrapolate the performance of an Athlon 1.5 GHz (DDRAM) and a Pentium4 2.0 GHz:

Processor	Score
Athlon      1.5 GHz	276.4
Pentium4  2.0 GHz	275.0

As you can see, the Athlon at 1.5 GHz has performance slightly higher than a Pentium 4 at 2.0 GHz.
Note that AMD has already shown it's Athlon processor at 1.5 GHz at the last Comdex show, and it will most likely be released to the public during 2001.

The DDR-SDRAM (DDRAM) technology used in the latest Athlon motherboards provide an additional 5-10% performance boost over an Athlon running with standard SDRAM. This is why the two 1.2 GHz Athlons shown in the chart have different scores.

Gaming Performance

The following chat, also from Tom's Hardware Guide, shows the type of power that the Athlon has for gaming. You will notice the following:

• The Athlon 1.2 GHz, on a newer motherboard with DDR-SDRAM easily defeats the much more expensive Pentium4 1.5 GHz.
• The Athlon 1.2 GHZ, on today's typical motherboard with standard SDRAM, has performance slightly higher than a Pentium 4 1.4 GHz.
• The performance of the Pentium 3 depends on the motherboard that it runs on. In this chart the Pentium 3 scores 141, 147, and 150. The average of these three scores is 146, which is the same score as the Athlon 1 GHz on a standard motherboard. Meanwhile an Athlon 1 GHz on a newer motherboard with DDR-SDRAM handily outperforms all Pentium III scores.

Higher Score = faster performance

Note that this chart refers to Direct3D performance (games like MDK, Unreal Tournament, Need For Speed Porsche). The Pentium 4 does offer superior performance over the Athlon in games which use OpenGL (Quake 3 being one of the few). So for the majority of games, the Athlon is a better choice, while for OpenGL base games the Pentium 4 has slightly better performance.

If you buy a new computer (or upgrade the motherboard and CPU) today, how long will that computer last?

The situation with Intel:

• Intel has cancelled the Pentium III processor. There will be no more faster processors after 1 GHz for users with existing computers. There will be some slightly faster PIII models available, but they will require a new motherboard and will be priced significantly higher than the Pentium 4.
• Intel has decided to change its socket interface again, which means that current Pentium 4 owners will not  be able to upgrade their PCs without replacing their motherboard.

The situation with AMD:

• Current AMD 'Socket A' style motherboards will be compatible with all new AMD processors for at least one or two generations.
• The new Athlon 4 CPU will be compatible with existing motherboards, unlike the Pentium 4, which requires motherboard and RAM to be replaced.

PC World awarded the Athlon processor it's 'Product of the Year' award in June 2000.
PC Magazine (UK) 'Best overall product of the year, 1999'.

Check here for a full list of awards.

One notable example is the University of Delaware's supercomputer. It was built with 128 AMD Athlon processors running in parallel. This supercomputer is expected to be among the the top 200 fastest in the world. The full story is here.

The Italian Government has ordered PCs with AMD processors for use in their ministries. Full story.

AMD processors are now offered in PCs by HP, Compaq, Gateway, and others.

The Duron is AMD's answer to Intel's Celeron processor. Most people have heard of how Celeron is essentially a "crippled" version of the Pentium 3. While a Celeron is okay for word processing, it is weak at tasks demanding high performance.

Applications where the Celeron would not be recommended are: scientific research or other mathematically intensive tasks, network/internet servers, computers for gaming. In these demanding areas, the Celeron trails all other processors by a large margin. 

The Duron, on the other hand, gets about 87-97% of the performance of the more expensive Athlon. This means that a 800 MHz Duron will be 87-97% as fast as an 800 MHz Athlon.

People looking to economize, while getting the most performance, will find the Duron to be optimal for most situations. The only time a Duron would get less than 87% performance would be in situations where the larger cache of the Athlon is required (and this does not happen very often).

Chart #1: Performance efficiency of CPUs.

This chart tells us how fast each CPU would have to be to achieve 120 frames per second in Quake 3.
This chart is based on data from www.anandtech.com and AMD.
Lower MHz = more efficient performance.

Of course, there is no "Pentium 4 at 831 MHz". What we are showing you is that performance-wise a 700 MHz Athlon = 831 MHz Pentium 4 = 770 MHz Pentium 3. So you should now see that a higher advertised MHz does not mean a faster computer. In fact, you can see that the Pentium 4 is less powerful (proportionally) than the Pentium 3, because the Pentium 4 has to run at a higher MHz to get the same performance.

Chart #2: Performance Comparison at 1.0 GHz

Here is a second chart, which shows you the type of performance to expect in Quake 3 if all the processors are running at 1 GHz. This chart helps to demonstrate that 1 GHz does not always equal 1 GHz.
Higher fps = faster performance.

As you can see, if you paid your hard earned $346 for a Pentium 3 1.0GHz, you'd be getting a PC that performs 10% slower (156.49 fps vs. 172.28 fps in Quake 3) than a $149 Athlon 1.0GHz. And notice that the Duron is 97% as fast as the Pentium 3.
Now, if someone offers you a Pentium 3 800MHz running on a 100 MHz motherboard, you'll know from the above chart that what they're selling you costs more than a Duron 800 MHz. And for that extra cost you're only getting a 3% performance boost over a Duron, plus you're already closer to the end of the road as far as upgrades are concerned. 

Chart #3: Performance Adjusted Cost Analysis

This chart will show you the cost of implementing 10 computers with various processors. This example is useful if you want us to build or upgrade a fleet of computers, and where small savings add up quickly. Again the Athlon 1.0 GHz is given a relative performance of 100%.

Performance-wise you will see that the four AMD Athlon processors come with higher performance and lower cost. When dealing with a group of 10 PCs, we're talking about saving thousands of dollars while not sacrificing power.

The "Cost & Performance %" column shows you the relative cost of the different processors based on their performance. These are imaginary dollars, where if a processor has less than 100% performance it is penalized to cost more, and if a processor has greater than 100% performance it is discounted (because you're getting more bang for your buck). You will notice that when accounting for performance in this way, the Celeron 800 MHz, which seems like a good deal, actually ends up costing more than the Athlon 1.2 GHz.

We can take this analysis further if we wish, and begin to calculate how much work a person can accomplish on a computer with each of these processors. We can even calculate cash spent per employee's PC, or per hour of PC operating time, or the amount of work done by each employee per hour. But Human Resources is not our field....

Remember, at Notorious Networks we want you to get the most for your money. We won't just try to sell you whatever has more profit (which incidentally is the Pentium 3 processor). Yes, we want your money, but we want to get it honestly and with your satisfaction.

The End