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"Stri" <email.given@thepoint.youasknice> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d87feae733427f798ade3@news-text.blueyonder.co.uk...
> LymanAlpha proclaimed...
>
>> The X2 are 64 bit too, X2s are dual core.
>> They're "just better". and you "might as well, while you're at it"
>>
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_9485_13041,00.html
>>
>> In conversation with McGrandpa, who just got a X2 4800, they don't seem
>> to dazzle that much in games.
>
> Would that be a good reason not to buy one?
>
> --
> www.stri.tk
Inglo isn't impressed at all with the performance results I've posted about
Doom3, HL2 and 3DMark05. Perhaps I don't have optimal settings, CPU
driver, or motherboard chipset. I've installed what AMD says to from their
site, and do see some improvment. The mobo I have is a GA-K8NS Ultra 939
with F8 BIOS. It has the nForce3 Ultra chipset. I'm using just the IDE
ports, none of the SATA (for now).
I do see a *marked* improvment in 'desktop speed', as in how fast programs
open, do their work, etc. Paint Shop Pro 9 as example, when I do neg
scanning and/or image work, photo editing I usually have 3 instances of PSP9
running at the same time, with browser and images open in each. I'd
thought the P4 3.0E (prescott) with 2 gigs pc3200 was fast. Some of the
filters I apply to images after scanning could take a while to complete.
Sometimes as long as a minute if it's a big file...same file, same filter,
same video card, 2 gigs of ram and same XP Pro, the X2 rig completes that
filter on an 85 meg image in 6 to 7 seconds. Not nearly a minute. That
does impress me.
The X2 can also run Windows 64 bit, and will run Far Cry 64 and Riddick EFBB
64 bit. There is added content for both games, and the difference can not
be seen with that P4 and it is amazing. I wanna run Far Cry like that all
the time! But I'm not going for the Windows 64 cause it is NOT worth my
giving up one of my XP Pro licenses for. Not yet it isn't.
I'd still have to have XP Pro 32 bit installed just to be able to use my
peripherals, like printer, scanner and pen tablet. If I could get the
required 64 bit drivers for XP 64 then I'd have already done that swap out!
The A64 X2 4800+. Toledo core. Toms Hardware says that this chip is dual
FX53 cores, but 90nm process. It runs cooler than a single core 110nm FX53
and uses less current.
In x64, the X2 4800+ will run Far Cry 30% faster than Intels best dual core,
the 840EE. Check out the article on their AMD/Intel stress test:
http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050714/index.html
Those results were the *final* factor in my deciding to get the X2 4800+
over an A64 3800+ or higher single core. I'd already wanted one real bad
One thing I particularly like about these new chips is that they run very
cool. The Toms article has a little more on overall efficiency of the CPU.
HIH!
McG.