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General discussion

Which is better; a P4 or an Athlon processor?

May 24, 2005 8:25PM PDT

In configuring a new desktop PC for purchase; one model by Velocity Micro offers several types of Pentium 4 processors to choose from while another model offers Athlon processors to choose from.

Is one type of processor considered to be better than the other? My computer needs are for word processing; email; internet use and personal finance; no gaming or digital photography as of yet.

For example Velocity Micro offers the following P4 processor on their SX-V Value Edition:
Intel Pentium 4 530 w/HT, 3.0 GHz, 1MB Cache, LGA775 Socket.
For an extra $75.00 I can have the following:
Intel Pentium 4 630 w/HT, 3.0 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, EM64T, XD, LGA775 Socket. Is this worth the extra $75.00 just for basic home office computer needs?

My configuration for a Velocity Micro SX-V Value Edition is as follows:

SX-silver case-mid tower-silver w/2 front USB 2.0, removable front door.

350 watt power supply with single fan*

*Extra cost option is a 500 watt power supply w/dual fans. Should I consider the 500 watt PS w/dual fans or stay with the 350 watt PS with a single fan?

Intel 915G based chipset w/dual channel DDR PCI express motherboard; this is the only one offered.

Intel P4 530 with HT, 3.0 GHz, 1MB cache, LGA775 socket.

Intel certified oversized heatsink fan w/arctic silver 5 thermal compound, thermal controlled variable speed

512MB PC3200 DDR400 memory

Integrated Intel GMA900 graphics with dynamic video memory

Video cooling - NONE SELECTED
Monitor - NONE SELECTED
On-board integrated 5.1 channel sound
Speakers-NONE SELECTED
120GB Western Digital WD1200JD 7200rpm SATA/150 8MB cache
16x Lite On DVD+/-RW/CD-RW dual layer, black bezel
16x/48x Lite On DVD-ROM, blackbezel
6-in-1 media reader and floppy drive, black bezel
Integrated 10/100MBps ethernet network adapter
US Robotics 56K V.90 software fax winmodem
2 integrated IEEE 1394 firewire ports, 1 front & 1 rear
6 USB 2.0 ports, 2 front & 4 rear
Microsoft Windows XP Home w/SP2 w/original CD
Microsoft Office 2003 basic edition w/SP1
Custom DVD restore disk
3 year Velocity Care parts & labor limited warranty

End of configuration

Big Steve
End Of Message
05/25/05

Discussion is locked

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Which is better; a P4 or an Athlon processor?
May 25, 2005 2:36AM PDT

This could be debated for a long time.
"My computer needs are for word processing; email; internet use and personal finance; no gaming or digital photography as of yet."
With the needs you have stated a $500 EMachine would do the job.
None of the examples you listed are for an Athlon processor.
So if you think you might get into gaming then go with the AMD. Since you didn't give your budget or the total cost of the systems it's hard to say. John

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Re: Which is better; a P4 or an Athlon processor?
May 25, 2005 5:09AM PDT

Sorry about leaving out my budget for purchasing a new desktop PC but I am willing to spend up to $1,200.00 on a new desktop PC but I also have no intentions of purchasing a new desktop PC from manufacturers such as Dell; Gateway; or HP because of issues I have with each company's tech support which are primarily based in India or the Phillipines(sp?).

I was for a time seriously considering purchasing an EMachine T6212 but in the last month or so I have read many unfavorable posts in this forum by owners of EMachine's T6212.

Many posts in this forum by owners of the EMachine T6212 indicating problems with things such as the HD; the DVD drive; the sound card and such and since I prefer not to go down that road I have shifted my attention to another desktop PC; one offered by a company by the name of Velocity Micro; their SX-V Value Edition. I have read many good posts about it in this forum.

Velocity Micro also offers another machine which I believe is or was called the Vector PC-X which could be configured with a choice of Athlon processors as well as started out with a smaller HD choice; an 80GB vs a 120GB HD which is currently the smallest HD offered in the SX-V Value Edition.

If an 80GB HD was offered on the SX-V Value Edition; based upon my present computing needs I probably could get by with an 80GB HD verses a 120GB HD since my current old dinasaur(SP?) desktop PC has only a 4GB HD.

The system which I configured several weeks ago on Velocity Micro's website and listed in my previous post in this forum came it at just under $1,200.00.
Thanks for your post.


Big Steve
End Of Reply
05/25/05

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T6212 problems?
May 25, 2005 7:20AM PDT

All the problems I've read about were minor things that didn't affect every T6212 owner out there.

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eMachines has been good to me
May 25, 2005 12:26PM PDT

I have had zero problems with eMachines' technical service. I had one hard drive and a 17" monitor replaced, under warranty, prepaid shipping both ways. They shipped FEDEX, no hassles, and I highly recommend them.

In contrast, DELL is H#LL. Real pain-in-the-pocket.
I do not recommend them, not only for their warranty policies, but their internal hardware is unique, to say the least. The Dell Dimension 3000 has proprietary metal cages for the hard drive, etc.. What they omit is the proprietary cage to install a floppy disk drive, or a second hard drive, etc., etc. If you fail to order "upgrades" at purchase time, you're stuck.

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RE: better
May 26, 2005 7:01AM PDT

Why not save a @#$% load of $ and build the machine you want, instead of settling for a machine that will fit most of your criteria.
You could even start with a bare bones unit and design it for upgradability and expandability based upon your percieved or planned future needs and desires.
It makes no sense to pay labor $$ to have some company build a machine you really don't want

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Build your own
May 26, 2005 7:09AM PDT

Yes this would be the BEST way to go. If your interesed in doing this repost and you will get lots of help. John

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Your in info overload
Jun 3, 2005 9:38AM PDT

and I guess Im adding to it so here is a link to give you more to think about...

http://web.archive.org/web/20041119093232/www.blackviper.com/TheRant/amd.htm

Food for thought: All the machines you are looking at have pros & cons. They all tend to be somewhat proprietary in that if hardware goes bad they are more difficult and exspensive to fix and not upgrade friendy. Here is one more link please bear with me...

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=M&Category_Code=CU

I live in Atlanta and this store is near me. It is first class. I get almost all my parts for my builds here. They will build and match all components and test
each system before its shipped out. You can at least build your machine at their website and price it out with what you want before you buy. Check it out...

TOM

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P4 vs. Athlons
May 27, 2005 5:05AM PDT

Pentium processors work a little different than AMD's Athlon. Both are good, Pentium is a bit more expensive usually and Athlons are supposedly better for heavy gaming and certain digital media editing tasks.
For your needs I think going with the basic configurations should absolutely suffice. If you get a better deal for a Pentium system than a Athlon system, go for the Pentium. If you were to be able to chose between a Pentium system and a AMD Athlon system for the same price, go for the AMD Athlon.

By the way, the extra $75 bucks would get you slightly faster processing because the cache is increased from 1MB to 2MB - which comes in handy if you run several larger applications at the same time.

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Your desired Computer
May 28, 2005 12:38AM PDT

From tha simple needs that you just described, my old Dell P III 700Mhz would probably do you quite well.

From what you said, with the budget you have you can easily get a machime that will more than suffice for you immediate desires. The real question is, what will you want to do in the near future?

If, in the future, you would maybe go into heavy video applications, or gaming, you would need a high performance computer. It seems that gaming, and its related type of applications, Video and CAD are what drives the building of ever faster systems.

From what yu have described, about all that you would need would be a 2.2 Gz+ CPu, 40+g hd, 32 meg video card, 256+ ram. All of which could probably be gotten for about $400 to $600, including shipping.

Of course if you believe that you will later want to go into gaming or video, you will need to buy accordingly. Large numbers of pictures eat up hard disc space rapidly. Gaming requires fast CPU, Fast Video CArd, and much fast Ram, with a Fast HD (preferably witha large cache)

Hope this helps a little.

As far as the Tech support from Dell, I find that where in the world it comes from seems to depend on the time of the day. During the day it seems to come from the US. Late at night from Asia.

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Re: Which is better, a P4 or an Athlon processor?
May 28, 2005 4:34AM PDT

First of all; thank you for your comments. At sometime in the future I might consider getting into digital photography; for example taking photos of Christmas yard light displays including my own and emailing photos to friends and relatives.

As for videos; I don't expect to get into that; gaming either. What's your opinion on desktop PC's by Velocity Micro? I've spoken to a sales rep one time and based upon my needs he suggested two different configurations; one of which I posted in this forum earlier.

The two models he suggested that I consider were the Velocity Micro SX-V Value Edition or the Velocity Micro Vector PCX desktop PC. Are you familiar with either model and if so; is one model considered to be better than the other one?

In configuring both models as an option a 350 watt power supply with a single fan was one choice or for an extra $30.00 to $39.00 depending on which model desktop PC I selected I could choose a 500 watt power supply with dual fans; or there was another option; for more money another power supply having some type of quiet fans.

Based upon my basic computing needs would the 350 watt power supply with the single fan be fine for me or should I consider the 500 watt power supply with the dual fans as an option choice?

Previously I was considering purchasing an EMachine T6212 but as of late I've read many negative comments from others in this forum about the T6212 so I've decided to shift my attention to purchasing a desktop PC from Velocity Micro. Again are you familiar with desktop PC's from Velocity Micro and are they any good?

Someone else replied to one of my previous posts and suggested that I build a computer myself; unfortunately I lack the knowledge to build my own computer but at one time I did consider having a guy here locally who also owned a computer repair shop custom build a desktop PC for me but last month he closed his shop and moved out of town and I'm certainly glad that I didn't go that route.


Big Steve
End Of Reply
05/28/05

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Apperars that
May 31, 2005 12:02AM PDT

by your posts you are "stuck" on Velocity Micro. For what you want to do any of the previous suggestions will do. If you are satisfied you have done the research and are "OK" with the company get the computer and be done with it.
ps: get a high powered brand reputable PSU

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Re: Which is better; Athlon or Pentium processors?
May 31, 2005 8:17PM PDT

To answer your question I am not "stuck" on Velocity Micro; as a matter of fact at one time I was "stuck" on Dell then I began reading numerous negative posts in this forum as well as other forums; including Dell's own community forum by owners of Dell machines; most of those negative comments concerned that company's overseas tech support.

I then considered purchasing a PC from HP; unfortunately the same story. I didn't even consider Gateway since several of my relatives own Gateway machines and all have told me to stay away from Gateway; the primary reason was their company's sorry tech support.

Soon after I began reading posts on this website's forum I was noticing many posts about a new desktop PC by EMachine; a T6212 and I considered buying one and since nobody in my area sold one I drove to a Best Buy 60 miles from my home to take a look at one and began to monitor posts in this forum about that machine but it wasn't too long before numerous posts began showing up in this forum; posts by T6212 owners listing a host of problems which they were experiencing with their machines so I decided to shift my attention elsewhere.

I then noticed posts about another PC brand; Velocity Micro; a brand I was not familiar with until reading about it in this forum and many posts by others in this forum seemed to say good things about Velocity Micro; particularly their Vector SX-V Value Edition.

Having read all of that the next thing I wanted to know was if any owners of recently purchased computers from Velocity Micro had experienced any issues with VM's tech support and how were those issues resolved; to the owner's satisfaction or not and since VM PC's are a bit higher priced than many other desktop PC's I saw no harm in asking.

I submitted a question in this forum addressing such yet not one person has responded. I find that strange considering the fact that I read many posts by others saying VM's PC's were good but not one owner of a Velocity Micro has chimed in on my post concerning my question of that company's quality or level of tech support.

I am not "stuck" on Velocity Micro or any other brand of desktop PC in particular but if I were to submit numerous posts in this forum about an HP1070N then I guess that you would also assume that I was "stuck" on HP.


Big Steve
End Of Reply
06/01/05

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Which is better;
Jun 1, 2005 2:22AM PDT

Most every PC maker has had good times and bad times.
Most of the bad times is their own doing, like Dell giving lousy support.
Which is why many of us build our own PCs. John

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There's No End To It
Jun 3, 2005 4:04AM PDT

Frankly speaking, not all models from one single brand name/OEM are hits or make it to the charts. Just as some songs just prove to be hits and not all. Keeping this in mind, I'll give you a few things to consider:

1. First of all, technology which has come a long way till now shouldn't be having severe tech related issues or reliability problems. A machine may not be able to deliver 100% on the performance benchmarks but that does not mean it should present the user various bottlenecks or hiccups.

2. If a vendor is CONSTANTLY coming up with poor tech support issues for all or majority of its products then stay away from it.

3. Keeping it short, I think that the amount of effort you have already put in uptil now is enough to make you totally confused. Had you spent this much time researching on individual components for their popularity/performance/reliability, and built a system yourself, right from a scratch, you would have been a very happy and content.

4. If its not too late, consider reading CNET's DIY desktop challenge and similar articles.....and free yourself from all worries and vendors.