Intel Vs AMD - 64 bit chips

thejollyrodger

I dont want this thread to degenerate into a slagging match over which is best but what exactly is the low down over future 64 bit software.

Microsoft is going to ship a 64 bit version of Windows towards the end of the year and AMD seem only to have a proper 64 bit chip. Intel has hyperthreading but isnt this just a software technique for mulit tasking ?

HAs intel plans to launch a 64 bit chip ?

BabyEater

They do and they are being launched now.

Mec-a-nic

Intel ARE launching a 64bit PC chip soon (Itanium don't count...).

Only cynics would say that Microsoft held off their WinXP 64-bit 'till Intel were ready with these new chips...

Shane™

computer shopper wrote:

Intel has slipped out what is probably the biggest change in its mainstream product line in years. The new Pentium 4 600 series features a larger cache as well as adding in some power management facilities borrowed from its Centrino line of mobile processors. Most importantly, it is the first Pentium to support 64-bit processing.

for anyone who cares

Chad ghostal

Yeah as far as i know, they happen to be launching the 64bit chips when microsoft launch their 64bit OS...

And afaik their 64bit chips, are the chips they have out now, but with 64bit enabled...

thejollyrodger

I have a P4 (3.02Ghz) hyperthreading. So this is unlikely to be able to run the new 64 bit Windowss then ?

uberpixie

thejollyrodger wrote:

I have a P4 (3.02Ghz) hyperthreading. So this is unlikely to be able to run the new 64 bit Windowss then ?

In short no. But why worry? By the time 64bit really matters and has great support you will be ready to build a new pc that supports it......

secret_squirrel

Dont call me an AMD fanboy for this but tbh its another Dog of a CPU from intel - just like prescott. According to the benchmarks on anandtech its barely any better than the 5xx series it replaces.

When are intel gonna get back on track?

astrofool

windows x64 should be out VERY soon

thejollyrodger

I regret buying this Intel P4. I only got it a few months ago and I have that obselete feeling already.

BloodBath

Dont call me an AMD fanboy for this but tbh its another Dog of a CPU from intel - just like prescott. According to the benchmarks on anandtech its barely any better than the 5xx series it replaces.

That's a bit of a stupid thing to say. Both Intel and amd processors have their strong points and neither lag behind the other majorly. The old adage that amd is better for games and intels for encoding and multi-tasking is again true.


Bloddbath

uberpixie

thejollyrodger wrote:

I regret buying this Intel P4. I only got it a few months ago and I have that obselete feeling already.

Thats the feeling you get with any part you buy :-)

Praetorian

I've been running Windowx 64 bit rc2 for a while now. Very stable, and very quick. Only a matter of time before 64 bit versions of games and software are available.

SpooN_9k

think il be sticking with winXP tho...benifits of win64 wont be seen for a fair while yet

Matt Simis

SpooN_9k wrote:

think il be sticking with winXP tho...benifits of win64 wont be seen for a fair while yet

Yes, but the fact is it doesnt actually cost you anything to run it for a year as its on public test. If your HW has drivers.. why not switch?

Also, Overclockers.co.uk have been selling Intel 64bit chips for seemingly ages now, at least 3 weeks:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Intel_Pentium_4_LGA775.html

The "64bitness" of Intel vs AMD isnt really the question, its the other differences, like HT Technology (Intel) and onboard memory controllers (AMD). Ive used both and as Bloodbath said, there isnt a substantial difference, but Im slightly more inclined to use AMD as the technology is more impressive and speed in "general" seemed to favour AMD at any given time.



Matt

SpooN_9k

Matt Simis wrote:

Yes, but the fact is it doesnt actually cost you anything to run it for a year as its on public test. If your HW has drivers.. why not switch?

might just do that....where could i find it?

and where would you get the drivers from?

thejollyrodger

February 21, 2005
Intel Ships 64-Bit Pentium 4 Chips
Paul Thurrott
InstantDoc #45474
Paul Thurrott's WinInfo
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=45474&DisplayTab=Article

On Monday, microprocessor giant Intel finally introduced its line of x64-compatible Pentium 4 chips, ushering in an era of mainstream 64-bit computing. The Pentium 4 6xx series chips run at clock speeds of 3.2 GHz to 3.6 GHz, utilize a large 2 MB L2 cache, and offering compatibility with the x64 platform first pioneered by AMD. All that's missing now is an x64-based operating system, and Microsoft is set to release Windows XP Professional x64 Edition within the next several weeks.

"Intel continues to offer new platform features based on what people are actually doing with their PCs, such as using rich media, communicating with friends or family, and being productive in the office," says Rob Crooke, the general manager of Desktop Marketing and Strategic Planning at Intel. "As software for the digital home and office matures and becomes more demanding, desktops [compatible with x64] are well-timed to take advantage of emerging new usage models."

In addition to the new Pentium 4 models, Intel also began shipping a new x64-compatible Pentium 4 Extreme Edition (EE) processor that runs at 3.73 GHz. The company plans to convert its entire x86 line of desktop microprocessors, including those based on the Celeron processor, to x64-compatible technology by the end of 2005. And in the second quarter of 2005, Intel will begin shipping dual-core Pentium 4 chips that provide the processing muscle of two microprocessors. Rival AMD says that it, too, will ship dual core chips in 2005.

Looks like Intel is going to ship a 64 bit chip soon. I have the feeling 64 bit OS/Software will be all the rage in 2006. I should have got an AMD

dearg_doom

Furthermore, now that the Extreme Edition family is nothing more than a supercharged Pentium 4 600-series chip, it’s entirely feasible that an inexpensive 3GHz 630 could be tweaked to match or exceed the $1,000 3.73GHz processor.

and

Considering the architecture’s multitasking and content creation alacrity, we’re more impressed with this processor introduction than any other since the Athlon 64 first emerged.

link

seems quite impressive, possibly the 630 could be OC'd to build a good cheaper rig

Spear

You can get WinXP 64-bit RC2 from here, the latest build being 1433.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/evaluation/upgrade.mspx

Just fill out the forms and they'll send you a legit key and download link.

Drivers come from the same place as the 32bit drivers.

Go here for Creative stuff

http://preview.creativelabs.com/default.aspx


And www.planetamd64.com has their own driver database.

lomb

what happens to ones system after this free beta. do u have to buy a license or can u keep using it?
do u need an xp 32 bit license in the first place?

WizZard

It'll time out after a year - so you can't use it. At least that's what usually happens. plus service packs and patches will not apply to it after the RC stage is up

Prior Of Taize

AFAIK intel 64-bit chips use the athlon 64's chip architecture....intel had the chips out and recalled them to use the amd style instead...

so technically its still and amd your buying regardless

astrofool

Prior Of Taize wrote:

AFAIK intel 64-bit chips use the athlon 64's chip architecture....intel had the chips out and recalled them to use the amd style instead...

so technically its still and amd your buying regardless

I think you're getting mega confused by itanium, or something. Intel has 64bit support now, its called em64T (for when you're buying the processor, look for that nomenclature). Its basically the exact same as amd64, but Intel don't want to take the hit of calling a feature AMD I guess AMD will get the likes of sse3 alot quicker and any future updates to it. On the x64 install, windows is in the amd64 folder rather than i386, which is funny to see. I don't think intel will get that changed either

64bit driver support is fairly good. I've had no issue with ati/nvidia/via drivers at all so far, though overall the ATI drivers are quite poo, even with monthly updates. Promise RAID sata 64bit drivers are not out yet, for anyone with a board with one. They are very fast to use, and boot, much smoother than hyperthreading would make a pc. Had 0 blue screens so far.

Windows x64 is built on the windows 2003 os, you will be able to swap a standard 32bit XP installation to 64bit at no extra cost.

uberpixie

thejollyrodger wrote:

Looks like Intel is going to ship a 64 bit chip soon. I have the feeling 64 bit OS/Software will be all the rage in 2006. I should have got an AMD

Again by the time any of this matters you will be on a new box. I bought an amd 64 for it's 32bit performance in games. The 64bit is just a bonus.

By the time any of this matters you and I will be on new machines. Any games made over the next while will harness 32bit tech.

This will be due to the fact most gamers have 32bit machines, an amd64 is much rarer in comparison and the intel 64bit chips are only going to start appearing now.

The vast majority of the market for the next 2-3 years run on 32bit tech NOT 64bit.

The most owners of 64bit cpus can hope for are either special 64bit versions of the new games or patches or optimunisations released by developers after release.

So chill. You got a dacent p4 to keep you in games or what ever for the next while. So stop worrying, there really is nothing to worry about until your next build :-)

secret_squirrel

astrofool wrote:

AMD will get the likes of sse3 alot quicker

The new opteron's just release have SSE3 included.

Azza

I have read the SSE3 instructions on the AMD does not improve things alot. What I'm waiting for is this vaunted new AMD 64 core revision that is suppose to 24% faster at the same clock speed!

Mutant_Fruit

some compilers only enable SSE3 optimisations when used on intel processors (or was that sse2?). So the compiler used plays an important role. Its possible the optimisations aren't being applied for the AMD chips. then again, maybe not.

astrofool

that was sse2. sse3 isn't having any diff at all really (bar encoding), because alot of apps haven't been coded for it yet. In the past, it was usually alot longer before sse3 hit AMD chips, and as a result, more apps were actually using it when it eventually came to AMD and Intel had a small advantage for a few months. This time Intel haven't had that time advantage, and i'd speculate that Intel being able to use the amd64 spec virtually as is, is the reason why.

The other thing is that it will probably take another new core from intel to take advantage of the 64bit tech proper, as Prescott seems to have had it tacked on (also a reason for the high thermal output of prescott compared to northwood, more leakage from bigger registers).