Graphics cards =/

For the most part that's true -- of the Athlon64s especially. The P4s eventually pretty much caught up with the Athlon XPs. There are exceptions, though. There are a handful of games that actually run better on P4 due to compiler/programming optimizations.

The Athlon64 has a more powerful FPU (floating point unit) than the P4, which helps a lot with most 3D games. However, the biggest advantage the Athlon64 has is probably its low-latency on-chip memory controller. Since games involve a lot of very complex calculations on relatively small amounts of data the low memory latency is a big advantage.

The P4 has a higher memory latency (which is bad), but it also has more memory bandwidth (which is good). That on top of its L2 cache architecture makes it very good for dealing with large amounts of data, which is why you will see single-core Athlon64s beaten by P4 in tasks like media encoding.

In most applications, however, the lower memory latency results in better overall performace. The difference is very pronounced in 3D gaming applications, though.

Hmm... Im leaning twords the P4 by how you desribed them both. Sense my main use of the computer is Gaming then school or w/e it sounds like the P4 would work beter for me. But I dont see any P4's on newegg or even... eBay... just 64's. Are the P4's expensive or averaged in price? Wich one you prefer between these two?

Lateralus,

Most people here will tell you to get a AMD chip. They are better designed at this time for gaming. Personally for me either chip is fast enough for the job. If Dell had AMD then I would get those. The reason I buy a Dell is if you pay attention and watch their website you can get a super deal on a system. They are all Intel P4 chipsets though. I have the 650 chipset. It is a 3.4Ghz with a 2Mb L2 cache...that is the reason I got that one.

Also Dell's monitors are some of the best out there and they low-ball the prices. The UltraSharp line of monitors are just beautiful. I have the 2001FP 20.1" one. I got it for the same price that you pay for a good 19" monitor. Dell's 2405FPW 24" is now at a great price with a system. They also just came out with a 30" monitor too...not a TV...a monitor.

As for CPU's...get what you feel is right for you. You can build a AMD system for allot less then buying one.

Ok, so you do a lot of media encoding then? By media encoding I mean encoding/converting digital video for the most part. If you do a lot of video converting/mastering/editing then the P4 is a better choice. If you don't, then the Athlon64 is a better choice. As Old Dood said, there's not a huge difference between the two in most areas. P4s do significantly better with media encoding and Athlon64s do significantly better with most games, but outside of that they're pretty close. I would choose the Athlon64 because they're slightly faster in most applications and they run much cooler than Intel's Pentium 4 (which I've been referring to as P4).

Personally, my opinion is that if you're going to build a system the Athlon64 is the way to go. If you're going to buy a system the integrity/service/quality of the company you're buying from is more important than which CPU they are going to use in the system.

Lateralus...Dex is way more knowledgable then I am with computers specs and the like. Listen to him.

Just to let you know my good friend (The same one that owns the 2405FPW 24" monitor) bought a new Dell 9100 with a 3Ghz dual core chipset. He uses his computer for everything...games..and work. Work wise he has to load upto 5 different OS at the same time and switch between them. He is a Security specialist and fixes large companie's systems. He has to track down all sorts of problems within all of these different OS's that these companies use. So the Dual Core works fantastic for those operations. I sit there in his rec room amazed at how fast he can fly through these different OS's and get work done. (And then Alt-Tab between games like CIV4 ) The computers at his cubical are a joke so his superiors at his job leave him alone and know that he is knocking out allot of billing hours by using his own system at home. His so called work computer (A laptop) is demoted to a email machine while he is on the road....and of course he has to use it for diagnosing too...which is painfull for him when he knows that his home Dell system would blow out the work faster.

So if you are crunching numbers more then games...look at the Intel dual cores...if not...look at the AMD's.

I know the dells are nice but there high end models are pricey for their worth. I know that there monitors and VERY nice and cheap. But by using newegg and people I know who can get me some parts for cheap is a lot better than spending around $3000 on a Dell XPS when I could go and buy the pieces separately. Also, I do not have a job right now so the money is an issue. I’m just trying to learn about this so I don’t make any mistakes on this now or in the future and I’m trying to get the best for my $.

BIG THX to everybody who helped me on this.

That is cool...I was just sharing what I have seen. I never tell anyone to get a XPS 600. The XPS 400 (Dimension 9100 or 9150) is far cheaper and pretty near the same darn box.. All I was saying if you watch their website you will find a fantastic deal that is hard to beat. That is how I bought my last three Dells. My last one was a Dim 5100 and I got it for just under $1000.00 and then added Crucial Ram and a Retail Video Card later. Allot of people dump on Dells...they have their problems like everyone else....but I like the new case designs and how they are put together. The BTX power supplies seem to run them allot cooler then my Dim 4600 with its older style case and a ATX power supply. There are also other companies that make screaming boxes too. Mach 5, Voodoo, AlienWare, etc. Also if you have the will to build one...go for it. That is a good feeling....I am lazy anymore and I want something out of the box that works now.

EDIT: Just to let you know my friend's Dim 9100 he got that with the 24" monitor for around $1500.00. It came with the X300 vid card and 1Gb of ram. He upgraded the vid card and bought two more gigabites of ram to bring it up to 3Gbs. The monitor at the time was retailing for around $1100.00. So his was a super deal. I haven't quite seen that deal since.

But Like I said before go with what you feel is right for you.