Quote:
|
Originally Posted by CheopisIV
Sorry Virt, but when I see the AMD moniker I just blanche. I stayed away from them because of their poor choice for marketing. When I see a proc at 2.2GHz being called a 3200+ in relation to its comparative performance to a P4, I read it as saying "almost P4 3200". They admit that the old naming scheme was based on this, comparing their processor to the Pentium....what I mean by this is, would you buy "Almost Pepsi" if you were looking for a drink? Or drive an "almost Ferrari?" I wouldn't. Of course this is just my opinion, not right not wrong, just right for me. I've never bought a PC, always built, and I agree that it costs about 1/3 the price to build rather than buy, and you get what you want.
|
It is really more of a technical reason than a marketing reason, and if they didn't use "3200+" and the like then they'd lose even more business to the uninformed masses. The reason why an AMD at 2.2GHz is labeled a 3200+ is because it is equivelent to a P4 3.4GHz. How is that possible, you ask? GHz is not a realible measure of how much work a processor can do. GHz is frequency, how often a chip goes through a "cycle".
Now, I am going to use some loose numbers and terms here, just to make things a little clearer. Let's say your P4 (Intel) is 5MHz, or goes through 5 cycles in a second, and thay my Athlon XP (AMD) is 2MHz, or goes through 2 cycles in a second. Now, any common person would tell you that the Intel is "faster" than the AMD. Here's why they're wrong. If your Intel can add 2+2 one (1) time per MHz (cycle), than it can do 5 2+2's (calculations) per second. But if my AMD can add 2+2 three (3) times per MHz (cycle), then it can do 6 2+2's (calculations) per second. Therefore, my AMD is "faster" than your Intel by 1 2+2 (calculation) per second with less than half the MHz. So, using AMDs naming scheme my made up AMD processor would be called a "0006+"
Please understand that I am not trying to belittle anyone with this post, I am just trying to explain it so everyone can understand it. If you have any questions about my post, please feel free to ask as I enjoy helping users make more informed decisions about their computers.
Did this clear anything up for anyone or am I a really crappy explainer?
-Virt
A want. Probably a Never going to get. LOL 
