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26 Desktop Processors Compared

Posted by kdawson on from the two-bakers-dozens dept.

theraindog writes "The number of different CPU models available from AMD and Intel is daunting to say the least. The Tech Report's latest CPU review makes some sense of the landscape, exploring the performance and power consumption characteristics of more than two dozen desktop processors between the $999 Core i7-975 and more affordable sub-$100 chips. The article also highlights the value proposition offered by each CPU on its own and as a part of the total cost of a system. The resulting scatter plots nicely illustrate which CPUs deliver the best performance per dollar."

7 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Seems pretty clear: by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Informative

    AMD has pretty embarrassing performance on the high end, which makes your choice there downright trivial; but is an excellent value in those niches where they have an entry.

    1. Re:Seems pretty clear: by caerwyn · · Score: 4, Informative

      No, but the $300 i7 920 surely is...

      --
      The ringing of the division bell has begun... -PF
    2. Re:Seems pretty clear: by mister_playboy · · Score: 3, Informative

      The Corvette ZR1 has more horsepower and is less expensive than any current Ferrari.

      I love Ferrari... but the Corvette needs no apologies at all!

      --
      Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law ::: Love is the law, love under will
    3. Re:Seems pretty clear: by DAldredge · · Score: 3, Informative

      The consumer i7 chips do not support ECC RAM while the AMD ones do. That could be important to some.

  2. Article doesn't really talk about features by vux984 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Its too bad the article doesn't talk about things like Execute Disable, Virtualization support, etc. For a power user audience like /. these are important considerations.

    For me not being able to install Xen, or Windows 7 XP mode, etc are complete deal killers. I want CPUs with those features, especially when shopping "value CPUs".

    Getting something like an E8190 is a mistake that will bite a /. power user in the ass eventually even if it is a few bucks cheaper than an E8200 and delivers the same performance, at the same wattage, etc...

  3. Re:Ancient CPUs (upgrade comparison) by dr_wheel · · Score: 4, Informative

    Tom's cpu chart is a great tool, but they don't generally compare older chips to newer ones. They also change the testing credentials from time to time, so there's no real way to directly compare old vs. new.

    Anandtech has a new cpu benchmark site that compares everything from a single-core atom up to the top-of-the-line core i7. They've also recently added two pentium 4 chips to the mix so you really can directly compare them to the newer stuff. Check it out:

    http://www.anandtech.com/bench/

  4. Intel Atom 330 by Eil · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've been something of an AMD fanboy ever since the Athlon came out, but I just bought an Intel Atom 330 for a lightweight file server, and I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed. 64-bit, dual-core, virtualization extensions, and low-power to boot for around $80 which includes the motherboard. Simply unbeatable.

    Also wanted to mention that these guys have easy-to-read benchmark charts of a wide variety of CPUs. Certainly more than the 26 in TFA. Benchmarks don't tell the whole story of course, but it's a good start for quick-and-dirty comparison.