The e4300 seems closer performance wise to a 4600+ than a 3800+. The 4600+ is almost the same price as the e4300.
So while AMD has cheaper processors that doesn't mean they are a better bang for the buck. To be honest if you have no use for the performance then just buy a used system of some sort. So what Intel processor can you buy - with motherboard - that will be faster than that 3800+ at that price? You have to spend MORE. It was his fault for claiming "equivalent", but it's better at that price than anything Intel can offer at that price. If you want to spend more than that, Intel all the way, that price of lower, and unless you are either stupid, or an Intel fanboy, you should get an AMD product.
1. Best against best. How do the current top-of-the-line CPUs from each company compare. Best against best? Intel is best, pretty easily. Unless you are looking at multiple socket (8+) situations, otherwise Intel's Core 2 Duo stuff is the best.
2. Similar price points. If I'm willing to spend $X on a CPU, which company gives me the most performance for my money? My feeling with this is pretty straight forward. If you want to spend less on a CPU than the cheapest Core 2 Duo ($120ish range), you are MUCH better off with an AMD, they have something cheaper and faster than anything Intel has once you get under the Core2 bottom end stuff. Anything in the higher $$ range, and you're best off going with Intel.
3. Similar clock speeds. This is more a techie thing, gives me an idea of which company's wringing the most from each clock cycle in their chips. With current tech it's not a really reliable guide to which CPU to buy, but it gives me an idea of how their tech stacks up. I believe AMD is down somewhere in the 10-20% range as far as performance per clock, so again Intel wins.
I'm an AMD fanboy, my dad works there, but right now Intel rests at the top, hopefully Barcelona will change all of that, but I'm not holding my breath (and neither is he).
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So while AMD has cheaper processors that doesn't mean they are a better bang for the buck. To be honest if you have no use for the performance then just buy a used system of some sort. So what Intel processor can you buy - with motherboard - that will be faster than that 3800+ at that price? You have to spend MORE. It was his fault for claiming "equivalent", but it's better at that price than anything Intel can offer at that price. If you want to spend more than that, Intel all the way, that price of lower, and unless you are either stupid, or an Intel fanboy, you should get an AMD product.