Re: Non-intel benchmarks on Conroe vs AMD's AM2 FX62

Keith wrote:

In article <ahab721evndq7bm2dou0rsfjkbkq8164cr@xxxxxxx>,
chrisv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx says...

Are you advocating waiting, for some future "shake-out" or price
reduction? Why is that more reasonable than waiting for an entirely
new and promising CPU?

Either I'd buy now or wait for a shakeout (and possible price
reductions). If I needed a system, I'd likely not wait at all
though. I certainly don't buy FUD (I don't buy FX62s either).

I think waiting a short period of time for a newly-designed CPU is a
much better reason to wait than are future price reductions.
Ground-up new CPU designs are a rare occurrence sometimes worth
waiting for. Price reductions are always going to lie in the future,
and are the worst reason of all to wait, IMO.

In any event, the value should be fair. It's not like they're going
to suddenly start charging us more, in terms of dollars per unit
performance, than what they are today (or what AMD will be charging
then).

Intel has always been more expensive than AMD.

In recent years, not enough more to care, IMO.

I've recently recommended AMD to friends and family, because they were
the better technology at the time - NOT because they could get X
performance for $950 instead of $980 or whatever.

Why would this change?

I don't think it will, but see above.

No, buy what you need when you need it.

If you really "need" it, yes. However, for most people, there's quite
a bit of slop in the time-frame where they will "need" a new PC
(unless the old one dies). That's where "want" comes in, and I'm
afraid that not all "wants" are purely logical and precisely timed for
maximal value/dollar, whether it's a new PC or a new car. I think
this is especially true of enthusiasts, for whom these devices are not
merely tools, but something that they think is "cool" - there's not
much cooler than a brand new CPU design on a brand new manufacturing
process.

Oh, so this is all about bragging rights?

Buying something because one thinks it's "cool" or for "pride of
ownership" does not equal wanting to "brag" about it. Even if
"bragging rights" is a subset of the reasons why people buy cool new
things, it does not make buying cool new things "all about" bragging
rights, as you erroneously suppose above.

Maybe that's why I buy what's available, rather than FUD.

No one has suggested that anyone buy any FUD. What has been suggested
is that, at this point in time and for people currently considering
upgrading their computers, waiting for the new CPU is a very
reasonable decision. Rare is the situation where buying now vs.
waiting a couple months is going to make a huge difference in
someone's life, and then we'll know for sure how good the new CPU is.

I'm really not much concerned
abut tomorrow's promises, other than a technical curiosity or
perhaps an investment. The latter doesn't seem to be Intel's
motivation (or they've hit another 'burg).

Not all people are as pragmatic about these things as you are, Keith.
That doesn't make them "as stupid as they come".

.

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