Technology AMD Turion 64 vs. Intel Core 2 Duo

[jazzman84]

So like so many others, I'm currently shopping around for a laptop to use in med school. For the most part, I consider myself pretty techno-savvy, but since it's been 4 years since I bought my desktop for college, I wanted to check the opinions of other people regarding the different processors available. I've narrowed the field to two main contenders, one which uses the AMD Turion 64 processors (not the X2, I believe) and one which uses Intel Core 2 Duo. Basically, the AMD machine is a little cheaper and has more options than the Intel with fewer options chosen. I do want to use this computer for gaming, and have adjusted my video card and system memory appropriately, but I've never been quite sure of the importance of processor speed/quality in the equation. I greatly appreciate any feedback or opinions you can offer!

Oh, FYI, the AMD is between 2.0 and 2.2 GHz while the Intel is between 1.66 and 1.8 GHz.

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[16846]

You will be much happier with the Intel Core 2 Duo.

 

[stbxTechie]

I've narrowed the field to two main contenders, one which uses the AMD Turion 64 processors (not the X2, I believe) and one which uses Intel Core 2 Duo.

The Turion X2 is a decent low-end option; avoid single-core Turion 64 and Intel Celeron M processors. Buying a single-core processor today is a very bad idea.

Oh, FYI, the AMD is between 2.0 and 2.2 GHz while the Intel is between 1.66 and 1.8 GHz.

At the same clock speed, a Core 2 Duo is going to be faster than a Turion X2. I'm not sure it's enough faster that a 1.66ghz Core 2 Duo is going to be faster than a 2ghz Turion X2, but it's going to be fairly close.

 

[Dr Who]

I would avoid single core CPU's if I were you. Most new programs coming out will be designed to take advantage of the 2 core architecture, which will pretty much make single core cpu's obsolete. Intel is currently in the lead in regards to performance with its new Santa Rosa chipset, which pretty much blows AMD's current offerings out the water. I have read that AMD is set to come out with new mulitple core chips later this year that would more than hold their own against Intel.
Both companies are set to roll out quad core CPU's for desktops early next year so if you have a decent desktop and can afford to wait it might be worth it. If the quad cores make a transition to laptops then we will see dual core machines become "last year's" news pretty quickly. In my opinion we are right in the middle of a generational leap in computer technology. I think chip makers will jump on the quad core bandwagon pretty quickly once the technology and manufacturing costs stabilize somewhat, maybe late next year, but who knows.

Getting back to the original question, as of now, Core Duo 2 is the way to go in regards to laptops, especially if they have a Santa Rosa based chipset.

 

[jazzman84]

Thanks for the helpful replies! The general sentiment is basically what I've been leaning towards, but I figured it would be worth checking out the more economical option. Fortunately, the Intel comp is only slightly more than the AMD, though I'll have to sacrifice on the LCD display upgrade. Oh, well, I guess 1440x900 is good enough!