Are Core 2 Duo's better even without overclocking?

O

oregon

Active Member
I'm looking into buying/building a new computer. I'm kind of a noob with regards to computer hardware, so I'd rather not overclock. With that in mind, are Core 2 Duo's still better than AMD's? Even if they have lower clockspeeds? For example, the AMD 64X2 5400 is about equivalent to the Intel core 2 6600, but the AMD is 2.8GHz, the Intel is 2.13. Even at these speeds, are the Intels still better? What percentage better are the Intels?
 
Do you mean E6420? AMD is trying Intel's old tricks, jacking up the advertised speed. The Intel is probably better and more future proof, the Intel has twice the cache with the E6400 and 4 time the cache with the E6420.:)
 
The AMD64 6000+ X2 3ghz model now on order will probably end up ringing circles around the Core 2 E6600 at 2.13ghz without problem while generally the Core2 Duos are getting better reviews for gaming. But don't think for a moment that AMD won't make a comeback to regain their performance edge at some point. The two companies are always trying to outperform the other.

In fact in a recent hour of the weekly CBS series 60 MINUTES the segment on "What If Every Child Had A Laptop?" brought out a critism of Intel trying to "dump" laptops for below cost when a non profit group was started to provide laptops for kids where there are no schools in poor countries. The laptops just happen to use AMD cpus. The brief and video clip on this can be seen at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml
 
Here I was looking at both dual and quad core models that run upto 3ghz when going to replace the 2.22ghz single core model in use for a new work horse build. For an AMD quad core model the board cost as much as the cpu plus being a twin cpu model not a one cpu type board. A server board with SLI doesn't make it here. The double leap in stock speed and having a second core for multitasking would be the gain here. With the gap between the two models mentioned being that large in stock speed the AMD does stand out even for gaming.
 
He wasn't referring to the 5600+ there quote: "At stock E6600 performs as good or even better than 6000+". While C2 Duos are getting better gaming reviews that's a much larger gap seen between the 5600+ and 6000+ models. You have to come back to earth a little there and face reality. That would be kind of like saying the Atholon 3500+ single core 2.2ghz cpu here would take on a Core 2 Extreme. It's just not going to happen.
 
PC eye said:
He wasn't referring to the 5600+ there quote: "At stock E6600 performs as good or even better than 6000+". While C2 Duos are getting better gaming reviews that's a much larger gap seen between the 5600+ and 6000+ models. You have to come back to earth a little there and face reality. That would be kind of like saying the Atholon 3500+ single core 2.2ghz cpu here would take on a Core 2 Extreme. It's just not going to happen.
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I know, I was saying that the E6400 performs similarly to the 5600+, now the E6600 to the 6000+.
 
At (stock) speeds I think you all are over estimating the E6400, I think its more in line with the X2 5000-5200. Theres a few benchmarks that the X2 4600-4800 does as well. I think the X2 5400-5600 is sorta in a no man's land between the E6400 and E6600. The X2 6000 and the E6600 is a pretty good match with a slight edge to the E6600.
 
With an E6600 you are then closing the gap to the 6000+ there. That's the gaming edge AMD did have and now has to work on to recover. For multitasking I still favor AMD in that area. They've now had plenty of time to work out any initial bugs seen with their dual core models.
 
In general, the E6600=6000+. Even though you don't know much about computers now, you will down the road. I thought I'd never overclock two years ago, and now, I am all for overclocking. With the Core 2 Duo series, it is pointless to not overclock.

Just get the E6600 or E6420, you'll be happy with the performance, and you'll be really glad you got it when you want to play with overclocking in a few months.
 
While the newer model cpus are far easier to oc one thing to keep in mind is having adequate cooling. The newer models also have a lower temp max then seen with the old P4s and AMD Socket A types. Instead of seeing a 85-90C max you now see about 60-70C.

Two popular cpu coolers used by those that oc alot are the Artic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 along with the older Freezer64 Pro and the Zalman CNPS 9500 models for 3rd party coolers. Generally the stock hsf if you buy the cpu retail will work within the normal temp ranges if you go strictly stock.
 
You can always go to a site like http://www.tomshardware.com and look at the CPU benchmarks for yourself...

I happened to get a good package deal at Newegg that saved me alot on my CPU/RAM, plus I'm partial to AMD anyway. All things being equal, I'd probably take the 6600 over the 6000+.
 
At (stock) speeds I think you all are over estimating the E6400, I think its more in line with the X2 5000-5200. Theres a few benchmarks that the X2 4600-4800 does as well. I think the X2 5400-5600 is sorta in a no man's land between the E6400 and E6600. The X2 6000 and the E6600 is a pretty good match with a slight edge to the E6600.
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I agree with you

5600+ outperforms E6400, I think it is more comparable to E6420
 
It takes a little more then just a cpu to make a performance build. You can have the same make and model cpu on different systems and see some large differences in benchmarks. Your total hardware as well as software environments also have to be weighed in.
 
PC eye said:
It takes a little more then just a cpu to make a performance build. You can have the same make and model cpu on different systems and see some large differences in benchmarks. Your total hardware as well as software environments also have to be weighed in.
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But still, the C2d's are alittle better than X2's. Sure you can have a 5400+ build outperform an e6600 build.. If you gave the E6600 a shitty motherboard, bad RAM, slow HDD, etc.
 
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