Free PC: 3000+ w/Raid 0 or P4 3.0 SATA 150?

[bugman74]

Guys,
I have the opportunity to pick up a free PC, but I have to choose one of the two available. #1 has an AMD 3000+, 1GB ram, and two 80GB HDD's in a RAID 0 array. #2 has a P4 3.0Ghz, 1Gb ram, and two 80GB HDD's on SATA 150 (no RAID). This PC will mostly be used for word/excel/IE, etc.

Which of these would be best/faster?

Thanks,

 

[bugman74]

Forgot to mention: Everything else is equivalent between the two machines (same ram, same video card, etc)

 

[Phrexianghoul]

i think that P4 will run faster than the AMD. Go with the P4 and raid the hard drives later if you are able.

 

[th_username]

amd + ati for life

 

[apache_lives]

Guys,
I have the opportunity to pick up a free PC, but I have to choose one of the two available. #1 has an AMD 3000+, 1GB ram, and two 80GB HDD's in a RAID 0 array. #2 has a P4 3.0Ghz, 1Gb ram, and two 80GB HDD's on SATA 150 (no RAID). This PC will mostly be used for word/excel/IE, etc.

Which of these would be best/faster?

Thanks,

AMD 3000+ - K7 or K8 based? The P4 with HT will prove to "feel" faster in most apps etc compared to either, the K8 3000+ would be a touch quicker but both are horrid old machines for today's standards.

 

[jasobnd]

intel then sell it online to someone for a few hundred quid

 

[bugman74]

AMD 3000+ - K7 or K8 based?

It is a K7 (socket A). So the P4 is probably a tad faster?

both are horrid old machines for today's standards.

Agreed, but this is a "backup" machine for guests when they stay. I dont let anyone touch my main rig (6400+ Windsor, 4Gb, 1Tb, 8800GTX Extreme, 30" samsung, on Vista Ultimate 64).

 

[bugman74]

Oh, and if I wasnt clear - the RAID array on the 3000+ is an SATA 150 RAID. So the AMD is getting close to double the read/write times on the HDD's, but the P4 has a touch more horsepower... Hmm.

 

[Phrexianghoul]

AMD 3000+ - K7 or K8 based?

It is a K7 (socket A). So the P4 is probably a tad faster?

both are horrid old machines for today's standards.

Agreed, but this is a "backup" machine for guests when they stay. I dont let anyone touch my main rig (6400+ Windsor, 4Gb, 1Tb, 8800GTX Extreme, 30" samsung, on Vista Ultimate 64).

SWEET LOL. theres like a sense of possessiveness. Rock on!

 

[apache_lives]

AMD 3000+ - K7 or K8 based?

It is a K7 (socket A). So the P4 is probably a tad faster?

both are horrid old machines for today's standards.

Agreed, but this is a "backup" machine for guests when they stay. I dont let anyone touch my main rig (6400+ Windsor, 4Gb, 1Tb, 8800GTX Extreme, 30" samsung, on Vista Ultimate 64).

The P4 3.0 (assuming its an E or C class - 800mhz FSB, not including the 3.06) its atleast a whole generation infront and that HT does make the system feel a whole lot faster so id take it simply because of HT, and even a P4 2.4C beats the 3200+ socket A AMD in some apps/games so.

 

[bugman74]

The P4 3.0 (assuming its an E or C class - 800mhz FSB

I just checked - it is a C class w/800Mhz FSB.

even a P4 2.4C beats the 3200+ socket A AMD in some apps/games so

I know the P4 processor is faster, but I am trying to quantify if the SATA 150 RAID 0 array on the AMD would give it an edge since the P4 machine does not have a RAID 0 array (only SATA 150).

 

[apache_lives]

The P4 3.0 (assuming its an E or C class - 800mhz FSB

I just checked - it is a C class w/800Mhz FSB.

even a P4 2.4C beats the 3200+ socket A AMD in some apps/games so

I know the P4 processor is faster, but I am trying to quantify if the SATA 150 RAID 0 array on the AMD would give it an edge since the P4 machine does not have a RAID 0 array (only SATA 150).

Raid 0 Gives improvement in burst/max rates but seek times suffer because of seeks across two drives etc, making it more for server and video editing machines etc, altho i use it in all my machines and will never go back to a single drive