Intel Pentium 4 HT or D?

[Awooga]

I was wondering what processor is best for doing what tasks.
I am soon planning to buy a computer and just from looking around, this option confuses me.

I was planning on using the computer for doing most things; gaming (BF2 for example), typing/ presentaion work, internet downloading/ browsing and also I may start up doing CAD.

I was hoping that somebody could explain the benfits and disadvantages of each processor.

An example choice of processor's that I have been comfronted with...

Intel® Pentium 4 processor with HT technology 630 (3.00GHz, 800FSB, 2MB cache)
or
Intel® Pentium® D 820 (2.80GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB cache)

 

[dunklegend]

The P4 with HT has 1 physical core and one virtual and the D version has 2 physical cores.

<font color=red>It's impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious<font color=red>

 

[Starfishy]

Not that I want to sound like an AMD fanboy more than I already do... and FUGGER and Mozz are probably going to get mad at me for asking, but here goes. Why are you going with Intel? Do you have some particular reason, cause it does not appear that you are going to be doing a lot of video editing/encoding?

 

[fishmahn]

For internet/office work (Word, Excel, outlook, etc.) Either option is more than enough CPU (a 1ghz CPU is probably enough) unless you do heavy multi-tasking (then dual core of course).

For gaming, <i><b>today</b></i>, a faster CPU is best, so the 630 is your choice (actually, AMD is faster in games for your money). Tomorrow (i.e., in a year or so), when multi-threaded games come out, dual core will be the better choice.

For CAD, dual core is most likely the better choice, but a faster single core will be faster in some things (things that can't take advantage of the 2nd cpu). Another bonus for dual cores is if you're in the middle of a CPU-intensive operation and you need to do something else, its much smoother because the 2nd CPU is there - kindof waiting for your 'beck and call'.

Mike.

<font color=blue>Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside the dog its too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx</font color=blue>

 

[Guest]

the ht will be stronger when running single threaded or only one application at the time. This is due to the slightly higher clockspeed.
The 820D will be faster when running two application concurently. Utltimately you could be encoding mp3's while playing games or something like that.
I'd suggest the dualcore route as it will be more futureproof!

Asus P4P800DX, P4C 2.6ghz@3.25ghz, 2X512 OCZ PC4000 3-4-4-8, MSI 6800Ultra stock, 2X30gig Raid0

 

[slvr_phoenix]

Also remember that one bad thing about the dual core Intel is it's power draw and heat output. Electricity bills (and air conditioning) aside, you're still going to want the total system to handle the proc well. You won't have to worry (as much) with a single core chip from Intel.

<font color=red> یί∫υєг ρђœŋίχ
<i>The devil is in the details.</i></font color=red>
@ 192K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[jammydodger]

Another vote for the pentium D. Have you thought about AMD at all? What kind of a budget are you on?

 

[Awooga]

Its not my only option, and I haven't looked at AMD's yet.

Intel was one choice, because I was looking at a Dell 9100. Here in the UK it seems to be a good buy and AMD's are not offered by Dell as they are paired with Intel.

I was looking to spend £800 but thats for the whole chbang. Monitor etc...

 

[dunklegend]

If you're not affraid to build the PC yourself we could give you some good parts to choose from that will make you a pretty decent system.

<font color=red>It's impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious<font color=red>

 

[Awooga]

well i'll tell you the spec for £800 anyway. Just one option.

Intel® Pentium 4 processor with HT technology 630 (3.00GHz, 800FSB, 2MB cache)
or
Intel® Pentium® D 820 (2.80GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB cache)

XP Home

1024MB PC-4200 Dual Channel DDR2 533MHz

160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst™ cache NCQ

Dell 1704FP 17" UltraSharpTM Flat Panel Monitor with Height Adjustable Stand

256MB nVidia GeForce 6800 (DVI/VGA/TV-out)

Plus...Optical mouse, keyboard, speakers network card etc...




I used to be really keen to want to build my own PC but now I have the money (a year or so on) to buy a computer, I'd rather just get it stock.

Its not like i'll be playing top end games and I don't demard the most out of them. just for them to run smoothly.

I copy a lot of CD's/ DVD's which envolves a lot of copying to and from harddrives.

 

[dunklegend]

Those specs seem fine. And since they include the monitor and the OS building the system yourself won't save you money, It will give you better quality components and the satisfaction that you built your rig but that's about it.
Does it include a DVD burner?

<font color=red>It's impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious<font color=red>

 

[Starfishy]

Yep, Dell does offer a good price... but that is all I will say for them.

 

[slvr_phoenix]

And since they include the monitor and the OS building the system yourself won't save you money

I don't know if I can actually agree with that, but it does at least give you a complete system warranty and frees up the hours spend building to enjoy it right out of the box.

<font color=red> یί∫υєг ρђœŋίχ
<i>The devil is in the details.</i></font color=red>
@ 192K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Awooga]

No it doesn't, they are available but I have a quite new one on my current pc that i'll transfer over.

Cheers for all your help.

David - England

 

[Awooga]

So starfishy fish, whats wrong with Dell these days, they seem to have a good rep to their name.

 

[slvr_phoenix]

I know that I'm not star shaped (or even fishy) but I have to say that I've yet to see a major OEM or reseller (Hell, Hateway, Packard Hell, Hateit Packard, Com(re)pack, Chump USA, Worst Buy, Radio Shackled, IBMiffed, eMachine Disease, etc.) that doesn't cut more corners than a room of first graders making strings of paper angels for XMas.

Just think about it. Even if they can save just two bucks on a crappier component sold at the same price, at 10,000 units they're saving twenty thousand bucks. PCs from major OEMs (usually) work, but just barely. Where as when you build your own you can ensure top-notch components and even more importantly, <i>extra headroom</i>, so that the next time you add something as simple as another hard drive you don't drain your power supply beyond reason.

I'm not saying that major OEMs are bad, especially if you need whole system warranties and tech support. I'm just saying they're not exactly wonderful either.

<font color=red> یί∫υєг ρђœŋίχ
<i>The devil is in the details.</i></font color=red>
@ 192K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Starfishy]

Basically what the other fishy dude above me said. Any system that you can get from Dell we could build an equivalent system but better quality and performance, and it could be cattered to the specifics of what you would be doing.

 

[dunklegend]

Another advantage of the systems built by Dell or any other company is that the components are somewhat tested to work well with each other, and if you build your system you'll have to do your homework picking the right components so they all get along nicely.

<font color=red>It's impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious<font color=red>

 

[Starfishy]

But picking parts is easy... just ask us.

 

[apesoccer]

Hmm...if i had to choose between a computer built by someone who hadn't done it before and a Dell computer of similar quality components...i know which one i'd choose.

And while there is some truth to what you fish folk are say'n about cheaper components...There is a good reason why Dell has left Gateway and CompHP behind. Because they have been using better quality components. I love Dell's cases (at least compared to the competition). I'd rather have my big ass honk'n antec server case, but it's easier to work on those Dell's then my own. I have around 250 Dell computers here at work, and they're sooo much better then the Gateway's i was forced to work with in years past. Problem's I've ever had with Dell: One of their 19in flat panels i've replaced 4 of out of 24, which seems a bit high. Foreign service for home users (that is really irritating; but no different then the others).

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2400+][2000+][1.3][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time

 

[dunklegend]

What I don't like about OEMs is the proprietary parts. I had a Sony VAIO and it had a 250W that kept my computer resetting when it was under heavy load. I thought that I just needed to replace with a bigger PSU but it turns out that the VAIO PSU was not a standard part, not even Sony carried a bigger replacement PSU so I ended up selling that PC.

<font color=red>It's impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious<font color=red>

 

[apesoccer]

Sure, but my point was that the Dell was the best i've run up against, and that they haven't made the mistakes that Gateway, Comcrap (i'm not bitter...), HP, Sony and others have made.

But i understand where you're coming from, and that was a large part of why i went off on my own and started building my own computers, over OEMs. However i will recommend a Dell over making one myself for most people. Just because most people don't want a high end OCable computer, they want a computer that will last them 4 years. They don't want to have to figure out who to call if a fan goes out, they want one place, with a cracker-box easy-open interface, where they can say, it's broken and that interface will take care of them. Dell can do that for the most part. Whereas if all their parts are from Newegg, they'll have to rma to the manufacturer which is a helova process sometimes, often that person will buy a completely new computer rather than screw with it.

<gets down off soap box...> Oops sorry. I like Dell. That's really all i shoulda said. =D

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2400+][2000+][1.3][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time

 

[Awooga]

And that is what I want. Well said that man.
I remember the reason why a couple of years ago I wanted to build my own PC as opposed to now.
It was money, back then it was my money, so my money buying all the parts, my money if it went wrong.

But now its my 18th Birthday up and coming and this time around, its not my money.
I'd rather buy an 18th gift than end up spending days or weeks ordering compolents in and reading up on how to sort it all out.

So this time it is off the shelf. But I will build a pc one day, I think as peeps say that (if you are interest in computers) its a fun thing to do and achieve.
To no that you can do better than the multi-million pound companies!

 

[slvr_phoenix]

apesoccer, I generally agree with your reasoning. If you want easy as pie, and you want someone else to be responsible for anything that goes wrong, major OEMs are the route to take. And among them Hell is (sadly) near the top.

Why do I say sadly? In my experience with their business PC line (since my company likes to shop for their standard desktop PCs there a lot) Hell's PCs are just as flaky as any other major OEM. So far I haven't seen a Hell PC that doesn't have at least one minor issue though. (Be it network, hard drive, memory, graphics, whatever.) Their prices are just a little better.

Strangely enough, my worse major OEM/reseller experience was a few years ago helping a friend with an HP machine. Their CD burner clearly died while still under warranty. But HP refused to fix it, even though the warranty was valid. And looking on misc. forums there were all sorts of HP customers with the same PC and the same problem. The burner was clearly a faulty part, and HP was clearly refusing to take any responsability for it. It was a clear cut case for a class action lawsuit, but to my knowledge no one was bothering. They'd just complain for a while, maybe try to fight HP on their own a bit, and eventually replace the part with a decent burner themselves.

And then there was the time that a friend bought a faulty hard drive from Worst Buy. Worst Buy fought them every step of the way, claiming that the drive worked. At one point they even blamed my friend for running a disk scan, claiming that was what broke the hard drive.

When OEMs are good, they're very very good. And when OEMs are bad, they're very very bad. But for the umpteen million people that don't know a CPU from a PSU, they're a godsend.

(And, of course, the only thing worse than a bad major OEM is a dodgy <i>minor</i> OEM.)

<font color=red> یί∫υєг ρђœŋίχ
<i>The devil is in the details.</i></font color=red>
@ 192K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Starfishy]

I still say build your own. It is way easier than people think, especially when this forum would be able to answer any questions you could possibly have. Between all the people here we have built countless number of PC's. And if you think it is hard to order parts you are wrong. Just start a post saying "I have xxx much money to spend, and I live in the XXX area in XXX country, what do you guys recommend". Everything that you recieve is still under manufacturers warranty and you can't screw it up. You have to start sometime, if you truly want to do this eventually, you might as well do it now.