A site made the prediction close to Xmas the 939s would be around the
$200 or less range.
Someones posted this already elsewhere
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merc...Code=M&Product_Code=120421&Category_Code=NA_2
939 3200 OEM is now $233 - low price
Theres still about a 30-45 buck gap between the 754 and 939 with the
754 falling a bit more recently but the huge gap has disappeared.
Its 188 for the 3000.
So youll probably be able to get a 3200 939 + PCI express board around
Xmas for a reasonable price. The only thing is Intel is really turning
up the heat. Now if the AMD fell into the low $100s killer price it
would be more in the old XP territory.
Intel ISN'T really turning up the heat at all.
With specific apps proven to benefit from P4 architecture,
then the cost must be weighed against performance, but
otherwise, Intel is charging WAY too much for their CPUs,
excepting the Celeron-D series.
Too many people rely on benchmarks of apps they don't use.
I've said it before and say it again, benchmarks of specific
new apps do NOT correspond to performance in general with
most apps the avg. person already has. Sure, anyone can buy
these new apps but that's additional expen$e. IS it a
cost-be-damned workstation or the far more common PC power
user?
There is one reason the average user could possibly want an
Intel platform, (well, two), either they understand that
PCI-Express is more important in the long run for many uses,
and want the most mature PCI-Express platform possible, or
they're really wanting essentially a workstation devoted to
specific apps optmized for P4... since a P4 is certainly
not the best choice for the "average" processing done on the
"average" PC, but has clear benefits in particular
situations.
If you buy OEM, ask questions!
"Do these applications have specific P4 optimizations"?
"Do these optimizations guarantee performance greater than
seen with an A64 of same price?" (in general, if they offer
BS then ask for specific, applicable benchmarks, remembering
that salespeople offer only what helps make sales). Of
course, these questions must be asked from vendor selling
both products.
In the end, it boils down to price. Few people upgrade
every time a new product comes along that offers (even
slightly) higher performance. If the PC's primary (or only)
app needing ultimate performance is proven to benefi from a
P4, then it's clearly the CPU of choice, but all too often
someone assumes things not backed by evidence but rather
marketing... Intel spends a lot on marketing but AMD does
not (relatively speaking).
This is not a bash against intel... if you really don't care
or have any particular reason to choose one cpu over
another, choose Intel for the more mature PCI-Express
platform, "today", but if CPU raw performance matters, AMD
has the better product.
In summary, intel isn't turning up the heat at all with
their CPUs, but their motherboard chipsets are still
industry leading except for integrated video.
