Here. Have a drool.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

24 AMD Bulldozer Reviews

http://www.ntcompatible.com/news/story/amd_bulldozer_reviews_roundup.html

[canetoad]

1. Blast from the past

Good to see you again Tandalayo, been a while.

Great reviews. I've been using a 6 core AMD for a while and very happy with it, so will be following this closely for when upgrade time rolls around again.

[ChromeFoundry]

2. The i5 out performs the BD in nearly every category

and the i7 beats the snot out of it across the board.

[hobbit709]

3. and the cost is comparable to a Mac.

for a few percent increase in performance, you pay several hundred percent more in price.

For example
Learn more about Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Price is $999.99 at newegg
Intel
Series
Core i7 Extreme Edition
Model
BX80613I7990X
CPU Socket Type
CPU Socket Type
LGA 1366
Tech Spec
Core
Gulftown
Multi-Core
Six-Core
Operating Frequency
3.46GHz
QPI
6.4GT/s
L2 Cache
6 x 256KB
L3 Cache
12MB
Manufacturing Tech
32 nm
64 bit Support
Yes
Hyper-Threading Support
Yes
Virtualization Technology Support
Yes
Multimedia Instruction
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AES, EM64T
Thermal Design Power
130W

And then
AMD FX-8150 3.60 GHz Eight Core AM3+ Unlocked CPU for $259.99 at tigerdirect
Manufacturer: AMD
CPU Type: Desktop
Processor Interface: Socket AM3+
Processor Class: FX
Processor Speed: 8150 / 3.60GHz
Cores: Eight
L2 Cache: 8MB
L3 Cache: 8MB
Bus Speed: 5.2 GT/s
Fan: Included
Wattage: 125W
Additional Technologies: Enhanced Virus Protection
AMD64
AMD Virtualization
AMD Turbo Core 2.0 Technology
HyperTransport 3.1 Technology
Unlocked Multiplier: Yes
Instruction Set: SSE
SSE2
SSE3
SSE4a
Integrated Graphics Core: No
Integrated Memory Controller: Yes

the difference in specs is not worth 4 times the price.

Benchmarks mean nothing in the real world of multiple apps and processses running.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Exactly.

Benchmarks are the functional equivalent of "How Many Angels can Dance on The Head of a Pin" and "Do saints defecate?".

On the other hand, day to day is where we live with our computers. In day to day, pooter bux count a lot.

[ChromeFoundry]

6. But, in a Core i5 2500K comparison...

The Core i5 wins in both :

Price - (Core i5 2500K:$220 USD; FX-8150:$280 USD, @NewEgg)

and Performance...

The FX-8150 was faster than the Core i5-2500K in only a few situations, and the performance difference was not so high as to justify the higher price you will have to pay to bring this new AMD processor home. So, unless you are a die-hard AMD fanboy, we think it is hard to recommend this CPU. The Core i5-2500K is cheaper and provides a higher overall performance, and is the CPU we recommend for the user looking for the best price/performance ratio is the USD 200 - USD 220 price range. And if you really want performance, you can pay a little more and get the Core i7-2600K.

One of the only areas in which the AMD FX-8150 excelled was overclocking. We could easily set it to run at almost 5 GHz, and if you are into overclocking, with time and patience you will likely be able to break the 5 GHz barrier.

Source: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/AMD-FX-8150-vs-Core-i5-2500K-and-Core-i7-2600K-CPU-Review/1402/1

Either chip you choose, unless you are running several virtual machines, or doing extreme computational tasks... I think they would both prove to be welcome additions to your environment. If AMD can keep their MTBF numbers up, I'm sure this architecture will only get better and more competitive (as long as the Core i7-3820 release next month doesn't completely kill off any remaining AMD positive press).

[hobbit709]

7. The part that counts for me is OC

and personally I've found AMD cpus much more reliable.

[struggle4progress]

5. Yippee! 8-core 3.6GHz rather below $300!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: