AMD FX57 Versus Intel 670 CPU Review :: Conclusion

Games/Audio/General Usage

For strictly gaming and gaming only, the FX-57 showed better scores with all the latest Direct-X 9 tests and games than the Intel 670 did. The Intel 670 is by no means a slouch and its scores were only a little lower than AMD's FX-57. Both platforms however had no problems with any of the tests and all the latest games ran on them. The Intel 670 solution is actually cheaper at the moment though to get into than the AMD FX-57, and the AMD scores were not so much ahead it left us breathless, although we were a bit surprised for sure. AMD has the hold in the high-end gaming CPU division that is certain, how much ahead, well just a bit, but whether or not the difference is worth it to you, remains to be seen. Most gamers I know buy lower end CPUs and then overclock them and the thought of buying something in the FX-57 range is unheard of. However if the best is what you want and price is no deterrent, the FX-57 combined with NVIDIA's NF4 chipset is fastest available solution for the PC gamer and cannot be beaten by anyone at this moment. Games are single threaded applications and neither dual-core or multi-threading technology currently offers any benefit for the user. Recording CD and MP3 audio both are equal and no discernable difference can be seen by the users interface experience with the PC.

Multi-Tasking/Workstation

Both platforms are very capable of working in the multitasking environment, but in this area the Intel 670 outperformed AMD's FX-57. The Intel system also was able to run multiple programs simultaneously with less hesitation before the various applications were opened than the AMD system. AMD's platform in general has always been a bit behind in this area and this is the one arena Intel still is better at. Intel as a platform in general, has traditionally had a better memory management system than AMD, one that allowed for better multitasking and more fluidity with multiple applications. This also allowed the Intel based CPU system to run for longer periods of time without restarting, due to the results of better memory management, and did not get bogged down as quickly as the AMD solution. The AMD CPU based system started to bog down after opening and closing and reopening of various programs and needed much frequenter restarts to run its best. The person who needs great multi-tasking ability may want to stick with the Intel camp as it does run significantly longer and smoother if you are using multiple programs at once. This is a key element to remember if your daily PC encounter is a variance of tasks involving multiple programs running at once for long periods of time. In this category Intel still rules the day and programs like Maya, Auto-CAD and Photoshop run better on the Intel solution.

Last Words/Overclocking

Wow, the FX-57 proves itself to be the fastest CPU in town these days in yet another victory for Texas Silicon Slingers AMD. At this moment they have the fastest single and dual-core processors on the market. They also however have the heartiest price points as well, which is also a new twist as AMD has traditionally shot for price points below Intel's high-end prices. The FX-57 is targeted at the extreme high-end of the spectrum, not the casual user, so it carries the Ferrari price tag, setting its sites for the Ferrari user. If you are into games, video and audio encoding/decoding, this is as good as it gets folks and for those with the budget thee CPU to have. The AMD FX-57 also leaves a lot of headroom availability for overclockers to tweak the voltage and increase the CPUs system bus speeds as well as being unlocked thus allowing the CPU to run faster than its default state. Intel's 670 may be the fastest core speed silicon, but it is not performance wise the absolute fastest and its overclocking abilities were very slim as the CPU is already pushed to the limit. Who ever said old dogs cannot learn new tricks, never saw the dog named Intel, as now Intel will adapt and change their technology in efforts to get better performance via alternate methods other than just clock increases. A CPU that sells for over a thousand dollars is going to be a bit rough on many people's budgets, and only the sales counter will tell us if the market agrees with AMD's brave new attitude. Both of these CPUs are winners, lets be clear that as far as performance goes, there are no losers here, just choices to be made. Intel and AMD are both solid platforms, and with NVIDIA's NF4 chipset powering the system they are closer than ever to being an almost apples to apples equality. My final thought is this, AMD and Intel are now on equal footing and there is now no underdog in this arena. Both CPUs offer the best you can get performance and can handle all of today's current software applications in a snap. We have broken it down for you as to the benefits each CPU has to offer; from here it is up to you to decide. The prices of either one is at the thousand dollar level, albeit Intel's 670 can be found for about a hundred dollars less, but when you are already spending that much cash and, you actually have the cash to invest, that hundred dollars is irrelevant, especially if you know what you want.

Doc out

Discuss This Article