Jonaroth wrote:
hmmm you say the i7 is better, but the i7 920 @ 2.66GHz should be slower than a Core 2 Duo E8600 @ 3.33GHz ? I mean its 2.66ghz compaired to 3.33ghz right? EQ2 doesnt really make use of the extra cores.
Or is the i7 only better if you get one of the fastest of its model, like an i7-950 @ 3.06GHz?
Also, mind why you wouldnt recommend a Phenom II? Personal opinion? don't like AMD? or won't give work any better than result a Core 2 Duo or whatever?
Clock speed isn't everything these days. In the high $200 price range you seem to be shooting for, the I7 is currently the top of the line. The sub $200 Phenom chips are ok in their price range. If you want to save some cash then the budget phenom chips aren't a bad choice.
Since the Core 2 chips came out the market hasn't been very competitive, honestly. There's still some back and forth on the lower end of the spectrum but everything $200 and up is dominated by Intel when it comes to price vs performance. Benchmarks clearly show that the Intel options are superior in that price range.
I don't have any interest in brand loyalty and will always choose the best option available in each generation. For this generation I feel confident stating that Intel is in the lead.