New computer - help desparately needed!

Hi,
I need a new computer and have a choice of the 2 listed below - which one would you choose? (both same price)


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Intel Pentium 4, 640 with HT Technology(3.2GHz, 800 MHz FSB) 64 bit technology
1024MB DDR RAM (400 MHz)
ATI Radeon X740 XL (PCIe, 128 MByte, 128 bits) 128mb DDR3 mem at 900mhz
320 GByte HDD, 8mb cache s-ata 150 interface 7200rpm
Pioneer 16x multi-standard dual Layer DVD burner
LG 16x Dvd Rom
DVB-T
Analogue stereo TV
WLAN 54 MBit/s (IEEE 802.11g), Bluetooth
6x USB 2,0,
2x Firewire,
56K modem, 10/100 MBit Ethernet
8 channel audio,
9-in-1 memory card reader
Radio keyboard, optical radio mouse, Headset, radio remote maintenance
----------------------------------------------------------

or

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AMD Athlon 3400+ 2.2 GHZ Processor
TARGA MAINBOARD GIGABYTE GA-K8NF-9 TA
Full ATX PCI/PCI-E Board with nVidia NForce4 chipset Hypertransport 800
nVidia 6645 GRAPHICS CARD
128mb DDR memory
With analogue and digital DVB-T-Tuner, radio/TV receiver
Hard Drive
300 GB Capacity
7,200rpm
16MB Cache
Serial ATA
Siemens
1.024 MB PC3200 DDR-400 RAM
Toshiba - DVD-burner and CD-burner
DVD-Multinorm and dual-layer-technology for up to 8.5GB - Supports DVD+/-R/RW and DVD+R DL
Writes: 16x DVD-R, 16x DVD+R, 4x DVD-RW, 4x DVD+RW, 5x Dual layer+R, 48x CD-Rom, 24x CD-RW
Reads: 16x DVD, 40x CD, 2x DVD-RAM
Toshiba - DVD-ROM
Reads: 16x DVD, 48x CD-ROM
Realtek - 8-channel high-definition audio
7.1 Digital Sound
The ultimate cinematic sound and games experience
Bluetooth - Bluetooth Dongle
For easier transfer of files between Bluetooth devices (mobile phone, printers etc.)
USB wireless LAN dongle
For an easy integration into wireless networks
Modem
Softmodem 56k V.90 including cable
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Sorry for the different layouts of specs above but thats how I got them and unsure on what I should rearrange
Thanks for any help

 

what is your choice for the P4 motherboard? The MSI motherboards are pretty good for the Athlon 64 so maybe you should consider one of those. Also the LG drives seem a bit fragile...have had more than one go bad after a fairly short time.

 

Thanks guys,
I should have mentioned that I haven't got much of an idea about computers and that most of the specs I have posted may as well have been written in another language to me. Are the machines pretty much the same specs or do they have advantages and disadvantages, is one better suited for one purpose and the other for another? I'm so confused

Chuck, if I understand what you are asking I have just done a google search and saw it written in a forum that the pentium machine has a MSi motherboard (not sure how correct this info is though, can't find it anywhere else even on the advert I've got).

 

Whilst searching through the web for these 2 computers I have found that the two computers went head to head in a german computer magazine. I would be very grateful if someone could please help me interpret the benchmark results as I can't understand them.

AMD ATHLON

Office
4:45 minutes
(Best 4:29 minutes)

Diagram
7:53 minutes
(Best 7:26 minutes)

Multimedia
16:19 minutes
(Best 15:28 minutes)

3D
34.3 Bilder/s
(Best 59.1 Bilder/s)

Universe Over
678 points
(Best 773 points)

Current consumption

Betrieb/Standby
89.1 Watt/9,5 Watts
(Best 48.3 Watt/1,8 Watts)

Shutdown/from
6.2 Watt/0,2 Watts
(Best 1.7 Watt/0,0 Watts)

Operating noise

Peace
28,0 railway (A)
(Best 17.6 railway (A))

Load
35,4 railway (A)
(Best 21.9 railway (A))

--------------------------------------------------------

PENTIUM 4

Office
8:33 minutes
(Best 4:29 minutes)

Diagram
10:33 minutes
(Best 7:26 minutes)

Multimedia
17:08 minutes
(Best 15:28 minutes)

3D
43.9 Bilder/s
(Best 59.1 Bilder/s)

Universe Over
591 points
(Best 773 points)

Current consumption

Betrieb/Standby
127.5 Watt/6,0 Watts
(Best 48.3 Watt/1,8 Watts)

Shutdown/from
4.3 Watt/0,3 Watts
(Best 1.7 Watt/0,0 Watts)

Operating noise

Peace
32,1 railway (A)
(Best 17.6 railway (A))

Load
38,7 railway (A)
(Best 21.9 railway (A))


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thanks for any help

 

To me it looks like the Athlon machine takes the prize for everything except 3D (Bilder/Builder?).

Currently AMD 64s seem to have an advantage over Pentiums, but that may change when Intel releases the dual-core chips.

Matt

 

thanks,
Does the benchmark tests show a significant improvement in performance with the athlon machine or are the differences minimal? (I can't understand if the results are showing minimal performance improvements or big performance improvements)

Also is the better 3d performance shown in the p4 machine a significant difference over the athlon or is this better performance minimal?

AFter seeing the benchmark results - which would you go for?

Need help urgently as going on trip to buy one or the other in about 10 hours time.

Thanks

 

Matt - you're in trouble if these are available in different colors too.