Intel Vs. AMD Chip
Choosing which type of processor for a new computer can be confusing. Intel and AMD both have many offerings when it comes to server, desktop and mobile computing needs. Both Intel and AMD manufacture processors that generally perform the same tasks; however, both Intel and AMD processors have their strengths and weaknesses.
History
Intel and AMD were not always competing, rival companies. In 1982, Intel had emerged as the PC industry took off. In order to keep up with demand, Intel contracted AMD to produce their chips; however, in 1986, Intel terminated their contract with AMD, and AMD started to work on building their own processor to rival Intel's. Intel dominated the market place for processors from early on. AMD did not have a popular, successful chip until AMD's Athlon was released.
Market Share
Intel processors outnumber AMD processors 4 to 1. In 2008, Intel produced over 80 percent of all processors sold, while AMD's share was less than 20 percent. Computer enthusiasts often have a brand loyalty when it comes to processors. This is often the case because processors and motherboards are not interchangeable, since AMD processors use different CPU sockets than Intel's.
Server Processors
Intel and AMD both offer enterprise level server processors. Intel offers different levels of their Xeon processor line while AMD has their Opteron processors. For standard server applications, Xeon and Opeteron processors are comparable in terms of speed and features. In benchmarks performed by AnandTech between an Opteron 2360 and a Xeon E5365, both processors had an equal number of wins on different applications. Intel offers a large scale version of a server processor called the Intel Itanium. Up to 512 Itanium processors can be linked together with up to a Petabyte (1024 TB) of memory. AMD does not have a large scale solution to compete with the Itanium processor.
Desktop Processors
In 2009, Intel released the Core i7 processor as a successor to their Core 2 processor. AMD has a competing processor to the Core i7 named Phenom II. The Core i7 processor is rated much higher than the Phenom II; however, the extra speed comes at a high price premium. Core i7 chips, on average, are twice as fast as the corresponding Phenom II processor; however, they cost four times as much. Core i7 processors are available with up to six cores, while Phenom II processors are limited to four.
Mobile Processors
Both AMD and Intel produce processors for laptop and netbook manufacturers. Intel has turned their popular desktop processors into a power-friendly mobile processor. Intel uses their Centrino technology to limit the amount of power that the processor uses to conserve battery life. AMD has a different approach to creating mobile processors. AMD changed the architecture of their processors to use less power and renamed them Turion. Since laptop and netbooks are usually bought as-is, the consumer has less options when it comes to the processor. In regards to the AMD Turion and the Intel Core 2 Centrino, it is a matter of price versus performance. Much like their desktop counterparts, Intel processors outpace AMD processors in most applications; however, Intel chips are usually more expensive.
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