What's up with CPU prices?

JonJ678 · 22 Apr 2013 at 18:59

acme15 said:
Not every PC user is a gamer yknow. The FX-8 demolishes the 3570K for many multi-threaded applications.

If I were to build a video editing/encoding machine or a machine for some other kind of productivity, I would go straight for the FX-8 if the i7 was out of the question.

Are you sure about this? The FX-8 is soundly thrashed by the 3570k in floating point operations, i.e. almost all of maths, due to the two cores to one floating point unit design. It seems likely that video editing and encoding essentially come down to lots of maths.

humbug said:
re positioning themselves in whats competing with this market and winning, High cluster servers and Game Consoles.

Games consoles, sure. What do you mean by "high cluster servers"? Intel have far better memory bandwidth and much lower power consumption, in addition to far superior floating point performance. It's difficult to see what AMD has to offer beyond a slow, cheap box which drinks electricity.

minicle · 22 Apr 2013 at 19:11

Do not discount inflation and foreign exchange rates from your discussion on the x686 duopoly.

If the cpu you bought last year is still the same price; is the £ in your pocket still worth the same?

Akagi · 22 Apr 2013 at 20:37

JonJ678 said:
Are you sure about this? The FX-8 is soundly thrashed by the 3570k in floating point operations, i.e. almost all of maths, due to the two cores to one floating point unit design. It seems likely that video editing and encoding essentially come down to lots of maths.

I should have been more specific really, but I can't remember the specifics... I should have said that the FX-8 thrashes the 3570K for *some* productivity uses. At what... £130? The FX-8320 seems like the best choice for a budget workstation these days to be honest.

fishingcat · 22 Apr 2013 at 22:05

humbug said:
Thats just it, its not true at all.
The 2500K was £170, the 3570K was £180, it is now £190.

You and those like you are exactly the reason they are so expensive, "intel dont need to drop price" here's the thing. I hope the new i5 K costs over £200 and the i7 over £300... or more.

The FX chips are more than good enougth, encoding, renduring... is at least as good.... sometimes better.
For normal GPU's like GTX 670/80 and HD 78-- / 79-- on mainstream games its also just as good. so those who are smart can save themselves a small fortune vs Intel rigs.

As for the rest, well, have fun paying through the nose for the same thing.

So you think they are well priced? Good luck to you....

What?

Using PC Part Picker (so obviously I can't link) I specced out a pair of comparable/typical FX-8350 and i5 3570k CPU+Mobo combos and they were within £10 of each other.

That's not exactly a small fortune, and once you consider the insane power usage on the AMD chip the i5 will work out cheaper in the long run.

joeyjojo · 22 Apr 2013 at 23:57

fishingcat said:
What?

Using PC Part Picker (so obviously I can't link) I specced out a pair of comparable/typical FX-8350 and i5 3570k CPU+Mobo combos and they were within £10 of each other.

That's not exactly a small fortune, and once you consider the insane power usage on the AMD chip the i5 will work out cheaper in the long run.

The 8350 is 40% faster then the 3570K at video encoding though, which may make it a better choice when time=money.

humbug · 23 Apr 2013 at 00:34

fishingcat said:
What?

Using PC Part Picker (so obviously I can't link) I specced out a pair of comparable/typical FX-8350 and i5 3570k CPU+Mobo combos and they were within £10 of each other.

That's not exactly a small fortune, and once you consider the insane power usage on the AMD chip the i5 will work out cheaper in the long run.

Intel:

i5 3570K £190

Asus Sabertooth Z77 £189

Total cost: £379
---

AMD

FX-8350 £150, Diffrance = £40

Asus Sabertooth 990FX rev-2 £144 Diffrence = £45

Total cost: £294, Total saving: £85.

spoffle · 23 Apr 2013 at 00:48

Rooster212 said:
Lack of competition is probably the main reason. If AMD's £120 CPUs had the same kind of power as the 3570k, they probably would put the price down, but because they aren't really comparable at stock speeds, there isn't a need for Intel to drop prices. It is also supply and demand i'd imagine, as Intel CPUs are more popular here at OcUK.

This isn't the case at all.

AMD's CPUs are generally of equal or even sometimes greater performance or value at the same price points.

The issue AMD has been having is that they simply haven't been able to compete at the top end for a number of years now, but their lower end chip offerings are fairly solid.

Martini1991 · 23 Apr 2013 at 07:49

humbug said:
Intel:

i5 3570K £190

Asus Sabertooth Z77 £189

Total cost: £379
---

AMD

FX-8350 £150, Diffrance = £40

Asus Sabertooth 990FX rev-2 £144 Diffrence = £45

Total cost: £294, Total saving: £85.

1.) OCUK isn't the only E-tailer.
2.) There's more than just sabertooth boards on both sides of the coin.

humbug · 23 Apr 2013 at 13:20

Martini1991 said:
1.) OCUK isn't the only E-tailer.
2.) There's more than just sabertooth boards on both sides of the coin.

There's more than just sabertooth boards on both sides of the coin.

Yes, but not to me there isn't

Smashx · 23 Apr 2013 at 14:09

Do not expect from intel to lower their prices so easily. And indeed they overprice their cpu's but what you expect is "Intel". We pay their "Name" more than the product itself!

Akagi · 23 Apr 2013 at 14:29

Smashx said:
Do not expect from intel to lower their prices so easily. And indeed they overprice their cpu's but what you expect is "Intel". We pay their "Name" more than the product itself!

Heheheh, no.

ubersonic · 23 Apr 2013 at 14:46

humbug said:
Yes, but not to me there isn't

I think the point was your comparing high end oranges to high end apples, but forgetting that an orange is better than an apple at the same level. (That's never going to sound how I mean it lol...)

humbug · 23 Apr 2013 at 15:30

ubersonic said:
I think the point was your comparing high end oranges to high end apples, but forgetting that an orange is better than an apple at the same level. (That's never going to sound how I mean it lol...)

Its high end apples to high end apples, Asus Sabertooth is the same board as, well, an Asus Sabertooth.

Martini1991 · 23 Apr 2013 at 15:34

humbug said:
Its high end apples to high end apples, Asus Sabertooth is the same board as, well, an Asus Sabertooth.

You've missed his analogy.
The two set ups aren't wholly equal.

humbug · 23 Apr 2013 at 15:44

Martini1991 said:
You've missed his analogy.
The two set ups aren't wholly equal.

The specifications are identical.

ubersonic · 23 Apr 2013 at 16:15

humbug said:
Its high end apples to high end apples, Asus Sabertooth is the same board as, well, an Asus Sabertooth.

Ill try and push the analogy even though it doesn't appear to be working

Your comparing a top of the range apple to a top of the range orange, despite there being less than top of the range oranges that can match the top apple.

Martini1991 · 23 Apr 2013 at 16:17

humbug said:
The specifications are identical.

You're missing the point

ubersonic said:
Ill try and push the analogy even though it doesn't appear to be working

Your comparing a top of the range apple to a top of the range orange, despite there being less than top of the range oranges that can match the top apple.

Not sure I'd call a Sabertooth top of the range like, but yeah, I get what you're saying

humbug · 23 Apr 2013 at 16:47

ubersonic said:
Ill try and push the analogy even though it doesn't appear to be working

Your comparing a top of the range apple to a top of the range orange, despite there being less than top of the range oranges that can match the top apple.

Utterly baseless blanket analogy. its better just because......

Martini1991 said:
You're missing the point

Not sure I'd call a Sabertooth top of the range like, but yeah, I get what you're saying

There is no point, thats why he's not cited one, he's just pedaling them same infantile GI-Joe is Better than Action Man,- just because! junk, and you know it.

i'm out.....

Phreaky · 23 Apr 2013 at 19:08

Bit surprised everyone has completely ignored the two most fiscally sound posts in thread about inflation/QE eroding the purchasing power of sterling, but I suppose this is a tech forum so whatever

HangTime · 23 Apr 2013 at 19:21

Probably sounds like a bit of an asinine comment but you could make a case for intel pricing some of their chips too low at or close to launch. Things like the Q6600, i5-2500k and i5-3570k were very popular in the enthusiast market because they were very close to high end performance especially when overclocked. I think they all would have sold for £199 never mind the £160 ish they normally were (Q6600 went even lower, around £110 iirc).