Hi, I am looking at buying a rig for mining work. This rig will have to hold a database (6GB) and crunch out mathematical calculations for 2 days straight. While this database is crunching out number, I will be working on a program similar to AutoCAD. What rig would be better to perform this work?

Rig 1)
P4 3.4E LGA775 1MB Prescott CPU
MSI 915P Neo PL motherboard (or equivalent)
1 GB DDR2 533 Ram

Rig 2)
AMD64 3500+ Soc 939 CPU
MSI K8N Neo 2 Plat motherboard (or equivalent)
1 GB DDR 400 PC3200 Ram

I chose MSI motherboards that were priced about the same, however everyone has their preference with regards to motherboards. The cost of the processor is also very similar. I will get the same HD and video card for each rig which I don’t think will have an influence on the work it will be doing.

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

AMD64 will address more physical memory, so if you plan an adding RAM in the future past 4GB, consider that. It also has better overall performance due to internal memory controller, HyperTransport, et al. But I think Intel still has the lead w/ certain math functions. These benchmarks may help in your decision.

AMD uses Cool&Quiet tech., which means the chip will use less power, making it cheaper to run, quieter (fewer fans needed), and less likely to have heat issues. Intel's chips are hot, hot, hot. Intel is also nearing a dead-end w/ this design. http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/200...charts-22.html and http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/200...charts-07.html.

DDR2 is generally more expensive than straight DDR, so may be a consideration, especially w/ future upgrades.

Though you'll have to make the final cut, IMHO the AMD rig is the way to go.

<Fanboy mode>Intel is playing catch-up to AMD and has been for the last year. AMD has been trumping Intel ever since the 1GHz chip and the only way Intel has been able to compete is by raising clock speed. This makes the latest P4 chips give out 133W of heat, vs. about 33W for AMD64. Intel has canceled plans on 4GHz P4's because of heat issues, has stopped production of Itaniums, and is using AMD's 64-bit tech because they couldn't get their's to work. The reliability of AMD is a non-issue nowadays, so "staying Intel" doesn't mean anything anymore.</Fanboy mode>

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