CPU question for fellow Escapist tech nerds.

[matrix3509]

I'm considering building myself a new computer. As I've been out of the PC technology loop for a while I was wondering if anyone who is "in the know" can help me out with a little question.

So I was wondering around tigerdirect and newegg and I came across something quite strange. I found an AMD Phenom II X4 965 Quad-Core Black Edition for $190. The clock speed for said CPU is supposedly 3.4 Ghz.

Then, right next to it on the list was an Intel i7 980X Extreme Edition (6-core) with a posted clock speed of 3.33 Ghz. But the thing cost and astonishing $1100!

Now, I know enough about CPUs to know that clock speed is not everything, and that things like threading and instruction sets are far more important. But how in the hell can Intel justify a processor costing this much?

Can any fellow tech geeks enlighten me on why Intel's CPU would be worth so much when I can get a faster AMD CPU for 17% of the cost?

 

[The_Healer]

The intel one has 6 cores and is blessed with better technology.

I just bought myself a new system and put an i7 930 in it.
It seems the best compromise as intel are better with processors at the moment and it can be happily overclocked to higher speeds.

 

[matrix3509]

I understand that it has 6 cores (with an additional 6 virtual cores) but that really seems unneeded decadence. I'm sure Crytek will put out a game in a few years that will make this CPU cry for its mother. And doesn't the diffculty in programming for multiple cores only increase as the number of cores increase? Eventually programmers will tire of trying to program for the latest 60 core CPU or whatever.

 

[matrix3509]

Also do not forget that AMD has their own 6-core Phenom II. Its priced at only $310.