Mainstream Performance: Athlon 64 vs. Pentium 4

Intel Pentium 4 versus AMD Athlon 64

Notes

There’s a lot more to see here, especially at 800x600, where Athlon 64 processors, right down to the 3200+, outperform Intel’s Pentium 4 at up to 3.8GHz. The fastest Athlon 64 bests the speediest Pentium 4 by about 23 percent, and if you’re looking at prices, the Athlon 64 3500+ and Pentium 4 550J at 3.4GHz, both about $260, are separated by 15 percent in favor of AMD’s chip.

At 1280x1024 the 3.8GHz Pentium 4 improves its standings, though not considerably. And already, it’s looking like we’re somewhat limited by processor performance, especially with the slower chips.

Finally, there’s some equalization at 1600x1200, where the Athlon 64 3800+ outperforms Intel’s 3.8GHz Pentium 4 by about three percent. And once again, those are scores in excess of 60 frames per second with maximized graphical details. Thus, almost any of them will yield an enjoyable gaming experience.