Desktops forum: AMD Processor Reliability

The office has more than a handful Athlon 64s and no more lockups than any other (Intel) desktops.

Can you craft a test that I could run to measure this one?

Bob

PS. Writing from my Athlon 64 machine.

I use AMD from years! and is as fast and as stable compared with any Intel CPU. Most of my friends have systems with AMD procesors and everybody is happy!

not the processor.


You need to learn to separate the quality of the machine built from the specific components inside the machine.

I've built a multitude of machines. The last 3 AMD. I will never pay Intel's premium again.

RE: "I'll never pay Intel's price premium again..."

Ha, AMD was surely the price performance leader, and even the performance champ for a while there.

But, since then, sometimes Intel has been the price/performance leader once again. And, they've won back the king of the hill top performance spot too.

I hope AMD has something in the works to kick Intel in the pants again, but, maybe that's wishful thinking? It's not "hammer time" anymore

I to have owned my AMD for quit some time & have only had to replace a hard drive w/a new one, because I filled the old one up! That is the only thing I've had to do to mine! A very reliably machine it has been! In fact, all I used to hear about the AMD, besides being a much more inexpensive way to go, is that compared to intel, both being equal, the AMD being much more faster than the intel.Also reliable. So going w/AMD, as far as I'm concerned, is the best way to go! You shouldn't be disappointed at all!

I have AMD also and it has ran perfectly for 7 years now, but niether my or your statement matters really since that was 32 bit not 64 like the person is asking. The 64 did have lock up issues or something along that line but was supposed to have a fix for it. I think it had something to do with 32 bit apps not running properly more than a lockup of the cpu.
Paul

Hey BOB,

Your company might be using processors that are not designed to do the multitasking that most offices require. You should try upgrading to a processor with HT or the more recent Dual Core technology. Or you could simply instruct your staff not to run more than a few applications at a time.

I am like you and believe that the brands or similar unless you are a gamer and then the AMD FX processor is a better chip. I cannot think of any other difference except for gaming. I use my AMD for gaming and I have two other computers with an Intel and an AMD respectively. The 64 bit is over rated right now since there are not any programs built to take advantage of the processor.

Though that is true that the OS and programs really do not take full advantage of the 64 bit architecture, it still is faster than the 32 bit chips. I have a HP desktop with a 2.8Ghz P5-HT and a HP notebook with a 3200(2Ghz) Athlon 64. For crunching video stuff, it is faster on the Athlon than my P5.

I haven't had any problems with locks on the Athlon. It actually runs cooler and faster than my other Dell notebook with an Intel Centrino chip.

I've been using PCs since 1981 and have built about 60 of them in the past few years. I've stuck exclusively to AMD processors and have been thrilled with them. Not one has ever been defective. You probably don't remember the several "scandals" with defectively-designed Intel processors -- but essentially AMD processors have a clean slate when it comes to reliability and no defects while Intel has been problematic for years. AMD has also taken the technology lead.
The real disaster you are courting is getting a computer made by HP (and that includes Compaq). HP has a nasty tendency to cut corners and remove features from the motherboards it uses in its computers. And it's tech support is the bottom of the barrel. For example, when a friend had me help him update the BIOS on his HP computer, we followed the somewhat strange instructions on HP's website for installing the BIOS update. Following their instructions corrupted the CMOS. Normally this is easily solved by resetting a jumper on the motherboard. But to save a few cents in manufacturing, HP did not include the pins and jumper for clearing the CMOS. After an hour of talking to a very nasty person at HP tech support, she finally admitted that the instructions on HP's website had been wrong for at least 3 months, but it wasn't tech support's responsibility to get it corrected. They had to send my friend a new computer.
And just this month it was revealed that HP's notebooks that use the AMD64 processor were being built with the Dual Channel RAM disabled. HP spokesmen said that they did this because they couldn't trust consumers who wished to add more RAM to get the right RAM modules. Now many folks know that AMD64 processors and their motherboards all support Dual Channel RAM (which runs much faster than single channel). But nowhere does HP tell perspective customers that Dual Channel RAM is disabled on these notebooks.
The only HP products I've even owned that worked well and lasted have been their overpriced laser printers. My 8-year old LaserJet 4000 is, unfortunately, on its last legs, and I know darned well that it will not be replaced with an HP printer.
Bottom line: Friends don't let friends buy HP.
Better to buy from Gateway, IBuyPower.com (where you can configure your computer piece by piece -- go for the Asus motherboards since they can also use the AMD Dual Core CPUs which will be affordable in a year or two), MonarchComputer.com, or have one made for you locally.

Fear, Uncerenty, Doubt.
Are tactics used to disparage a competor,AKA AMD.
All of my AMDs are working great running 24/7 no lockups.

I've had several AMD chips. I bought an Athlon 800Mhz chip in 2000 when I upgraded from my Intel Pentium II. In 2002, I bought the Athlon 1.7Ghz chip that my desktop currently runs. I was experiencing a lot of lockups on both chips for a while there, but those turned out to be Windows ME related as the problems went away when I upgraded to Windows XP.

My wife's laptop runs an AMD Sempron 2.8 or 3.0 Ghz processor.

One of the reasons that I switched to AMD, besides price, is that AMD had hired an engineer from Digital Equipment Corp. (bought by Compaq which was bought by HP). DEC was known for their 200Mhz bus and 64 bit processors while Intel was getting to 32 bit. I figured with a DEC engineer running the show, the Athlon chip might have some of their fine engineering behind it. I have never been disappointed.

I purchased a desktop system assembled locally in early 1999 that had an AMD K6-2 running at 300 MHz. The system was used heavily by two high school students, by my wife (a teacher), and by me (an engineer). It was also used to run various Linux distributions (Red Hat, Suse, Caldera) in dual-boot (LILO) configurations with Windows. Today it is running Windows XP Home Edition SP2 that was an upgrade from the original Windows 98 (not SE). It is used almost entirely for word processing with Microsoft Works 4.5 by my wife. It is left on all the time to save startup time and because it has an attached laser printer that can be accessed over our home network from other systems.

Around August 1999 my college-bound daughter purchased a Compaq Presario 1237 laptop (from Radio Shack) that had an AMD K6 266 MHz MMX(tm) enhanced processor. This was more than adequate for her purposes at college. The lower CPU cost offset the higher cost of the far superior (to HPA) active-matrix TFT display and three-spindle (hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and floppy drive) configuration. The system came with Windows 98. It was connected to the college's network using Novell drivers and a 3COM PCMCIA NIC. She still has it and it still works.

In October 2001 I took the plunge and bought myself an HP Pavilion N5425 notebook computer. It has a 900-MHz AMD Athlon. This has been my main computer for the past four years. It came with Windows XP Home Edition and has been upgraded to SP2. I run all sorts of applications on it: Microsoft Office XP (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Visio, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Borland C++ Builder 5 (C/C++ software development), Scilab, Winamp, iTunes, Musicmatch Jukebox, Windows Media Player 10, RealPlayer, DivX Player, TextPad, Source Edit, Snag-It, TurboTax, Norton Ghost 9.0, Norton Internet Security (AntiVirus, Personal Firewall), Norton AntiSpam, Webroot Spy Sweeper, Java VM, STEEM (Atari ST Emulator), Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.5, N4PY control software for my Ten-Tec Argonaut V amateur radio transceiver, DigiPan PSK31 software, and all manner of tools and utilities (some written by me). It all works. The only problems I have had with this HP notebook PC are related to progressive failure of the cable between the display and the rest of the system, which leads me to the next AMD-based computer.

I recently ordered an HP Pavilion zv6000 series notebook with AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (2.0 GHz) CPU. When this arrives, it will become my main computer. My old HP notebook will then go in for surgery (under my soldering iron) to see if I can get the diplay running again. However, even if I can't, I can still use it with an external monitor, as I am doing right now! (Prior to this bump in the road, I was using the internal display as "1" and the external display as "2" in a dual-monitor extended desktop arrangement.)

Based upon my experience (both past and anticipated future), you should be OK with AMD CPUs, at least in terms of system availability. And remember, reliability (MTBF) is only one component of availability, which is what we users really care about. The other major component is repair time (MTTR), which is probably the more significant of the two. Overall, I have had good experiences with HP products over the years. Also, when HP uses AMD processors they know that they are staking THEIR reputation on that decision.

Your new HP Pavilion zv6000 series notebook with AMD Athlon 64 3200+ sounds great -- but if you were expecting the dual channel RAM that AMD64 processors support, you're in for a big disappointment. HP has disabled this capability on its notebooks because, according to its spokesperson, HP does not think consumers who wish to upgrade their RAM are capable of buying RAM that matches (which is crucial for dual channel memory). SO if you were counting on that feature, you might want to reconsider HP.

A pretty good alternative is the Gateway MX7515 notebook with 15" widescreen, AMD64 4000+ CPU, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB hard drive, DVD RW drive, ATI Radeon Mobility X660 video, Windows XP Home (a downside) etc. which Best Buy has been selling for as little as $1199. Not only does it have a real manual, but the two times I had to call tech support with really technical questions, a live person anwsered within 25 seconds.

I have an old Compaq laptop, with AMD K6-2 still running fine for 7 years, a selfbuilt desktop with AMD Athlon XP 2500+ for 3 years, working almost nonstop without any crash at all, and a new selfbuilt desktop with AMD64 3000+ which is working superbly for a year. Will this help?