Intel Core I7 CPU
There are two brands of CPU available for high-end users.
Intel and AMD
Neither is better than the other – competition between the two corporations is so fierce that if either one showed a significant lead for any length of time it would destroy the other company.
AMD Phenom 6-core CPU
The AMD CPU’s are a completely different design to the Intel chips, and consequently the CPU’s have different strengths. The ideal choice of CPU depends on the actual application program that is being used most. For example, if your main work is rendering of scenes in 3D Studio Max, then the Intel chip has a slight advantage (in it’s price range). If, on the other hand you work with huge Photoshop files, then the AMD has the edge. But those differences between comparative models within the AMD Phenom Range and the Intel Core I5 range is not great.
CPU Active Fan Cooler
All CPU’s run very hot and require cooling. Both the Intel and AMD CPU’s come with standard factory fans which are just powerful enough to do the job. If you do not work in an air-conditioned office, though, you will need a 3rd-party cooling fan which are very much larger and usually necessitate a larger case. If you intend to do some experimental overclocking (perhaps using the motherboard’s on-board overclocking system), then you will definitely require a better CPU fan than the stock standard one.
Both the Intel and AMD chips come with different “power” within the series. Some are dual-core, triple-core, quad-core or hex-core. Nearly all modern CAD and modelling software uses as many cores as are available, so generally, the more cores, the better (and more expensive).
In the old days, clock-speed used to be the main deciding factor when comparing CPUs. Today, the waters are very muddied and you can only compare the clock speeds of CPU’s coming from the same range. The best comparison is price. The more expensive the CPU the more powerful it is.
AMD CPU’s are in a cheaper price range than the Intel chips, but price for price they are very comparable. The most expensive Intel chips in the I7 range outclass the fastest AMD CPU’s by far, but they are also much more expensive. The Intel I5 range is pretty comparable to the AMD Phenom 2 range.
High end Intel CPU’s range in price from the bottom-of-the-range I5 series at R1500 all the way up to as much as R2500.
High end AMD CPU’s range in price from the bottom-of-the-range Phenom 2 series at R1500 all the way up to as much as R2600.
High end Intel CPU’s range in price from the bottom-of-the-range I7 series at R2500 all the way up to as much as R10000.
