Buying new computer - opinions, advice?

[paladindythe]

Whoever's ahead for CPU stakes at the present time changes periodically. According to the reviews I've found, the Intels are currently best value for money, especially at the higher end. This will, of course, change.

Presumably, but AMD is behind intel on fabbing tech and their current architecture is far inferior performance wise (there are reasons for that, most of them having to do with streamlining AMD's design processes) which means that with the same number of transistors AMD will have lower yields and less performance than an equivalent intel chip, which in turn means intel will be able to undercut AMD while still taking big profits in. Or intel could keep their prices at a premium and just make more profit per chip. This doesn't apply so much to current chips, but when Ivy Bridge is on the market and begins to displace older chips, so late 2012 or so, unless AMD has some serious aces up it's sleeve.

Well, Intel just released their Sandybridge-E processors for the enthusiast crowd, at ~$550 and ~$900. They aren't going to cut their profits to kill AMD it seems. It's just that their $200 parts (Sandybridge 2500K Core i5) it as better than AMD's best processor atm. (At least, for the knids of programs most people run.) I'm hoping that AMD's revision of their chips (due early next year, say March) makes a lot of improvements.