I have saved up. I will not build my own since I will mess it up. Trust me. I have the cash for an Alienware system. I hear and from what I read they are awesome. My question is I was looking at a 2.8 intel or 2800+ AMD. I dont know what the difference is. The price is not that much different on there sit although if I was bulding AMD would be cheaper. Why would I go with AMD over intel. I am not trying to spark a war of intel lovers over amd lovers I just need honest advice. All I do is game. That is it. TY in advance.

amd is cheaper, but run hotter. Intel is more reliable, but expensive. so you can buy intel and not worry about cooling (i have a 2.4 ghz pc that has no case fans at all), or you can save money and go with amd, but then you have to worry about keeping it cool (an intel will turn itself off when it overheats, amd will just burn itself...unless you buy a mobo that will prevent it). if you just game, then go with amd. it's cheaper...you only need intel for business/work/reliability...(intel have a soft and hard limit...soft limit will slow itself down so you don't use work, the hard limit is where it shuts itself off). just make sure you improve the cpu and case fans for your amd machine. and yes, from what i hear, alienware is awesome for gaming

I see. The computer will be coming with fans galore. Well to me there are alot. 2 in the lower front. One on the side and two in the back. They said they also can add a 6th one but I did not ask where it will go. :D Thanks again for the input.

What type of video card are you planning on having in your system? If you have one already selected, find it in the below linked article and compare it's gaming performance in a P4 vs XP system. Review of video cards at tomshardware: http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/20021218/vgacharts-04.html As you can see in the UT2K3 Antalus benchmark, the P4 system w/ Radeon 9700 Pro gets 172.6 FPS. The XP system w/ the same video card beats it with 177 FPS. In 3Dmark scores, the P4 scores 15,373 while the XP system outscores it with 15,497. In a nutshell, the XP system is slightly faster. The kicker here is that the two systems you're comparing are of different speeds. The XP system in the review is running a XP2700+ CPU, slightly slower than the XP system you're considering. Your "comparable" score, therefore, would probably be higher with a 2800+ CPU, widening the gap between the two. The P4 system, on the otherhand, is a 3.06 GHz HT P4, quite a bit faster than the system you're considering, and thus, logically, your performance in a 2.8 GHz system would be less, further widening the gap between the processors. From a gaming perspective, the XP is a much better bargain. Don't let me try to convince you, read the reviews and decide for yourself...

Damn you never fail to impress me. :D Well I read it and actually that is the card I am getting the 9700 Pro. I know the FX and then the counter card from ATI is on the way but I am not paying for it. I can always get it later. My friend has the 9700 card and I about passed out when I saw how smooth gaming was with that thing. I appreciate the article, info and bmarks. It helped alot.

"Intel is more reliable..." How did you determine that? I've had my fair share of problems on both platforms, but overall, in a well configured system, both are equally reliable. ******************************* "so you can buy intel and not worry about cooling..." What? If you didn't need to worry about cooling a Intel CPU, why does Intel's website say this: "Failure to use an adequate fan heatsink and a chassis with appropriate airflow may result in reduced performance or, in some instances, damage to the motherboard." Not my words, it's found on Intel's own website, found here: http://www.intel.com/home/customize/build/components/heatsink.htm ******************************* "or you can save money and go with amd, but then you have to worry about keeping it cool..." Again, both processors generate a lot of heat. Both should use appropriately rated cooling solutions, and with such, you shouldn't have a problem with either system. Many newer AMD boards monitor CPU and case temperature, and can be set to warn you in case of overheating, or even shut down the system to avoid damage. A 2800+ should also have newer thermal throttling features to further protect your investment. ***************************** "you only need intel for business/work/reliability..." Again I disagree, Either processor works extremely well in a business or work environment. AMD CPU's offer comparable, and sometimes superior performance, at a usually more affordable price. **************************** "just make sure you improve the cpu and case fans for your amd machine." FINALLY WE AGREE, to an extent. Case fans are important in a high performance computer, regardless of whether it's AMD or Intel based. Can you do without additional cooling? Possibly, dare I say probably. The question is why spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a top of the line computer, then skimp on $20 worth of fans to protect your investment?