LOL. connchri, if you are so confident that the Core 2 Duo will win at everything...compare memory bandwidth with the A64 X2. That is one place where the Core 2 Duo will get whipped. The Core 2 Duo has less memory bandwidth than the Netburst processors.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=432&model2=479&chart=163
Yes, the AMD does have higher bandwidth. I'm still confident my £90 Core 2 Duo is the better CPU across the board compared to any even double the price, is somecases any AMD CPU.
RAM Bandwidth Integer 5940MB/s
RAM Bandwidth Float 5944MB/s
Correction, the Netburst architecture does not have higher memory bandwidth in comparision with the majority of the C2D. Indeed, most of the C2D have greater bandwidth than the P4's.
Just like the NetBurst architecture, the super high Memory Bandwidth doesn't make it a great CPU. LOL, or the AMD would never had always been the performance king over the P4 Era if that were the case. The P4 always had far greater memory bandwidth, but never quite cut it.
The same goes for the Athlon 64's. AMD is now concentrating selling A64's on the integrated memory controller spin that it's easy to overlook that the rest of the architecture is simply not up to the performance of the compitition. You now get 3GHz A64's and there running hot now, again, AMD are trying to squeeze every bit of clock out them now. Even with Windsors far higher memory bandwidth, the C2D kills it in all other benchmarks and real life programs.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=432&model2=479&chart=163
Only the Windsor core A64's have greater memory bandwidth.
AMDPwn0r, appologies for the somewhat "brute" and straight to the point post of mine, but considering the title of the thread, your username and you forgiving the AMD system so easily for having 2GB of extra memory, I initially took you as a AMD fanboy, hence my reply.
What core of A64 x2 4200 are you using anyway?