Intel vs. AMD, Which Is Better? (Part III)

Intel vs AMD

Front Side Bus

The Front Side Bus (FSB) is the communication channel that transfers data between the CPU and the other components in the system. Generally, the bandwidth of the FSB determines how much data can be transferred per second. The higher the bandwidth, the better is the system performance.

Since all the expansion cards (especially graphics card) connect to the CPU via the FSB, it is important to have a fast FSB speed to avoid any lag in the system performance.

In AMD, the HyperTransport technology has replaced the FSB with an integrated memory controller to control the data transfer to and from the components and the CPU. Due to lesser buses and more controllability, an AMD system is now able to send and receive information from various components simultaneously, and this resulted in a better performance.

Intel CPUs still use a more traditional approach, with the CPU communicating with the memory controller via the front side bus. So with Intel systems, a faster FSB often means somewhat improved performance.

Socket Type

The main reason why you can’t use an AMD and Intel CPU on the same motherboard is because they don’t have the same pin configuration. Because of the different in circuitry, the number of connection pins for both brands of CPU is also different. Even within the same brand, a specific model might use different pin configuration from another model.

The newer generation of AMD chip has 940 pins and uses the AM2 socket. Intel chip has 775 pins and uses the 775 socket on the motherboard. Thus, when choosing the CPU, it is important to bear in mind the socket type used by your motherboard.