Intel"s 64-bit Pentium 4 and Pentium 4 Extreme Edition desktop processors launched in February, giving the 64-bit computing future that started with AMD"s Athlon 64 chips even more traction.
What does 64-bit computing offer you beyond today"s 32-bit platform? We compared two of the new chips, the 3.73-GHz P4 EE and the 3.6-GHz P4 660, with a 32-bit 3.8-GHz P4 (the fastest 32-bit P4), a 2.6-GHz Athlon 64 FX-55, and a 2.4-GHz Athlon 64 3800+. Results are mixed: You"ll get a slight boost over a 32-bit P4, but you will pay about $100 to $200 more for an Intel PC than for an AMD one with similar or slightly better performance.