Conclusions
The Athlon 64 4000+ and FX-55 are easily the fastest x86-compatible PC processors available, and we haven't even gotten into testing 64-bit code that could widen the gap. The new Athlon 64 models are faster overall than anything Intel has to offer, and their gaming performance is particularly strong. As a wave of highly-anticipated new games has hit the market over the past few months, AMD's lead in gaming performance has grown even more pronounced. Right now, Intel is struggling to get to the next rung on the performance ladder, and AMD is stepping on Intel's fingers.

That said, AMD is definitely proud of its new babies. The 4000+ will list at $729, and the FX-55 weighs in at an eye-popping $827. Only Intel's ridiculous P4 Extreme Edition 3.4GHz costs more, at a cool $1K. I don't recommend that you buy any of these processors, unless you have a government grant. The 3500+ and 3200+ models we tested are much more reasonable options, and I'd half expect a price cut on these models to go alongside the FX-55 and 4000+ intro.

In fact, once you take price into account, the Pentium 4s start looking quite a bit more attractive than they might otherwise. Throw out the P4 Extreme Edition; the Prescott-based P4 560 is often faster than the Extreme Edition, and the 560 lists for only $417. The 560 is also much cheaper than the Athlon 64 3800+, currently priced at $643. AMD may be beating Intel in performance, but the value proposition isn't there until you work your way down to the 3500+. Even among mid-range processors, outside of gaming performance, the Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 offerings are generally competitive, as the WorldBench scores testify. The P4 550 3.4GHz outscores the Athlon 64 3500+, and the P4 540 at 3.2GHz edges out the Athlon 64 3200+. So Intel may be down, but it's not completely out of contention, especially for non-gamers.

For gamers, though, the choice is simple: get an Athlon 64, and don't look back. I feel fairly certain you wouldn't have any trouble running Archon 2005, if such a thing were to magically appear.