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I assembled my new P4 2.4Ghz machine yesterday only to find that the machine crashes. It starts to boot XP, but before going into graphical mode, it reboots. Started the machine in safe mode, and it just shuts off. Tried booting the machine with the XP install disk; crash. With W2K3EE; crash. With linux; boots into X, then crashes. With Win98; crash.

OK. I get the hint.

I call Intel tech support, who are both very foreign, very nice and very competent (a refreshing change). They explain that intel does not test chips reported as DOA, but that it's up to the customer to prove the chip is defective. Oddly enough, their biggest competitor does test chips reported as defective and replaces them as needed. I know this to be the case because my buddy Zorknapp had just such a defective AMD chip. His experience with ADM's support system was much better than mine with intel.

ADM, knowing how a CPU should behave and what the expected voltage outputs should be for given inputs, can very quickly and efficiently determine if a CPU is faulty. Intel expects me to drop this P4 into another P4 box (which I don't have) and see if the problem persists. This is a good test for a field engineer, but a bad test for a large chip manufacturer. Intel surely has the equipment that AMD has. They simply refuse to use it.

Intel chips are much more expensive than one's from AMD. Intel is a lot wealthier than AMD. Intel should test their defective chips. How gallingly aggrogant of them not to. How unpardonably parsimonious of them.

Intel, you have not only lost this customer, but all those I advise on computer purchases. Hold on to that cash, tightwads. You should be ashamed of yourselves.