AMD's processors?

[hellspawn69]

I was looking at the AMD 3500+ 939 90nm processor. What is the difference between that and the 939 90nm AMD 3200+ processors. The only difference I can see is 200Mhz and if I am correct, that isn't much.. Also, what is the deal with the Opterons, are those better? I noticed they have a 1 meg L2 Cache... I am gonna use the PC for gaming and ripping and burning mostly..
Thanks for any input you post..

 

[ChipDeath]

Yup, the only difference is that 200Mhz. In fact, they'll overclock to very similar levels anyway, so if you wanted to overclock there is virtually no difference anyhoo.

Opterons are for servers really, and there's no point even looking at them unless you already have a Socket 940 board (they use a different socket to the A64 chips, 940 pins instead of 939). Not really worth thinking about for you.

Some A64s have 1Mb Cache, but the extra cache doesn't benifit the A64 as much as some other chips. for example the 3200+ comes as either a 2Ghz 1Mb Cache chip, or a 2.2Ghz 512Kb cache chip - but the 2.2Ghz one is generally faster for most things, despite the extra cache.

[EDIT]
The A64 and the Opteron are really one and the same; the same basic Core - Just like Intels Xeon chips are the same basic core as the P4 chips - the only real differences are the Chipsets/motherboards which support them, which tend to be designed for stability rather than outright performance/overclockability (Servers which crash don't get sold)[/EDIT]

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"Sex without love is an empty experience...
But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best" - Woody Allen<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by ChipDeath on 11/16/04 08:39 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Spitfire_x86]

If you don't overclock, then extra 10% clock speed isn't completely useless. Athlon64 scales very well with clock speed. 10% extra clock speed means extra 7%-8% performance in most apps.

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[hellspawn69]

Thanks for the info folks, it's been so long since I have built a machine and almost as long since I have had time to keep up with all the latest and greatest technology I feel like a newbie all over again. 🙁 Stupid work, work, and school..... 😉

 

[rocket_sauce]

I am also interested in this question. I was looking to get the A64 3500 90nm 939, but this post changed my mind. I am having a hard time finding the A64 3200 2.2 90nm 939. Does it exist? I have looked at newegg, monarch, pricewatch, and pricegrabber and cannot locate this CPU.

 

[ChipDeath]

well, in <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2242" target="_new">This Article</A> Anand overclock a 90nm 3000+, so they certainly exist....

Plus, looking at Newegg:
<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-499&depa=1" target="_new">3000+</A>
or <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-500&depa=1" target="_new">3200+</A>

The 939 2.2ghz 3200+ doesn't exist, because the only 2.2ghz 3200+ A64 is a S754. The 3200+ on the 939 gets 200 PR points for being Dual Channel. Not really warranted, but read the Article and they seem like a good overclocking choice for sure

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"Sex without love is an empty experience...
But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best" - Woody Allen

 

[sobelizard]

Aren't the Newcastle cores the only ones at 2.2? I believe the Winchester is the 2.0 core. Haven't seen any 3200 939 in the Newcastle core.

<font color=green><b><i>Lizards</font color=green></b> do <b>not</b> taste like <b><font color=yellow>chicken</font color=yellow></b>,<b> <font color=yellow>chicken</font color=yellow></b> tastes like <font color=green><b>lizard.</b></font color=green></i>

 

[endyen]

The 2.2 winchester, is the 3500+.

 

[ChipDeath]

if it's 939, and lower rating than 3500+, then it's a winchester, guaranteed.

I <i>think</i> there is a 2.2Ghz Newcastle S939 3500+ as well as the winchester one.

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"Sex without love is an empty experience...
But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best" - Woody Allen