Demystifying AMD Athlons

With a slew of product launches from AMD with similar names but different variants, choosing an Athlon processor is not easy. We simplify the names for you

Last month, we looked at Intel and the extremely confusing
nomenclature it has adopted. We felt it was only fair if we demystified AMD's
Athlon processors for you as well. Especially since AMD has loads of processors
available and even though the name might be the same, due to certain other
differences (which might not be immediately apparent or obvious) you might end
up buying the wrong chip!

First, let us start with a few basics for those of you who
have just tuned in. When you buy an AMD processor and it says 3000+, the
processor is not actually running at 3 GHz. It is rather running at a much lower
1.8 GHz.

The claim is that in 3000+, the overall system performance
is comparable to an equivalent 3 GHz Intel processor.

We have listed the processors in the table with the oldest
released processor first. As you can see, the same processor numbers are
available in different cores. For example, the Athlon 64 3200+ is available with
the Winchester as well as the Venice core.

Obviously, the newer cores are better as they may have a
higher cache, faster HyperTransport speed or just a newer branch prediction and
instruction set. Therefore, as a thumb rule, you should choose the newer core
over the older one, which is why you need to know that they are actually there.

Socket 754

Socket 754-based processors are the base level AMD processors aimed at low
-budget users. All of these are built using the 130 nm Fab process, except for
the newer Semprons based on the Palermo core. These are based on the newer (but
soon to be outdated) 90 nm process, and thus, run a bit cooler than their 130 nm
counterparts. When buying a Sempron, check that it is based on the Palermo core.
Although you will find similar processors based on the 754 as well as the 939
socket, it is advisable to go for the 939 version even though it is a bit more
expensive. This is simply because 939 is newer, and is a bit more future proof.

Socket 939

This is the latest (though not exactly recent) socket specification from AMD
and this is where you will find most of the performance processors. Some of the
budget processors are available in 939 variants as well.

The problem with this socket is that AMD is already in
advanced stages of coming out with a brand new socket-M2 or AM2, if the rumors
are to be believed. This one will be 940 pins and obviously not compatible with
any 939/754 boards you might buy today, so we recommend that if you can, wait a
few months before an upgrade.

The latest addition to the AMD range is the X2 range of
processors. X2 signifies dual core and the series starts from the Athlon X2
3800+. We, however, feel that this processor might be slightly slower on
performance with just 512KB of cache per die. The top-end variant here currently
is the X2 4800+, and it's a good choice if you're into graphics designing
and video editing. However, if you want an out-and-out gaming performance, we
recommend you go either for the 4000+ or the FX series, as currently the games
aren't optimized for dual core.

Socket M2 or AM2

With Intel coming up with a whole new platform and list of processors from
the next year onwards (refer to Decoding Intel's processor Nomenclature, page
12, PCQuest, December 2005), we expected AMD to come up with spanking new
processors and cores and it didn't disappoint us. AMD has a whole host of
releases lined up for 2006. These will be based on the new AM2 socket. With the
number of processors scheduled for launch from January onwards (Intel is
expected to launch Yonah on January 6, 2006), we will see the renewed battle for
processor supremacy. Watch out for our Review space in the months to come to
know how each of these perform on our tests.

Varun Dubey