Joe_Z wrote:
> There must be 5 or 6 AM2 CPU types to buy, I guess the 939 is out and a
> little help here PLEASE, and thanks...Joe
>
>
They're pretty easy to understand.
If this link works, you should get a list of AM2 processors.
http://products.amd.com/en-us/Deskto...=&f7=&f8=&f9=&
The list has highest performance, more or less, at the top.
There are two types of processors. Processors with dual cores
and processors with single cores.
First, we look at a single core processor.
View Detail AMD Athlon 64 4000+ 2600 62 W
The internal frequency is 2.6GHz. The 4000+ number, is the AMD "P.R."
rating. AMD is saying, they feel it has the same computing power as
a Pentium4 at 4GHz. In other words, multiply the AMD core speed
by 1.5x , to get the equivalent of a P4. (The P4 on my computer
is at about 3GHz, so buying that processor would be a 33% improvement
over what I've got.)
The second line we'll look at, is for a dual core.
View Detail AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5200+ 2600 65 W
In this case, there are two cores. But you'll notice they didn't
say it is equivalent to "8000+". It gives a speedup in some usage
situations, as a function of the kind of software you are using.
More computer games are becoming multithreaded, which means you
get to harvest more of the potential of the dual core.
If you have some crappy old software (Microsoft Office), then you'd
probably find it spent most of its time using only one core. Thus
your new 5200+ processor, would "feel" like a 4000+.
When you play a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator FSX, and have
installed SP1 service pack for it, both of your cores would be
fully engaged, and it would feel more like an 8000+.
The AMD "5200+" rating, is based on some benchmarks they do, so
strikes a compromise somewhere between the extremes.
As a pessimist, if I owned a 5200+, I'd be thinking to myself, most
of the time, that I had a "4000+", and then I'd be pleasantly
surprised when I got more out of it.
The prices should rise roughly in proportion to the performance
number rating.
Using the above table, the power consumed by the processor is also
listed. In some cases, there are two processors with the same level
of performance, but one uses less power. Buy the more modern one,
which uses less power.
Processors come with or without a cooler in the box. "Retail" generally
means "with a heatsink and fan". "OEM" means there is no cooler included.
There are also two AMD "black box" version processors, and for those
there is no cooler included, even though the box it comes in, looks
pretty big.
Don't forget to check the motherboard makers site, for a list of supported
processors, and what BIOS version is needed.
HTH,
Paul
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