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AMD's
Athlon XP 2600+: AMD Bites Back
|
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Author
: Martyn Date : 21st
August 2002
|
3DVelocity wish to thank AMD
for providing this CPU for our review.
| ...Product |
Athlon
XP 2600+ |
| ...Manufacturer |
AMD |
| ...Supplier |
AMD |
| ...Price |
TBC |
Part One: Introduction
It's hard to deny AMD's performance lead
has been smashed of late. The yields and increased performance
of the Pentium 4 CPU's have really affected public perception
of the AMD illusion of invincibility. But we always knew
more was to come from this exciting company and today
the 2400+ and 2600+ are released, have these new CPU's
handed a lead back to AMD or is it too little too late...
Part Two: Thoroughbred Troubles?
When
we looked at the first .13 part from AMD, Wayne noted
that all was certainly not perfect with AMD's new CPU's.
Heat output appeared to have increased and performance
was clearly in line with a standard speed bumped XP part.
It was little secret that the Thoroughbred launch didn't
go quite as planned. AMD have revised the design of these
new CPU's and promise a better CPU all round. Let's look
at our XP table and see how far we have come thus far.
|
CPU
Speed
|
FSB
|
Core
Speed
|
Multiplier
|
Core
Voltage
|
| Athlon
XP 2600+ |
266 |
2.13
GHz |
16x |
1.65v |
| Athlon
XP 2400+ |
266 |
2.00
GHz |
15x |
1.65v |
| Athlon XP
2200+ |
266
|
1.80 GHz
|
13.5x |
1.65V |
| Athlon XP
2100+ |
266
|
1.73 GHz
|
13.0x |
1.60V |
| Athlon XP
2000+ |
266
|
1.67 GHz
|
12.5x |
1.60V |
| Athlon XP
1900+ |
266
|
1.60 GHz
|
12.0x |
1.50V |
| Athlon XP
1800+ |
266
|
1.53 GHz
|
11.5x |
1.50V |
| Athlon
XP 1700+ |
266
|
1.47
GHz |
11.0x |
1.50V |
The first thing I assume you you all notice
is that huge 16x mulit' for the top grade CPU. Certainly
motherboard compatibility will be an issue again as indeed
it has been for most recent CPU releases. AMD should have
a full compatibility listing available from their site
soon.
So why are these Thoroughbreds any different
to the initial batch? To explain AMD have sent this statement
over:
"How'd AMD turn up the juice?":
AMD continually strives to deliver the
performance customers want. AMD has successfully implemented
a process change for the "Thoroughbred" processor
core that involved adding an additional layer of metal
to reduce resistance and capacitance. AMD has also engineered
additional decoupling capacitors to reduce electro magnetic
interference. Finally, AMD always takes an active approach
to rebalance and improve speed paths throughout the processor
core design.'
Do note however the additional layer of
metal is NOT the rumored P4 esq. heatspreaders.
As far as I am aware all heatspreader equipped images
on the 'net are, thus far, totally fake.
Certainly AMD have always improved steppings and overall
designs in the past so we have every confidence that these
new CPU's really are improved greatly.
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