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AMD Athlon 64

AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 2.2 GHz (ADA3200BOX) Retail Processor

The AMD Athlon 64 FX processor features innovative technology to provide extraordinary performance and a computing experience without... Read More
The AMD Athlon 64 FX processor features innovative technology to provide extraordinary performance and a computing experience without parallel. The AMD Athlon 64 FX processor runs on AMD64, a revolutionary technology that allows the processor to run 32-bit applications at full speed while enabling the coming wave of powerful, 64-bit software applications. AMD64 technology shatters barriers to new and advanced software that requires 64-bit technology and blazing processor performance. Power-hungry enthusiasts, gamers, and prosumers can explore the full potential of AMD64 technology while enjoying outstanding performance on today's PC software. The next generation of games and digital content creation applications will demand unprecedented performance to provide an extraordinary level of realism and awesome 3D graphics. Systems based on the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor are able to deliver leading-edge performance for the most demanding entertainment and content creation software today and in the future. Minimize
Author's Rating: Rating: 5/5 stars
4 Reviews from Shopping.com

By:   sundling
Mar 18, 2004

So good I've bought two

Author's Rating: Rating: 5/5 stars

Pros: High 32 bit performance future proofing Cool N Quiet technology Execute protection

Cons: 64 bit windows not available yet single channel memory

The Bottom Line: 
Choose this processor unless you can wait until May when socket 939 Athlon 64s are released

Author's Review
After upgrading my linux server to an Athlon 64 3200 , I HAD to upgrade my windows machine. I was just that impressed. It really doesn't make sense buying a high end pentium 4, when you can buy an athlon 64 for a similar price.

This processor is covered in great detail in the first review of this product, so I'll just cover highlights.

Cool N Quiet is not supported by all motherboards, so make sure you get a motherboard that supports it. I got 2 K8V Deluxe motherboards with my processors, which are great boards, although a bit more expensive. This will save you noise and electricity.

Execute protection means that with release of windows XP service pack 2, only AMD64 processors (and Itanium) support this new security feature. It stops buffer overflows which accounts for about half of viruses.


64 bit is not something that has hit critical mass yet and it will be months before 64 bit windows is released. The real idea is to future proof yourself. 64 bit will be everywhere within the life of a new computer bought today. It means better capabilities that are available. About May a newer socket (939 pins) will be released, so if you aren't a major hardware nut like me, buy the later version.

socket 754 is single channel memory, which means slower bandwidth if using 3 memory slots, which is why most of these boards only have 2 slots. This product is the best price performance in any case. The best performance is the Athlon FX-53, but Athlon 64 3200 is the sweet spot in the price AND performance equation. It's only a bit more expensive than the Athlon 64 3000

Linux support is very good for this product. I tested Fedora Core 1 for AMD64 and it was feature complete and stable. I understand Suse is better because they keep a copy of the 32 bit libraries, which makes it easier when mixing 32 and 64 bit programs.
 


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