Advantages: 64-bit future proofed, speedy, excellent value for money
Disadvantages: Dual core AMD 64 CPUS are faster... but hey it would make this CPU cheaper so it's not all bad!

...clock speed frequencies i.e. 2.2GHz. This enabled it to run a lot cooler (around 45 degrees Celsius at full load), use a lot less power, and enabled feasible overclocking (that is running a CPU faster than it is intended to be run at) even with the provided heatsink and fan in the retail box. They labelled their CPUs as 3000+ even if it was a 2.2GHz processor to show that it ran at the equivalent speed of Intel's 3GHz CPU. So how does AMD manage to have their CPU's run more efficiently than Intel's even with lower clock speeds? Although a lot of things contribute to it such as cache memory, front side bus and the like, the main thing to effect it is due to the length of the CPU's pipeline. A pipeline is set in stages, and the more stages it has the longer the pipeline is. AMD's Athlon 64 CPU pipeline length is between 12 - 17, whilst... Read review

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Advantages: Read review
Disadvantages: Read review

...It might be bit techy for some people, but surely help full so here it goes . I- Introduction There has been confusion regarding AMD's 64Bit Processor and its line up. Many Users have been confused to tell by AMD's new line up. Let's See If I Can Sort That Out. II- Issues The Main Topics that i saw were regarding i) Memory Controller ii) Chipset iii) CPU/Platform So Lets Get Down to addressing them. III - Memory Issue The AthlonXP and the Intel Chipsets have been offering Dual Channel Memory for quite some time now. So people thought that everything was the same for the Athlon64. Well it apparently isnt. For most time, we've seen the memory controller built into the chipset, IE the Northbridge. So that's what people assumed incase of Athlon64 aswell. What should be kept in mind is that the Athlon64 has... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap,Fast,Easy to Install
Disadvantages: None

...it only uses 65 Watts of Electric, Better for the environment  and cheaper for my bills. In Windows Vista the Processor gets rated 4.9 out of 5.9 on the Windows Experience Index which you can tell is very good for such a low priced CPU. I would recommend getting a Power Supply of at least 400Watts for this processor and it must have a 24 Pin Power connector and a P4 Connector for the Motherboard, if you do not the computer may not start. You will also need to find a compatible motherboard for this as well but if you are building your own PC I would suspect you know which parts to use. The CPU Runs at 2.3 GHZ it is overclockable but I did not try this as the computers were not for me. The other features this beast has are 64 bit Technology, 3Dnow!, Streaming SIMD Extensions, Streaming SIMD Extensions 2, Integrated memory controller... Read review

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Advantages: great performance/price ratio
Disadvantages: slow cache at 0.4x for 800 megahertz

...of an Athlon is usually about 10% or more cheaper than the Intel chip as the same clock speed. Amount of cache The AMD Athlon comes with at least 64 kilobytes of level 1 cache (if not 128) which is at least double of what the pentium 3 offers. Level one cache is faster then the level 2 variety and will offer a large boost in business applications. Weaknesses: Lack of on-die cache Currently, none of the AMD Athlons thus far released for sale come with on-die cache. Cache helps with the repetitive execution of computer instructions and is very important for many software applications such as spreadsheets. The speed of the processor cache has a dramatic effect on the overall cpu performance. As the cache is not currently on-die for the athlon as opposed to the Intel celerons and the coopermine, the speed of the cache in current AMD... Read review

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Advantages: Great multitasking speed and reliability
Disadvantages: Minimal overheating

...I have had this processor installed in my pc for over a year now, and as of yet have found little to complain about. Runs relatively cool in comparison to other AMD processors I have had in the past, and with a little research can be overclocked significantly with little heat increase. I currently use a small liquid cooling system on the processor and have had great success with it. As far as for gaming, there are other processors out there that would be better for performance, but you are going to PAY!!! For the price, this is probably just about the best Dual Core processor available right now, especially if you are an AMD faithful such as myself. Easy to install and maintain. Now for the bad: I have noticed in SOME (very few) games that overheating DOES occur, however this is only during intense moments that truly pull maximum system... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, Excellent MHz/£ ratio, Highly Overclockable
Disadvantages: Hotter than Intel P4s, Die is more fragile.

...seated onto the die, it is easy for, if the cooler is not place squarley ontop of the processor to "knock" in the corners of the die, sometimes causing substancial damage to the precious core of the processor. Basically meaning you've just broken a £68 (if you got an Athlon 3200 £160!) chip and AMD or your local PC shop will NOT re-imburse you! So your monkeyed and have to get a new one. Luckily the next generation AMD64 processor come with a more heavily "armoured" system where your processor is much safer. Ill let you know about the AMD 64-bit processors the day I can afford one :) In conclusion: -------------------- YES! and Endorama this is the END! (from "Endorama" by Kreator and Lacrimosa) So as my dreadfully long words of jargon sum up, in their own special way :), I believe the AthlonXP 2600+ is the way to go, for now... Read review

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Advantages: speed,performance,price,technology
Disadvantages: awaiting software,price

...~#~#~#~ The next generation is here! ~#~#~#~ ** Preface ** Our computers,operating systems and software have been running on 32 bit technology for some time, rescently however a new technology has graced our table and 64 bit capabilities are arriving thick and fast. The maunfacturers and developers of this 64 bit chip are AMD. They have a history of balancing technology with quality and price. Some of the notable predecessor have been the Duron chip range and the Athlon chip range where they cornered the market by producing reliable, fast and stable processors that were very competitively priced. Having ensured a firm position in the market place they have not sat on their laurels nor squandered there vast fortunes, but instead invested well into the future development and marketing of the next generation technologies... Read review

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Advantages: 64 bit and fast with big cache
Disadvantages: nothing really uses it

...and feel good about the money you've spent on this expensive piece of kit. The beta is time limited and a free download - well worth a look for owners of one of these processors. It's AMD only - Intel have their own version but that's not really for domestic use. I have an Athlon 64 3000+ and a normal Athlon XP 3000+ in this household - there is a slight difference in speed - the chances are this comes more from the larger Cache size of the Athlon 64 (1Mb on this version). The true power of this chip isn't really used by current software yet. If you buy this processor, you will most likely need to change your motherboard, and you will be making your old fan redundant too - the Athlon 64 is of different dimensions to most of the other processors and the socket is different enough that most old fans won't fit on it. I would recommend... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, Cheap, 64-bit, so much better than an Intel!
Disadvantages: Lack of 64-bit programs out

...First Things First....this processor is actually called an AMD Athlon64 3000+, which means that it is the equivalent to an Intel 3Ghz. But it is called here a 2Ghz because AMD are better than Intel and their processors can handle more information, so can be slower, and therefore cooler. (e.g. a 2Ghz AMD is the same as a 3Ghz Intel!). Now to the review, i bought this processor because i needed a new one badly and this was faster, had a bigger cache and was 64-bit, then i saw the price and my jaw literally dropped, i couldn't believe it! I installed this processor fine first time, no hassle (though i would recomment removing the thermal compound on the supplied heatsink and using Arctic SIlver instead) and it works like a dream, even though it is the lower end of the Athlon64 market! As well as working fine it can also be overclocked... Read review

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Advantages: 64 bit processing
Disadvantages: none

...I recently upgraded my machine to include one of these processors, the current specs are: AMD 64 3000+ processor 512 DDR sdram 64mb graphics (soon to be 128) Abit AV8 motherboard (Very good value and performance) This processor is one of the new range of 64 bit processors that are now starting to emerge from the big manufacturers. They allow the processor to pass data in 2x as many routes (simple explanation) - process channels, than the previous 32 bit processors. This gives them the advantage of being able to multi task much better and so stabalising the system when running numerous programmes. This will soon give rise to many 64 bit applications that make use of the extra juice that can be squeezed from the processors and win XP 64 will become the new microsoft standard (it is currently in beta stage testing... Read review

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