10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
The new budget 64 bit hardware
Date of Review: Dec 1, 2005
The Bottom Line: The price difference between this and socket A is negligible, this is a better value for your $$$
This cpu was one of AMD's earlier offerings for 64bit computing. Right now we have socket 939 and at least one other 64bit cpu made by AMD. The big difference between AMD's offerings and Intel's 64bit offerings is that the AMD chips can run the current 32bit code natively without going through any kind of software translation routine as must happen on Intel processors. The socket 754 AMD hardware is going to be the new "budget" system for those that can't afford, or don't need the newest and the hottest. Socket 754 will be around for a long time because some builders like Dell have this hardware in their product lines; so don't have any worries that you won't be able to upgrade for quite awhile.
How is this chip physically different from socket A?
This chip is a different socket obviously but otherwise it installs very similarly to an older 32bit socket A chip. The core of am AMD64 bit chip is much larger than a 32bit chip and there are no more exposed bridges on top of the chip. (AMD probably did this to stop overclockers and also to fix the cracked core problem that socket A chips were vulnerable to if heatsinks were not properly installed.)
Why is this 2800+ cpu rated slower than the socket A 2800+?
When running 32 bit code it might be a tad slower, however, AMD has also improved the internals of this cpu so it is probably more efficient than the earlier socket A cpu at running 32bit code. When running 64bit code, even though the cpu speed is slower, the highway is twice as wide and thus it will outrun the 32bit socket A chip (or should, who knows how long 64 bit code will need updates and tweaks to make everything run right).
Cpu installation:
Lift the small lever to unlock the socket. Just like socket A turn over the cpu and look for the two squared corners and line those up with the squared corners on the socket. Push the lever back down.
Fan installation:
Because this cpu packs a lot more electronics into almost the same size package it generates a lot more heat than older 32bit technology and needs much better cooling because of that. Socket A cooling fans, with only a few exceptions clipped onto the cpu socket--this system worked well but could involve some danger of damage to the cpu if not installed correctly.
The new 754/939 fans no longer clip to the cpu socket, there are two holes in the motherboard where a backplate is installed (on the back of the board) to help support the gigantic fan these cpus need to keep them cool. On top of the motherboard a bracket is installed (the backplate is screwed to the bracket). Silicon grease cannot be used for these new hot cpus (it breaks down and causes problems), either a product such as artic silver or the newer white compound recommended by AMD must be applied to the top of the cpu/bottom of the heatsink before installation. The fan is placed inside the bracket and a tensioning lever is pressed down to hold the fan in place on top of the cpu. Fans either come with a pad of material already on the bottom of the heat sink or a small tube of compound that must be evenly spread (edge of a credit card works nicely) over the cpu core before fan installation.
Is the stock fan good enough?
The stock fan that comes in the retail box with the cpu is adequate but there are superior products out there. You can spend as much on a good heatsink/fan with heatpipe techology as you can on the motherboard or the processor. If you can afford a better fan read the reviews and get one, it's an investment that protects the rest of your investment. AMD may have written a caveat into their warranty that releases them from honoring the warranty if you use other than the fan that comes in the box with the cpu(?). Personally I have a hard time seeing how they could enforce such a requirement, but, I can also certainly see them try to!
Some fans can't install on some motherboards because components are too close to the socket, good fan manufacturers will note which boards their product doesn't work on for whatever reason. As with most cooling setups, bigger fans are usually better as are all copper heatsinks. Heatpipe technology has changed this a bit because the heatpipe is liquid filled and more efficient at moving heat--but they're still not small fans by any means!
Why do you want this?
64bit is coming, it's going to be as big a deal as it was when we crossed over from 16bit to 32bit back in the late 80's-early 90's. Some applications won't benefit much from the extra wide data path but many cpu intensive applications like DVD creation/burning will benefit; as will applications such as CAD/CAM. I also see computer games eventually benefiting from the technology (but that will be years since games are most often written with the poor gamer in mind that doesn't have the newest hardware).
I've dabbled in DVD creation but currently, even on a 3200+ socket A cpu it takes hours to create a 2 hour dvd, I see 64bit being a revolution for those kinds of applications--should take half as long or less. Well now I've got the hardware, I'm just waiting for all my software and hardware manufacturers to release 64 bit versions and drivers. Windows 64bit can run 32bit software but you must have 64bit drivers for all your hardware. Microsoft released windows 64 this year (2005) but so far manufacturers are being slow to release 64 bit drivers for their hardware.
This is obviously an investment for the future, but considering the price of socket 754 hardware you'll be getting more bang for your buck to go with this than you will if you buy already obsolete socket A 32 bit technology.
