AMD processors. New Celeron and Sempron processors: fast and cheap More recent solutions

To test Socket 754 processors, we chose the Epox EP-8NPA-SLI motherboard.

This motherboard was one of the first to offer the nForce 4 chipset for this socket.

Board: Epox EP-8NPA-SLI (nVidia nForce 4 SLI)
Memory: single channel DDR400 (PC3200)

When the Athlon 64 was announced, three versions of processors for Socket 754 were announced: the original Clawhammer core with 1 MB of L2 cache; the same core with the cache halved; as well as the Newcastle core with 512 KB L2 cache and a smaller die surface area. In early 2005, Sempron joined them with an L2 cache of only 256 KB.

All Socket 754 processors operate with a single-channel DDR400 memory interface, resulting in a practical maximum transfer speed of 3 GB/s. At the same time, memory capacity greater than 1 GB is often problematic to install. The processors operate with a 200 MHz Hyper Transport channel, a maximum thermal dissipation of 89 W, and a clock frequency that varies from 1.8 GHz to 2.4 GHz. There are no plans to further increase the frequency for this socket. Available chipsets include nVidia nForce 3 150/250, VIA K8T800 and SIS's 755FX.

Socket 754 is equipped only with a single-channel memory interface. Therefore, problems arise when expanding memory.

Open AMD Athlon64 3400+ with core size 17.5 x 11.5 mm.

With the release of the Athlon64 3700+, Socket 754 fell into oblivion after two years of existence.

Socket 754: AMD Athlon64, Sempron
Board: Asus K8N-E Deluxe (nForce 3 250 GB)
Memory: DDR400 (PC3200)

Modern processors of the Sempron series, intended for the budget segment of the market, differ from full-fledged prototypes - Athlon 64 processors - in the volume of second-level cache reduced to 128 (or, in some models, up to 256 KB).

In addition, the HyperTransport bus in Sempron processors operates only at a frequency of 800 MHz, while in the Athlon 64 its frequency can reach 1000 MHz. Less significant is the lack of support for Pacifica virtualization technology.

Everything else, including a dual-channel memory controller, support for the 64-bit AMD64 architecture and the SSE3 instruction system, is available in full.

At the same time, we should not forget that such sophisticated Sempron processors are produced mainly in versions for Socket AM2 and Socket 939.

Older Sempron models for Socket 754, for example, only have a single-channel memory controller.

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Question: What are the marking features of AMD processors?
Answer: The marking of AMD processors is called OPN (Ordering Part Number). At first glance, it is quite complex and more like a kind of cipher, although if you understand it, you can get quite detailed information about their main technical parameters:

1. The first two letters indicate the processor type:
   • AX - Athlon XP (0.18 µm);
   • AD - Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64 X2;
   • SD - Sempron.
2. The third letter indicates the TDP of the processor:
   • A - 89-125 W;
   • O - 65 W;
   • D - 35 W;
   • H - 45 W;
   • X - 125 W.
3. For Sempron processors, the third letter has a slightly different meaning:
   • A - Desktop;
   • D - Energy Efficient.
4. The next four numbers are the processor rating (the same one that is indicated in all price lists along with the processor type, for example, Athlon 64 4000+) or, in other words, the Model Number. It is a number that (from AMD's point of view) characterizes the performance of a given CPU in abstract units. Although there are some exceptions - in Athlon 64 FX processors, for example, instead of rating numbers, the letter index “FX (model index)” is indicated.
5. The first letter of the three-letter index indicates the type of processor case:
   • A - Socket 754;
   • D - Socket 939;
   • C - Socket 940;
   • I - Socket AM2;
   • G - Socket F.
6. The second letter of the three-letter index indicates the supply voltage of the processor core:
   • A - 1.35-1.4 V
   • C - 1.55 V;
   • E - 1.5 V;
   • I - 1.4 V;
   • K - 1.35 B;
   • M - 1.3 B;
   • Q - 1.2 V;
   • S - 1.15 V.
7. The third letter of the three-letter index indicates the maximum temperature of the processor core:
   • A - 71°C;
   • K - 65°C;
   • M - 67°C;
   • O - 69° C;
   • P - 70°C;
   • X - 95° C.
8. The next number indicates the size of the second level cache (total for dual-core processors):
   • 2 - 128 KB;
   • 3 - 256 KB;
   • 4 - 512 KB;
   • 5 - 1024 KB;
   • 6 - 2048 KB.
9. The two-letter index indicates the type of processor core:
   • AX, AW - Newcastle;
   • AP, AR, AS, AT - Clawhammer;
   • AK - Sledge Hammer;
   • BI - Winchester;
   • BN - San Diego;
   • BP, BW - Venice;
   • BV - Manchester;
   • CD - Toledo;
   • CS, CU - Windsor F2;
   • CZ - Windsor F3;
   • CN, CW - Orleans, Manila;
   • DE - Lima;
   • DD, DL - Brisbane;
   • DH - Orleans F3
   • AX - Paris (for Sempron);
   • BI - Manchester (for Sempron);
   • BA, BO, AW, BX, BP, BW - Palermo (for Sempron).

For example, the AMD Sempron 3000+ processor (Manila core) is labeled as SDA3000IAA3CN. But nothing lasts forever in our world, and AMD is soon going to rename its processor lines, introducing a new, much more descriptive alphanumeric scheme. The new system assumes, along with the traditional brand and class designation, an alphanumeric model code

1. The first character in the processor model name determines its class:
   • G - High-end;
   • B - Mainstream;
   • L - Low-End.
2. The second character determines the processor's power consumption:
   • P - more than 65 W;
   • S - 65 W;
   • E - less than 65 W (Energy Efficient class).
3. The first digit indicates that the processor belongs to a specific family:
   • 1 - single-core Sempron;
   • 2 - dual-core Athlon;
   • 6 - dual-core Phenom X2;
   • 7 - quad-core Phenom X4.
4. The second digit will indicate the performance level of a specific processor within the family.
5. The last two digits will determine the processor modification.

Thus, the latest dual- and quad-core processors will be designated as AMD Phenom X2 GS-6xxx and Phenom X4 GP-7xxx. Economical mid-class dual-core processors are Athlon X2 BE-2xxx, and budget AMD Athlon and Sempron will be called Athlon X2 LS-2xxx and Sempron LE-1xxx. And the notorious number 64, indicating support for 64-bit architecture, will disappear from the name of the Athlon processor.

Question: How do Sempron processors differ from Athlon 64 processors?
Answer: Modern processors of the Sempron series, intended for the budget segment of the market, differ from full-fledged prototypes - Athlon 64 processors - in the volume of the second level cache reduced to 128 (or, in some models, up to 256 KB). In addition, the HyperTransport bus in Sempron processors only operates at 800 MHz, while in the Athlon 64 its frequency can reach 1000 MHz; Less significant is the lack of support for Pacifica virtualization technology. Everything else, including a dual-channel memory controller, support for the 64-bit AMD64 architecture and the SSE3 instruction system, is available in full.

At the same time, we should not forget that such sophisticated Sempron processors are produced mainly in versions for Socket AM2 and Socket 939. Older Sempron models for Socket 754, for example, have only a single-channel memory controller.

Question: What are the features of the Socket AM2 processor socket?
Answer: Today in the desktop segment, AMD is experiencing an “orgy”, when you can find processors on sale in at least four (!) variants: Socket 754, Socket 939, Socket 940 and Socket AM2 (and this is not to mention the rare Socket A, which are still occasionally found on store shelves). True, AMD came to its senses in time and with the release of the Socket AM2 platform, it again returned to the path of unifying the processor socket for desktops, for which it has always been respected by upgrade lovers.

Socket AM2, which will replace Socket 754 and Socket 939, has 940 pins (like the server Socket 940, but they are not compatible!), and is used in mass-produced single- and dual-core Athlon 64 processors, prestigious Athlon 64 FX and budget Sempron. Socket AM2 processors work with DDR2 memory with frequencies from 533 to 800 MHz (PC4200, PC5300 or PC6400) in dual-channel mode; Registered and ECC memory are not supported. Otherwise, AMD processors for Socket AM2 are completely identical to processors for Socket 939, the production of which is currently discontinued.

Question: Is AMD's future platform for Socket AM2+ and Socket AM3 compatible with existing solutions?
Answer: In the near future, we expect another transition to a new type of memory - DDR3 (see FAQ on DDR3. In accordance with AMD's plans, at the beginning of 2008, the modern Socket AM2 will be replaced first by Socket AM2+, and then by Socket AM3. The only serious The difference between Socket AM2 and Socket AM2+ will be the introduction of support for the new high-speed HyperTransport 3.0 bus. Its use will significantly increase the processor-chipset bandwidth (as well as processor-processor in the case of multiprocessor solutions). Socket AM3 processors will also gain support for the new DDR3 memory. The characteristic features of the new platforms compared to the modern Socket AM2 are given in the table:

In this regard, the question inevitably arises about the compatibility of promising AMD platforms with existing ones.

So, Socket AM2 and Socket AM2+ processors and motherboards will be fully compatible with each other. Of course, if you install a new CPU with HT 3.0 support in Socket AM2, it will communicate with the chipset at the speed of the old HT 1.0. Socket AM3 processors, thanks to their memory controller that works with both DDR2 and DDR3 memory, will be the most versatile and can be installed in Socket AM3, Socket AM2+ and Socket AM2 motherboards (providing the latter platform with a very decent service life). But they will not have backward compatibility - neither Socket AM2 nor Socket AM2+ processors can be installed in Socket AM3 boards.

Question: What is Cool"n"Quiet?
Answer: Energy-saving Cool"n"Quiet technology came to AMD desktop processors from the mobile sector and allows you to reduce heat generation and power consumption when they are not fully loaded. At the moment, this technology is implemented in all processors of the AMD K8 family - Athlon 64, Athlon 64 X2, Athlon 64 FX, Sempron. Naturally, the motherboard must also support this technology (the corresponding item must be activated in the BIOS).

There is nothing radically new in Cool"n"Quiet technology. During operation, the operating system monitors the processor load, and if it is less than a certain threshold, the operating frequency and supply voltage of the processor are reduced. Reducing the operating frequency of the processor is carried out by reprogramming its registers (using a special program - the processor driver). By lowering the frequency and voltage, the processor will consume much less power, heat up less and, if the cooler is equipped with a thermal control system, the system noise will decrease.

When the processor load increases, everything happens along the same chain (OC-driver-processor-cooler), but vice versa - the processor will return to the nominal frequency. There can be up to a hundred such switches between different modes per second; for user programs, all this happens completely unnoticed, and even if it affects the overall performance of the Cool"n"Quiet system, it is insignificant.

The user determines the degree of system response to changes in processor load by selecting one or another policy in the Windows Power Options applet - from the minimum level (switching to power saving mode only when idle) to severe energy saving (the processor will almost always be in a state of reduced power consumption).

A processor from the cheap Celeron D series (Sempron) is a tempting offer. Despite being slightly reduced? Compared to more expensive versions, the characteristics of these processors ensure smooth operation of basic applications and even some new games.

AMD Sempron 3100+

This model from a series of inexpensive processors works correctly with most applications.

Advantages:

A fast modern processor with hardware anti-virus protection, but it is difficult to find an inexpensive motherboard for it.

Advantages:

Relatively cheap processor, compatible with inexpensive components.

The processor is from a relatively inexpensive series and works correctly with most applications.

Advantages:

conclusions

There are enough connectors

Athlon 64 X2 is outdated, both physically and mentally. Such devices
were presented back in 2006. These were the first multi-core solutions
AMD company. Assessing their importance today is not particularly difficult. Their release was the first evolutionary step of this manufacturer in the field of high-tech solutions. It was he who significantly influenced the development of the computer industry. Nowadays you won’t surprise anyone with an 8-core CPU. This has already become the norm. But then such a decision produced a kind of revolution, the fruits of which we still enjoy to this day.

Story

The first 2-core CPU in the home PC niche was the product of AMD's eternal competitor, Intel. It was a Pentium processor with the index XE 840. It was installed in which was the main one for this manufacturer at that time. The increase in the number of cores has caused the need to reduce this, resulting in decreased performance in single-threaded applications. A similar result was obtained by the product of its constant competitor - the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor. But due to the fact that such solutions were initially oriented towards multi-threading, the effect was not as strong as that of the main competitor. With the emergence of software that is capable of fully loading two physical cores, the balance of power gradually changed. And such solutions gradually replaced CPUs with 1 core from use. Yes, such devices are still sold now, but they are mostly used for office PCs, where work in office applications and the low cost of the finished system come to the fore. And for gaming systems it is recommended to take 4, 6 or 8 cores. As a last resort, you can opt for 2 cores, but this will significantly affect the quality of the game and not for the better. This arrangement was laid out more than 5 years ago, and one of its founders was the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor.

Modifications

Initially, such CPUs were installed in which was the most progressive from this manufacturer at that time. 4 processor models were immediately presented. The youngest of them was the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200. The rest had a similar name, but differed in index. Modifications 4400, 4600 appeared, and the flagship of this line had the index 4800. Also, a mandatory attribute of the designations of these CPUs was “+”, which was added at the end of the name. The frequency of the base model was 2200 MHz. Also among the architectural features it is worth noting the cache, the size of which in the younger model was 1MB. Moreover, each of the cores accounted for only half of it. Other modifications boasted higher frequencies and larger cache sizes.

Later decisions

A little later, more productive products appeared on the market. A logical development in this direction was the emergence of such CPUs for the AM2 platform. Their cache size was similar to that of their predecessor. But the frequencies increased significantly and amounted, for example, for the CPU of the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000 model to 2700 MHz. Also another innovation was support for new memory, which was called DDR2. But, in principle, these processors, the period between the appearance of which is slightly less than 2 years, have a lot in common.

Conclusion

The AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor is one of the founders of the era of parallel computing on a single chip. If you look closely at it, you can easily find a lot in common with new AMD solutions. And there is nothing surprising here, because they are built according to a similar architecture, which over the past 5 years has undergone certain changes, but also retained common features.