Note that if you do not run any stability tests for an overclocked system, you can obtain even more impressive results. For example, our CPU could still boot the OS when we overclocked it almost to 3GHz. We even managed to take a screenshot from the CPU-Z utility. Take a look:

However, in this case almost every CPU loading test results into immediate system freeze or crash.

We measured the performance of our Athlon 64 3800+ processor on the Venice core overclocked to 2.88GHz after we reduced its multiplier to 10x and raised the clock generator frequency to 288MHz.

This parameters combination allowed us to increase the memory subsystem performance since the memory was now clocked synchronously with the clock generator frequency. The memory (we used Corsair CMX512-4400C25) worked at 576MHz with the timings set to 3-4-4-8. We compared the performance of the Venice based processor overclocked to 2.88GHz with the performance of the today’s fastest AMD processor - Athlon 64 FX-55. The results of this comparative testing are given in the table below:

The results indicate that the Athlon 64 CPU on E3 core overclocked to 2.88GHz turns out even faster than AMD Athlon 64 FX-55.

So, we can state that the frequency potential of the new Venice core from AMD really proved highly impressive. This core can easily work at frequencies beyond 2.8GHz, and this has been impossible for any other core so far. Therefore, we tend to believe with all certainty that the new E3 core will allow AMD to reach new speeds in the nearest future.

In conclusion I would only like to add that we hope slower models on the new Venice processor core will also boast the same impressive frequency potential. In this case they will undoubtedly become overclocker’s best choice.