X-bit labs

AMD Sempron 2600+ for Socket 754: K8 Architecture Made More Affordable

Category: CPU

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 03/04/2005 | 12:03 PM ]

A couple of weeks ago AMD began selling several new models of the Sempron processor for Socket 754, and in this review we will examine the Sempron 2600+, the junior Socket 754 product from AMD. We’re going to test the performance of the new CPU, compare it to the competing products, and explore its overclockability right now!

Table of contents:

• What’s New in New Semprons?
  
• AMD Sempron 2600+ for Socket 754 in Detail
  
• Influence of L2 Cache on Performance
  
• Overclocking AMD Sempron 2600+ for Socket 754
  
• Performance
  
• Conclusion
  

Having introduced its K8 processors to high-performance computer systems first, AMD is now steadily transferring its entire infrastructure to the new advanced architecture. The Socket A platform will have become obsolete very soon – the production of processors for this older socket is expected to stop in the next few months. What’s the replacement? It’s obvious – AMD’s line-up of low-end CPUs will only include inexpensive Sempron processors for the Socket 754 platform.

Coming to be a new Duron series, AMD’s Sempron family was announced in the third quarter of the last year. Until recently almost the whole family had consisted of Socket A processors previously selling under the Athlon XP brand. There had been only one Sempron for Socket 754 systems – the top model of the series with the rating of 3100+. This model had won universal recognition from the users due to the upgrade opportunities it had given: without changing the platform, this CPU can be anytime replaced with a high-performance Athlon 64 processor with a rating up to 3700+. Upgradeability is a definite plus of any platform.

Then AMD made a second step in this plan of unification its product line-up. Prior to abandoning Semprons for Socket A altogether, AMD offered a wider selection of Semprons for Socket 754. So, February 14, the company announced new Semprons with ratings 2600+, 2800+ and 3000+, designed for Socket 754. These processors are even a little cheaper than their Socket A counterparts with the same ratings, which is an indication of AMD’s serious intention to dismiss the out-dated Sempron for Socket A as soon as possible. Eventually, there will only remain two platforms from AMD: Socket 754 for low-end and midrange systems and Socket 939 for high-performance computers and for PC enthusiasts.

We thought the release of the new Semprons for Socket 754 an intriguing event, worthy of a dedicated article, especially considering the fact that the new Semprons for Socket 754 differ somewhat from their earlier-released mate, the Sempron 3100+ model. So we just went to a nearby shop and bought a 2600+ CPU, the junior model of the Sempron for Socket 754 series, and wrote this review.