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The Computer Builder #030 - A Guide To The Different AMD CPUs In The Market
April 18, 2006
Issue 30, 18 April 2006

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Crucial.com offers memory products with  your money back if the upgrades are not compatible.

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A Guide to The Different
AMD CPUs In the Market

© 2006 Build-Your-Own-Computers.com


If you are a computer enthusiast, you will know that AMD CPU chips are extremely popular amongst the 'computer builder' crowd.

This is because they are relatively cheap compared to Intel processors and they offer exceptional performance at a good price.

However, there exists such a wide range of AMD CPUs on the market now that it is becoming difficult for the newbie to understand which chip will meet their needs.

This article will help clear up the confusion by listing down all major AMD CPUs out there.
 

1. AMD Duron

The AMD Duron CPU chip is a pretty old CPU. It is designed for use with PCs and was released in June 2000. Duron chips are a cheap alternative to the AMD Athlon, and its performance comes close to that of the Intel Pentium III and Celeron processors.
 

2. AMD Athlon XP

The AMD Athlon XP CPU chip was released in October 2001 and it is still a very decent CPU by today's standards. This chip was was sold at speeds between 1333 and 1533 MHz. The ratings on the CPU were from 1500+ and 1800+, e.g. AMD Athlon XP 1800+.
 

3. AMD Sempron

The AMD Sempron CPU is the newest low-end CPU which effectively replaces the AMD Duron. It is a direct competitor to the Intel Celeron D. This chip was released in 2005 and is extremely popular today.
 

4. Athlon 64

The AMD Athlon 64, released in Sep 2003, comes in three flavors: the Athlon 64, the Athlon 64 FX, and the dual-core Athlon 64 X2. The unique thing about the Athlon 64 is that its multiplier is unlocked - a clear indication that AMD is targeting these chips at the computer enthusiast and overclocking crowd.

5. Opteron

The AMD Opteron CPU was released in Apr 2003 and is a processor targeted at the server market. It's competitor would have to be the Intel Xeon processor. Most of the industry servers out there that I know of continue to run Xeon processors rather than Opterons.
 

6. Athlon Turion

The AMD Turion CPU is AMD's answer to the Intel Pentium M chip for notebooks. This chip does not sell as well as Intel - as most retailers will tell you. However, it remains to be seen how things will pan out in the future.
 

Conclusion

And there you have it ... the list of all major AMD chips out in the market. Run through this list and understand it - it may come in useful the next time you're looking to do a processor upgrade. Good luck and happy computing!
 

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This article shows you proper steps to install a CD or DVD drive in your PC.

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Learn to optimize Windows XP disk performance
This article teaches you how to optimize Windows XP disk performance.

Easy steps to record phone conversation with a PC
Some tips on how to record phone conversation with a PC. Very useful for logging your phone calls.

A quick guide to creating a bootable CD-ROM
This article discusses how you can create a bootable CD-ROM drive so that boot-up tasks are simplified.
 

For more articles, be sure to visit Build-Your-Own-Computers.com.
 

Recommended PC Hardware Tools & Services


Upgrade Your Computer Skills With This Video

If you want to learn how to build computers or troubleshoot PC problems, you may want to check out this computer training video. Besides showing you instructions for installing hardware components, this video also includes great tips like how to create boot disks, configure your BIOs or format a hard drive.
 

Where to Buy Computer Parts Online
TigerDirect.com is always my first stop for purchasing computer parts online. This store offers a huge variety of computer parts and deals suitable for all budgets.
 

Backup Your Hard Disk Easily
Acronis True Image allows you to create an image of your hard disk drive, including the operating system, applications, user settings and user data. You can then use this image to restore your PC to a previous working state without any reinstallation.


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