#AMD ATHLON 64 X2 DUAL CORE 3800+ UPGRADES FULL#
This is a full 200MHz lower clock per core than the 4200+, but with the same amount of cache. The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ is basically two Athlon 64 3200+ cores stuck together, each running at 2.0GHz and each with its own 512KB L2 cache. The decision was made around the time of Computex 2005 and that's when we first heard of the $354 Athlon 64 X2 3800+. AMD's Athlon 64 X2 was the better overall performer, just at the very wrong price point.Īfter much pressure from all sides and some very important manufacturing changes, AMD went ahead with the decision to release a cheaper Athlon 64 X2. While Intel satiated our demands for affordable dual core, we knew it wasn't the perfect option. Multitaskers and users of multithreaded applications found themselves with the cheapest 2-way workstation processor that they had seen since the SMP Celerons and ABIT's BP6. The Pentium D 820, running at 2.8GHz and priced at $280, offered the most impressive value that we've seen in a processor in quite some time - if you could properly use the power. Intel was effectively moving the market to dual core, while AMD was only catering to the wealthiest budgets. The cheapest dual core Pentium D processor could be had for under $300, yet AMD's cheapest started at $537. But at the end of the day, despite AMD's clear victory, our recommendations were quite complicated, thanks to one major flaw in AMD's execution: price. While AMD was late to the desktop dual core game compared to Intel, the Athlon 64 X2 processor had absolutely no problem outperforming Intel's Pentium D. In one of their strongest CPU paper-launches ever, AMD put their best foot forward this past May and introduced the Athlon 64 X2 processor.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then the birth of the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ should be no surprise to anyone. For the past couple of months, we've asked, hoped and dreamed for it, and today, AMD is launching it - the $354 Athlon 64 X2 3800+ the first somewhat affordable dual core CPU from AMD.