Thoughts
One important lesson to learn from today's look at AMD's Athlon 64 3000+ Winchester CPU is that clock speed isn't a decent indicator of all-around performance right now. Core architectures are distinct enough to make a model-numbering system the only sensible method of comparing rival CPUs.It's also clear that AMD has scored a home run with its line of Athlon 64 processors, which are separated into single- and dual-channel varieties. Socket-939, the premium, performance-orientated form factor, has been used as a 90nm proving ground. Model 3000+ is one such CPU that's available in both 90nm (Winchester) and 130nm (Newcastle) flavours. Comparatively low clock speed and lower heat levels, resulting from a smaller manufacturing process, made it a fantastic candidate for overclocking.
Our off-the-shelf sample was utterly stable at just under 2.4GHz, cooled only by the supplied reference heatsink. All it took was a slight rise in core voltage and a motherboard capable of scaling with the processor's heightened driven clock. Overclocked benchmark results were on a par with a standard Athlon 64 3800+, a processor that costs almost 4x the £110 3000+ retail price. S939 is soon to enjoy the performance benefits that SLI-capable chipsets can deliver, so faster CPU speeds become even more important due to the number of games that will become system-bound with a pair of fast SLI cards working in tandem.
A 600MHz overclock is typical of current Athlon 64 Winchester 3000+s, and I see very little reason why you can't at least replicate what's been achieved in this review. Remember, no esoteric cooling was used, and voltages were raised a minimal amount. Motherboard permitting, I can see 2500MHz+ on the cards for the adventurous enthusiast. That's not bad for an outlay of £110, is it?.
