Athlon 2600+

[MatrixmaN]

Whats the + mean?

Does it mean that the base speed of the processor is 2.6ghz and I can overclock higher, or does it mean that the base speed is lower and I can overclock to that speed.

If anybody can clarify this for me I'd be grateful.

[Bruneau]

The 2600+ is an actual 2.133mhz cpu. The plus means that it will kick the butt of a 2.6G intel.

It'll overclock but few make it to 2.6G. The 1700+ Dlt3C is the best overclocker of the bunch.

[MatrixmaN]

So this "2600+" Isn't really 2.6ghz, it can just beat a Intel 2.6ghz at 2.1ghz?

Should I feel cheated or happy......I can't decide.

[S.D.Willie]

actuallly, i have the athlon xp 2600 but its speed is really 2.08 ghz
and i love it.

[DPA]

Should I feel cheated or happy......I can't decide.

feel cheated... that is by intel. why would intel keep cranking out products advertising high MHz, but can be smeared by an Athlon at a lower MHz?

the two companies chose two different paths and both are getting their wins and losses, but don't look at the speed between them, look at the cost.

a 2600+ @ 333FSB runs you for about 91-95 bucks

a 2.6GHz P4 533FSB Will kill you for about 190-195 bucks.

performance difference? Well intel chips generally do much better with RAM performance due to their insane bus pumping, but have very low MIPS per GHz [millions of intergers per second per GigaHertz]

there are 2 kinds of 2600+, a 266FSB version, and a 333FSB version, with different MHz ratings. one at 2.13, another at 2.08. both perform nearly identical.

So AMD is able to create a product that is cheaper, runs faster (although truly MHz slower) and can be overclocked like MAD.

although, I personally chose a 2400+ over a 2600+ as i can crank the FSB higher without having to get expensive PC3200 or PC3500 DDR RAM

[Peter M]

It's different approaches in how these CPUs get work done.
Think of workers who have to haul boxes from one place to another. One is a lightweight guy who is a bit clumsy but runs fast. So he takes just a few boxes at a time, and runs to and fro like mad. The other guy is stronger and a bit better in balancing stuff. He piles up more boxes, but he has to walk quite a bit slower so he doesn't drop boxes on the way.

Same with CPU design - you can make it run fast with certain tradeoffs to per-clock efficiency, or you can tune the efficiency which then spoils the clockability.

The P4 is a shining example of the former approach, while the Athlon and even more so the Opteron are from the latter breed.

Now the box-carriers' boss, at first glance, will be very much more impressed by the one guy who runs so fast, even if the other guy gets just as much or even more actual work done. Same again with computers - it's the large number on the thing that makes the average consumer buy "fast" stuff. So AMD is performance-rating their parts to give some comparative clue.

[daveymark]

Does this mean the athlon has less channels for information to processes, but the channels themselves are bigger than intels?