Yet another 64-bit processor (very popular)...
Written: Oct 13 '05 (Updated Dec 21 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Faster than most, cheap, and reliable...
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: A cheap CPU that is also fast and strong...
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| vchand's Full Review: AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 1.8 GHz (ADA3000BPBOX) AMD Pr... |
I have used so many of these AMD Athlon 64 processors that I would always recommend them to all my customers. I usually do suggest getting the most out of your money, but in this case the customer insisted on this particular processor. So I had no choice but to use it for the customer’s new system (I had to make the customer happy).
When I finished putting together the system I did not get too much time to test it out and experience it. I only had about 4 days to work with it and test it out. But like any other AMD processor this one also has performed well without any problems or hiccups. It has just been over a week now since the customer had it, and has not yet called to complain about a thing.
QUESTIONS I ASKED BEFORE MAKING THE PURCHASE :
These are the five most important questions I ask myself before I purchase processors or other parts for my computer:
1. How fast it is? (speed/frequency)
2. How much is it?
3. What else do I need with it? (motherboard/memory/etc)
4. What do the benchmarks say? (similar brands and models)
5. Where to purchase it from? (online/offline)
1. The speed is important because that is the 90 percent of the reason I would even consider purchasing it. I want to know how it will increase the performance of my computer and what kind of applications or games will take full advantage of it. I want to know what this processor is specially designed for; games or applications?
2. The price is the second thing I look for when deciding on purchasing a processor because I want to know that I can afford it before I invest any more time in researching about it. I want to look at the MSRP and the retail price for online and offline stores that I can trust.
3. Now if it is in my price range I will research and see if I need to replace my existing motherboard and memory sticks. I also want to know if it will be compatible with my operating system. I want to know if it will support my current hardware setup.
4. After research online and some google searches, I find some reliable benchmark results to see how the processor compares with other brands of the same class or even other models of the same brand. Just to see if I can get a lower model and still get what I want. It will never hurt to just find out.
5. The last of all is deciding where to purchase the processor from. I looked at tigerdirect.com, newegg.com, Circuitcity, CompUSA, and Frys Electronics and found that newegg.com was the cheapest and the most reliable store I would purchase from.
INSTALLATION :
The installation was simple and painless as usual like all other AMD processors. I recommended to the customer that I would get the best mother board for the money, so I purchased the Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard to go with this processor (after all I have been using this for a couple of months now). The easy installation guide that is in the box comes in handy if you are doing this for the first time, but since I have installed so many of these, I do not need the manual anymore. But the guide clearly helps you step-by-step on what to do to install your processor properly.
After installing the processor, you can either choose to install the stock heat sink (which is also perfectly good if you do not plan to overclock) or one of your favorites that will always keep you processor cool and performing at its best. I installed the stock heat sink and fan in this system because the customer was not going to overclock (there was a budget). I was also not going to risk damaging anything (I do not want a return job). One tip I would like to give you if you are planning to install it yourself; use Arctic Silver thermal grease when installing the heat sink because it provided better cooling power (I can say this from experience).
Usually when you put together a new system and boot-up for the first time, you would probably have to clear your CMOS to make sure you start out with a clean system. But I was already starting out with a clean system; everything was new. I then installed Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP2 which works great with these processors. One thing to keep in mind when booting for the first time is to keep an eye on the processor temperature (especially if you overclocked and used a different heat sink). This is just so you can prevent your motherboard and processor from frying like French fries.
After installing the operating system, go into the CMOS settings once again to configure it the way you want it to work. I usually put a password so kids cannot easily get to the settings. Of course I give this password to the customer (I use one password for all so I can remember it), but the customer can always change it if they want.
THE FEATURES I LIKE :
I like all AMD processors over any Intel because these processors run smoothly and are very customizable (overclockable in geek terms). When I first built my own computer I was upgrading from a very old Intel which was the worst I have ever had. So now I try to setup my customers with the best possible system they can afford. Some want the very best like the AMD Athlon FX or AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors and some like to go the low budget way. But I still try to give them the best for their money.
Like I have said before, I really like the Cool N' Quiet feature that helps to reduce fan noise and power consumption by the processor. It automatically changes the processor and fan (if applicable) speeds when the processor is not being used that much; it reduces the processor and the heat sink fan(s) speed to reduce the amount of heat and noise generated.
Other than these newer technologies the processor supports the standard Athlon 64 features like SSE2, and a 1600MHz front side bus. I am currently waiting for the X2 processor price to go down a bit to upgrade my 4000+.
MY EXPERIENCE :
I have used this processor in this new system for less than a week now and it has not given me any problems. My customer has now used it for one full weeks and he has not experienced any problems yet either. It does not overheat (I did not overclock it) ever. The customer did like the faster processing capabilities of this processor because he used to have an Intel based computer which was slow because it was a couple years old.
I did not perform any benchmarks on this processor because I did not have enough time as the customer the new system as soon as possible. Therefore, I would not be able to provide any scores. I think this would be the case for all the processors I use for my customers; they all seem to be in a hurry of some kind.
SOME SPECIFICATIONS :
Architecture: 90 nanometers
Processor Type: Athlon 64
Socket Type: Socket 939
Clock Speed: 1.8 GHz
Performance Index: 3000+
L2 Cache Size: 512 KB
L1 Cache Size: 128 KB
Max Temperature: 70 °C
Included Devices: Cooling Fan & Heat Sink
Processor Features: 64-bit Instruction Set Support & HyperTransport Technology
Processor Instruction Set: Intel MMX, SSE, & SSE2
Platform: PC
MY FINAL THOUGHTS :
My customer used to have an Intel based computer (I volunteered to dispose it properly) that was fast and state of the art computer, at that time. Just last week I built a new 1.8 GHz system that blows most other systems to dust. My customer has not complained about any speed problems or the system hanging for any reason yet and I am absolutely sure it will stay that way. Of all the AMD based systems I have built so far, non of them have crashed or died as of yet. I have noticed that the computer boots up really fast, programs startup quickly, and the games run smooth. And on top of that, this system is ready for the future with 64-Bit capability.
SOME OF MY RELATED REVIEWS :
Asus A8V Deluxe Motherboard
Asus A7N8X Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 4000+ CPU
AMD Athlon 64 3400+ CPU
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ CPU
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ CPU
AMD Sempron 3000+ CPU
HP OfficeJet 7310 All-In-One
Xerox WorkCentre 470CX InkJet Printer
Samsung SyncMaster 763MB 17" CRT Monitor
Gateway EV 910 19" CRT Monitor
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse
Kingwin Inc. Mutant X ATX Mid-Tower Case
Olympus Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom Digital Camera
Copyright vchand 2005, All rights reserved.
Recommended:
Yes
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vchand
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Member: Vic
Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 177
Trusted by: 103 members
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