AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+

Benchmark Summary: In all but one synthetic benchmark, the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ outperformed the 2.8GHz Pentium D 820 processor. The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor's performance was strongest in our real-world custom in-game tests, and in the 3D rendering tests, but its performance in our encoding tests was very good as well.

We couldn't help but be pleased by the AMD Athlon X2 3800+. With this processor, AMD has expanded their already impressive line of Athlon 64 X2 processors into a price segment that's much more accessible to the average consumer. In lots of 1000, the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ will be priced at $354 at launch, which makes it about $180 cheaper than the Athlon 64 X2 4200, which was the least expensive Athlon 64 X2 processor up until now. That's enough money for a nice motherboard and a good amount of RAM. The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ also proved to be a good performer, besting the Pentium D 820 in just about every test, even though it was at an 800MHz clock speed disadvantage. The X2 3800+ was also a decent overclocker, hitting over 2.5GHz with a standard heatsink and fan, and it ran relatively cool throughout our entire battery of tests. This CPU should also be available immediately, yet another plus. The bottom line is that AMD has just introduced a more affordable dual-core Athlon 64 X2 processor, that compares favorably to their competition's current offerings. And that makes it a success in our book.

•_A More Affordable A64 X2 •_Good Performer •_Runs Cool •_Overclocked Well	•_Not "Cheap" @ $350+

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