The best chipset for the old Athlon (aka Classic) is the VIA Apollo KX133 (not the KT133), although the AMD 750 and 751 chipsets (aka Irongate) are also compatible.
For the new Athlon (aka Thunderbird) and Duron the preferred chipset is the VIA Apollo KT133 (not the KX133), although the AMD 750 and 751 chipsets (aka Irongate) are also compatible.
The old Athlon comes only in the Slot A format. The new Athlon (aka Thunderbird) comes in either Slot A or Socket A format. The new Duron comes only in the Socket A format.
Slot A format means the CPU comes encased in a black plastic cartridge. Socket A format means that the CPU comes as a bare chip with pins sticking out of the bottom. The Slot A format will eventually be phased out, since their is no funtional reason for a PCB/cartridge format now that the new Athlon and Duron CPU's L2 memory cache is physically integratod onto the processor die.
If you are buying a Thunderbind or Duron you should get a Socket A version and match it to a Socket A motherboard based on the newer VIA Apollo KT133 chipset. You should not get a Slot A Thunderbird and put it into a Slot A board based on the VIA Apollo KX133 chipset, which there are reports of people doing with mixed success (see
http://www.athlonoc.com/slottbird_1.htm ). You may put a Slot A Thunderbird in a Slot A motherboard based on the AMD 750 or 751 chipsets.
Note that AMD "does not recommend or support use of Socket A to Slot A adapters with any of the Socket A versions of the AMD [new] Athlon [Thunderbird] or AMD Duron processors. Use of such adapters may void the product warranty."
Clear as mud, huh?
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