Is anyone else disapointed by the Sempron or is it just me?

[Fozzie]

I've been helping a bud put together a lower end server computer for playing around with W2K3 server and it really seems like there are no good priced processors for the Socket A platform anymore. I was looking myself at making a basic HTPC system and I was originally looking at Socket A, but I'm leaning towards Celeron D now.

Original Athlon XP's are getting harder to find and more and more expensive. Anyone else find the Sempron to be a losing value?

Any hopes of a price drop?

 

[Brian48]

I don't understand what the problem is. Is the concern just the price? The Sempron and original AthlonXP is virtually identical so if one is more expensive than the other, just get the cheaper one. I have a Sempron in two backup boxes and I think the price/performance ratios is great consider how well they o/c.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Brian48
I don't understand what the problem is. Is the concern just the price? The Sempron and original AthlonXP is virtually identical so if one is more expensive than the other, just get the cheaper one. I have a Sempron in two backup boxes and I think the price/performance ratios is great consider how well they o/c.

he's probably running on the AsRock IGP mobo w/ 128 megs of pc1600 using a Conner 1 gb hd

 

[Machine350]

I've built a couple of systems using the Sempron. It's worked great so far. It seems to be a pretty good chip for the price.

 

[Macro2]

The Sempron pretty much wipes the floor with the Celeron D.

The 3100+ is A64 based with the 64bit capability turned off.

The lower speeds are AthlonXP based and are equivalent to an AthlonXP less 400 PR points. ie Sempron 2800 = AthlonXP 2400. BUT they can be over clocked back up.

Compare the Sempron 2800+ to a Celeron D 2800 and the Sempron spanks it badly.

As for pricing. Yep...Finally AMD is making some money. Their ASPs are definitely up. Maybe you pay a little more for a better chip. Not just because it's not AMD. (Intel)

 

[DaveSimmons]

It's just you.

Sempron offers much better value than Celeron D, whether for servers, HTPC, or light gaming. For gaming you can even use a cheap nf2 motherboard with built-in gf4 mx level graphics, then use the AGP slot to upgrade if you want more power. Intel onboard graphics wouldn't even run half the games Anandtech tried in a recent review, even at 640x480 minimum quality.

Sure, the Sempron "+" numbers are maybe +300 of what they should be for comparing to a P4, but they match up well against Celeron performance, even against the slightly less awful 533 FSB Celerons.

 

[VTrider]

Yeah I agree, Semprons are basically old Athlon XPs - they are not bad CPUs at all. Guess its the fact that they are being toted as the new 'value' chip, but AMD doesn't really make a 'value' chip anymore - remember the Duron? Now that was a 'value' chip.

 

[Abix]

Its just you.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: VTrider
Yeah I agree, Semprons are basically old Athlon XPs - they are not bad CPUs at all. Guess its the fact that they are being toted as the new 'value' chip, but AMD doesn't really make a 'value' chip anymore - remember the Duron? Now that was a 'value' chip.

The Sempron is the new Duron though, except it's even better and doesn't cost as much as an AXP

now if all you want is low price, maybe try ebaying a used CPU like an XP1700 or something, or even a Duron. I almost bought a Duron that was $15 "buy now" I thought why the hell not, that's a totally usable CPU for pocket change.. heh.

 

[biostud]

Pentium M for HTPC IMHO

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: biostud
Pentium M for HTPC IMHO

Not for the price they are asking for the P-M chips right now.

 

[Fozzie]

Its not that I really like the Celeron's, I know I came off as a bit of a troll. But I'm just miffed that AMD lowered the actual clock speeds on the Sempron compared with the original Athlon XP's and didn't really lower the prices to compare. For example, the Sempron 2600+ is 1.8Ghz and the Athlon XP 2600 was 2.13Ghz. Not a good trade off! I didn't really mean to compare the Sempron to the Celeron D's but rather that the Sempron's aren't as good of a value compared with the Athlon XP's before the Sempron came out.

Anyway I think most people here have moved on to the Athlon 64 so no one really wants to talk about lowly Sempron's...

 

[Markfw]

Well, when you can get a 3200+ Athlon64 and retail HSF and motherboard for under $200, why bother going with anything less ? (Fry's deals)

 

[Brian48]

For example, the Sempron 2600+ is 1.8Ghz and the Athlon XP 2600 was 2.13Ghz. Not a good trade off!

The Sempron 2600+ runs at 333mhz FSB, the AthlonXP 2600 runs at 266mhz, both can o/c to 200mhz. Seems like apples and oranges to me.