need some clarity on AMD's processor lineup

[Bruck]

AMD Athlon 64 3800 512mb L2 cache

3800+

AMD Athlong 64 3700 1mb L2 cache

3700+

It seems that AMD makes a 3400 in both 1mb and 512k L2 cache as well.


Can anyone explain why they would do this? Are these different versions of the chips intended for different sockets? Why would their fastest processor for the Athlon 64. On AMD's site they show that only the 3700 comes with 1mb of L2 cache, but on newegg a bunch of the other A 64 chips have either 512 or 1mb or just 1mb.

If someone could shed clarity on the subject that would be great, also why would Anand leave the 3700 with 1mb l2 cache out of their doom 3 system tests.. considering that the 3800 got an incredible score i'd be intested to see if the 3700 was even more powerful.

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

the clawhammer core was the original for socket 754. they all had 1mb l2 cache and were introduced in 3200, 3400, and 3700 and later 3000 models i think. amd's next revision cut the cache down to 512 cause they realized that with the onboard memory controller, cache size wasn't that important. these were called newcastles and came out in all the previous models and 2800. the newcastles have an extra 200 mhz and 512 less l2 cache than their clawhammer counterparts. generally newcasstles are supposed to perform better than the same model clawhammer.

the socket 939 platform has only newcastles I'm pretty sure. they come in 3500 3800 fx51/53 now. soon to have a 3200 i think. these also have a dual channel memory controller which helps a little. the 3500 has the same specs as the 3400 on socket 754, same with 3800 to 3700. they just have higher model numbers because socket 939 performs a little better.

as to doom 3, i agree that the review should have had a 1mb cache 3700 cause that would probly outperform the one they used, maybe even the 3800. they probably just didn't have one though