New CPU

[Timmeh]

I'm going to buy a new CPU, and I think I've decided what one to get. However, theres a couple of things I'm confused about. Look here.

Now, I'm assuming (maybe wrongly) that the XP rating is the equiivalent of P4 (i.e. an XP2700 is the same speed as a P4 2.7). Now what are these figures in brackets?? Are they the true speed? If that's the case, why is the XP2600 faster than the XP2700 (2.08 Ghz opposed to 2 Ghz)?

Also, what the difference between a normal Athlon and a "Barton"?

 

[cow123]

im guessing thats a typo, the 2700 runs at 2.13ghz or so

dif between barton and normal athlon xp = 512k L2 cache as opposed to 256k

 

[MangoTBG]

The frontside bus is different. The Barton chips are at 333MHz frontside bus (2x166mhz) where-as the Thoroughbreds run at 266MHz FSB (2x133MHz). Normally when overclocking CPUs you want to get the highest frontside bus as possable. If you have 15x133MHz (1.995 GHz, which I believe is the 2400+) and another CPU, let's say the 1700+, overclocked to 199x10 (1.99 GHz), the one clocked at 1.99 is going to shatter the other one in performance.

So, the Bartons are helped by having 333MHz FSB as opposed to 266MHz

 

[microAmp]

There are two different kinds of 2600+. The difference between the two is it's Front Side Bus (FSB). One has 133 MHz and the other is 166 MHz. The 133 MHz FSB one has a true speed 2.13 GHz, while the 166 MHz FSB has a true speed of 2.08 GHz. The 2700+ has only one kind with the 166 MHz FSB.

All 3 processers above have 256 KB L2 cache, I didn't see any that have 512 KB L2 cache.

AMD has a formula that dictates the Model number they use. AMD believes that the added FSB and a decreased clock speed will make it have the same model number and perform the same.

Same goes with the added 512 KB L2 cache and 200 MHz FSB like their 3200+ (2.2 GHz).