Thread,
Sharky 850 review.
sharkyextreme.com
Here are a couple of quotes (check out the full speed cache rumor!!!!):
So when should we expect to see the new breed of processors (with an on-die cache) to emerge? Rumor has it that processors with a full speed cache and copper interconnects will start showing up roughly the same time as VIA's KX133 chipset sees the light of day. As the third quarter approaches, there is a good chance that the 1GHz mark will be broken by "air-cooled" CPUs. We're getting ahead of ourselves though so let's take a closer look at the subject at hand.
[...]
Here we see both the Athlon 850 and the Athlon 800 outpacing Intel's Coppermine 800 (which is still nearly impossible to purchase on its own). Of course, with newer games on the market, it is more useful to benchmark with a cutting-edge application. Enter: Quake III.
[...]
Performing within a frame of the hard-to-find PIII 800MHz Coppermine, AMD's Athlon 850 shows it's more than capable in older software as well the most cutting edge first person shooters. Considering that, in order to reproduce the i820 scores, RDRAM must be used, AMD's Athlon looks even more appealing on a value level.
Once the Athlons with on-die cache start arriving, expect these numbers to be significantly higher.
[...]
Unfortunately for Bruce Hornsby, some things will never change; luckily, we endure a superior fate. For years Intel has boasted the most compelling CPU on the market with their Pentium II and III processors. An unanticipated comeback by AMD has given Intel a reason to pause, and now the baton has changed hands. Competition has forced both manufacturers to release faster processors in shorter time intervals and for less money.
With DDR RAM, full-speed L2 cache incorporated into the die, a 266MHz FSB and the upcoming KX133 chipset on the way, the future of AMD's Athlon is looking better than ever.
-Scot |
