BayReviews

I have used so many of these AMD Athlon 64 processors that I would always recommend them to all my customers.

I usually do suggest getting the most out of your money, but in this case the customer insisted on this particular processor. So I had no choice but to use it for the customer’s new system (I had to make the customer happy).

When I finished putting together the system I did not get too much time to test it out and experience it. I only had about 4 days to work with it and test it out. But like any other AMD processor this one also has performed well without any problems or hiccups. It has just been over a week now since the customer had it, and has not yet called to complain about a thing. Please refer to the How to purchase a processor guide for full details on what questions to ask yourself before purchasing a processor.


INSTALLATION :
The installation was simple and painless as usual like all other AMD processors. I recommended to the customer that I would get the best mother board for the money, so I purchased the Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard to go with this processor (after all I have been using this for a couple of months now). The easy installation guide that is in the box comes in handy if you are doing this for the first time, but since I have installed so many of these, I do not need the manual anymore. But the guide clearly helps you step-by-step on what to do to install your processor properly.

After installing the processor, you can either choose to install the stock heat sink (which is also perfectly good if you do not plan to overclock) or one of your favorites that will always keep you processor cool and performing at its best. I installed the stock heat sink and fan in this system because the customer was not going to overclock (there was a budget). I was also not going to risk damaging anything (I do not want a return job). One tip I would like to give you if you are planning to install it yourself; use Arctic Silver thermal grease when installing the heat sink because it provided better cooling power (I can say this from experience).

Usually when you put together a new system and boot-up for the first time, you would probably have to clear your CMOS to make sure you start out with a clean system. But I was already starting out with a clean system; everything was new. I then installed Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP2 which works great with these processors. One thing to keep in mind when booting for the first time is to keep an eye on the processor temperature (especially if you overclocked and used a different heat sink). This is just so you can prevent your motherboard and processor from frying like French fries.

After installing the operating system, go into the CMOS settings once again to configure it the way you want it to work. I usually put a password so kids cannot easily get to the settings. Of course I give this password to the customer (I use one password for all so I can remember it), but the customer can always change it if they want.