BayReviews

The AMD Sempron 3000+ was the smoothest and fastest processor that I bought after I got tired of my AMD Athlon XP 2500+.

Even though it was not much of an upgrade (the 2500+ was 1.8GHz and the 3000 is 2.0GHz), I was very happy with it, until I sold it with a system I built for my boss. I will try my best to get all of the most helpful information on this review, but since it is my third review about processors I may miss some information.  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 as easy as always when it comes to AMD processors. I purchased the Asus A7N8X motherboard to go with this processor since I was upgrading from my old AMD Athlon 2500 on the same motherboard. The easy installation guide that is in the box comes in handy if you are doing this for the first time. The guide clearly guides you step-by-step on what to do to properly install you processor.

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 you favorites that will keep you processor cool and performing at its best. One tip I would like to give you if you are planning to install it yourself; use Arctic Silver thermal grease when installing the heatsink.

Now when you boot-up for the first time with this processor, you would probably have to clear your CMOS to make sure you start out with a clean system. Then just install your operating system or if you already have an operating system install, just boot up. One thing to keep in mind when booting for the first time is to keep an eye on the processor temperature (specially if you used a different heatsink and overclocked).

I did not have any trouble booting the first time because the Athlon 2500 and the Sempron 3000 are very similar and did not require much changes to the system.