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The
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ was the fastest processor I had until I upgraded to
my new AMD Athlon 64
4000+ which is furious. I had used this processor in my first built
system for about six to eight months and during that time I never had any
problems with it. I will try my best to get all of the most helpful information
on this review, but since it is my second about processors I may still leave
some information out (using the same layout). Please forgive me for any mistakes
and do advice me for improvements.
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 easy even though it was my first time building my own
system from scratch. I had read the instruction and other resources on how to
safely install processors and I think that helped me a lot the first time. I
purchased the Asus A7N8X
motherboard to go with this processor since I only heard good things
about Asus from one of my friends. The easy installation guide that is in the
box comes in handy if you are doing this for the first time. The guide helps you
get setup step-by-step on what to do to properly install you processor.
After installing the processor, you can either choose to install the stock (I
did get the heatsink even though it was unboxed) heat sink (which is 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. This will keep your processor performing at its best
even if you overclock it.
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, but that
is not always the case. Just install your operating system of choice or if you
already have an operating system installed, 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 or overclocked).
I did not have any problems installing or booting with this processor at all
because everything was simple and easy. One thing I would like to mention is
that the default speed set by AMD on this processor is 1100 MHz, so you have to
go and change the CMOS settings to get it up to its recommended 1.8 GHz (1800
GHz) speed. Other than that I had no problems with installing this processor and
using it right away. I did not have to install an operating system after
installing because Windows XP had no problem working with this processor at all.
THE FEATURE I LIKE :
When I think about it, I only seem to like one feature the most about this
processor. I like the way this processor overclocks and if you have ever used an
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ (desktop or mobile), you will know that this processor is an
overclockers dream come true. I know that overclocking can damage your
processor, but it was only about $170 and I was willing to risk it. I was able
to safely increase the speed from 1.8GHz to 2.22 GHz; that is an amazing 400 MHz
increase in performance. This speed was equivalent to that of an
AMD Athlon XP 3200+
(that is what my computer thought was installed).
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE :
I had used this processor for about six to eight months and it had notgiven me
any problems. It did not overheat ever as I install my ThermalTake Silent Tower
heatsink to keep it cool since I overclocked. Getting this processor was like
getting a Corvette after driving a
Corolla
for years. The speed is exhilarating, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming.
I performed some benchmarks with 3DMark 03 and 3DMark 05. I got a score of 6573
for 3DMark 03 and 1678 on 3DMark 05 (actual data). These benchmarks are accurate
as of September 10th, 2005.
My computer ran way faster than my old Pentium 133 MHz and provides me with a
great deal of reliability. I was running Windows XP Pro SP2 and Fedora Linux on
my computer and even with two operating system installations on one hard drive,
this processor did not hesitate to perform at its best. Fedora Linux runs smooth
and without any problems.
FINAL THOUGHTS :
I used to have an Intel Pentium based computer (my first computer) that my data
bought back in 1998. It was fast (133MHz); at that time it was a state of the
art computer. In 2003, I finally got tired of that old guy and decided it was
time for me to upgrade to a much faster computer, so I built my very first
system (2.2GHz); which also was fast in its time. The AMD Athlon XP 2500+ was
one of the best overclockers out in the market; I think it still is one of the
best. Even though I have upgraded from this processor, I only have good
experiences to share. |
