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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.
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 just like the 2500 . I know that overclocking can
damage your processor, but it was only about $125 and I was willing to risk it.
I was able to safely increase the speed from 2.0GHz to 2.4GHz; that is an
amazing 400 MHz increase in performance.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE :
I have had this processor for just over seven months when I sold it and it had
not yet given me any problems. It did not overheat (even when it was overclocked
to 2.4GHz) ever. I did notice a great difference in speed from the AMD Athlon XP
2500 that I upgraded from.
I did not perform any benchmarks on this processor, so would not be able to
provide any scores. All I can say is that it felt faster and smoother than the
2500 so I would assume that the scores would have been a bit higher also. My old
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ used to get around 6573 for 3DMark 03 and 1678 on 3DMark 05
(actual data). These benchmarks are accurate as of September 10th, 2005.
My computer ran faster than my 2500 and runs smooth and cooler than also. I had
installed Windows XP Pro SP2, and Suse Linux 9.1 on my computer and even with
two operating system installations on one hard drive, this processor does not
even blink. Suse Linux runs smooth and without any problems also.
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 the Athlon 2500 (1.8GHz); which was the fastest in its time and then I
upgraded again to 2.0GHz (Sempron 3000 ). It is only a 200 MHz upgrade
technically, but when you use it, you will feel like there is a 1/2 GHz
difference. I have notice major speed enhancements since I upgraded. My computer
boots up faster, programs startup faster, and games run smoother. My AMD Athlon
XP 2500 was fast but this AMD Sempron 3000 is simply amazing! |
