Introduction
By now, you've probably heard of AMD's latest Socket-939 processor which promises better performance as it offers built-in dual-channel DDR400 memory controllers. If you've always wanted to build a system with 64-bit computing capabilties, there's no better time to do so than with AMD's latest range of Socket-939 processors. Offering excellent performance and features at an affordable price range, AMD's Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX processors will give users what they have always wanted - a revolutionary piece of technology for tomorrow's computing needs
In this DIY guide, we will cover the necessary basics and steps to successfully build your own Athlon 64 system. Since this is a new platform, we're pretty sure most beginners would find a guide useful. Of course, basics like how to mount and install a DVD-ROM drive or floppy drive will not be covered as we will assume that you already know how to do them - at least from our previous guides. You'll only find all the essential information needed pertaining to building a system based on the new Socket-939 processor and they should be adequate to get you started.
Before we begin, let's run through some of the available Socket-939 processors available from AMD. Note that the list here is not exhaustive since AMD will release new processor speeds from time to time. What is provided in the table below is correct at the time of publication.
Technical Specifications of Socket-939 Processors
Processor |
Athlon 64 |
Athlon 64 |
Athlon 64 FX |
Model No. |
3500+ |
3800+ |
FX-53 |
Processor Frequency |
2.2GHz |
2.4GHz |
2.4GHz |
L1 Cache |
128KB |
128KB |
128KB |
L2 Cache |
512KB |
512KB |
1024KB (1MB) |
Memory Type |
Unbuffered dual-channel DDR400, DDR333, DDR266
or DDR200 memory |
Memory Bandwidth |
Up to 6.4GB/s @ 400MHz |
HyperTransport Bandwidth |
Up to 8.0GB/s @ 2.0GHz - bi-directional |
No. of HyperTransport Links |
1 non-coherent HyperTransport link |
3D and Multimedia Instructions |
3DNow! Professional technology, SSE2 |
Instruction Set |
AMD64 (64-bit) and x86 ISA (32-bit) |
No. of Transistors |
68.5 million |
68.5 million |
105.9 million |
Process Technology |
130nm, SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) technology |
Voltage |
1.50V |
1.50V |
1.50V |
Thermal Design Power |
89W |
89W |
89W |
Pricing* |
US$500 |
US$720 |
US$799 |
* Pricing as at 1 June 2004 for 1,000-unit tray quantities.