A Closer look at the “Manchester” Processor

One of the outstanding CPUs to come from the halls of AMD manufacturing firm is Athlon 64 3800. This dual core processor which runs at 2.4GHz and has an L2 cache of 512K for each of the cores is also significantly cheaper than the other dual core products on the market. Rarely expected of a dual core processor, the Athlon 64 3800 offers a price and performance combo that is hard to beat in the world of dual core computing.

Code-named “Manchester”, the 3800 model has other features that add to its performance. Unlike previous processors where the cache was sometimes disabled for one reason or another, the Athlon 64 3800 comes with the complete cache being accessible. In addition, it has an 89W thermal power rating needed to cool it compared to 110W rating of the 4800. Compared to this chip, the Manchester core is much smaller, runs much cooler and comes cheaper. The processor however fits in the same socket much like any other processor in the 939 slot. It is generally an upgrade option for the Athlon 64 systems owners. However make sure that your motherboard supports this processor before purchasing it.

The Athlon 64 3800 extends the x2 line of processors to become the most affordable. The 3800 dual core competition from Intel can be compared to the Pentium D 830. The built-in memory controller and the dual DDR400 memory channels allow the 3800 to have a reasonably fast memory subsystem. While its gaming performance is obviously not stellar compared to 4800 Athlon models, it is much better than any Pentium 4 or Pentium D processor including the Extreme Edition 3.73GHz.

Athlon 64 3800 uses the AMD64 technology core that allows for leading-edge performance for 32-bit and 64-bit computing with additional 64-bit internal registers that improve computing performance. It also comes with enhanced Virus protection that offers extra protection when enabled. Other features include HyperTransport technology for high speed input output communication that can run up to 8GB/s, a low-latency memory controller and support for applications utilizing SSE,SSE2,SSE3 and MMX instruction sets.

The Direct Connect Architecture built in Athlon’s native 32-bit and 64-bit computing model results in no degradation in performance since the inherently front-side bus system, a common bottleneck, is eliminated resulting in optimized memory bandwidth and access to main memory at processor speed. Clearly, the Athlon 64 3800 CPU gives its users a broad range of options for optimizing their system usage and performance.