Introduction:
In the early 2000s, AMD was engaged in a fierce competition with Intel to create faster and more efficient processors. One of the processors that AMD released during this period was the Athlon XP. The Athlon XP was released in 2001, and it was marketed as a faster and more efficient alternative to Intel’s Pentium 4 processor. In this article, we will analyze the Athlon XP processor, providing release day information, and benchmark scores from the software of the time of release.
Release Day Information:
The Athlon XP was released on October 9, 2001. It was available in speeds ranging from 1500 MHz to 2100 MHz. The processor used a Socket A interface, which was compatible with the AMD 760 chipset. The Athlon XP was based on AMD’s Palomino core, which was a refinement of the earlier Thunderbird core. The Palomino core used a 0.18-micron manufacturing process and had a 128 KB L1 cache and a 256 KB L2 cache.
Benchmark Scores:
To evaluate the performance of the Athlon XP, we will analyze benchmark scores from two popular software of the time: SPEC CPU2000 and 3DMark2001.
SPEC CPU2000:
SPEC CPU2000 is a benchmark suite that evaluates the performance of a processor by simulating real-world applications. The suite consists of 12 benchmark programs that simulate tasks such as scientific computing, video encoding, and image processing. The Athlon XP was tested using SPEC CPU2000 in October 2001. The results showed that the Athlon XP was faster than Intel’s Pentium 4 processor in most benchmarks. For example, in the CINT2000 benchmark, the Athlon XP 2100+ scored 1217, while the Pentium 4 2.0 GHz scored 1007. Similarly, in the CFP2000 benchmark, the Athlon XP 2100+ scored 1373, while the Pentium 4 2.0 GHz scored 1114.
3DMark2001:
3DMark2001 is a benchmark suite that evaluates the performance of a graphics card by simulating real-world games. The suite consists of four game-like tests that simulate tasks such as texture mapping, vertex shading, and pixel shading. The Athlon XP was tested using 3DMark2001 in October 2001. The results showed that the Athlon XP was faster than Intel’s Pentium 4 processor in most tests. For example, in the “Game1” test, the Athlon XP 2100+ scored 108 fps, while the Pentium 4 2.0 GHz scored 85 fps. Similarly, in the “Game3” test, the Athlon XP 2100+ scored 50 fps, while the Pentium 4 2.0 GHz scored 39 fps.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the AMD Athlon XP processor was a significant improvement over earlier AMD processors and was a competitive alternative to Intel’s Pentium 4 processor. The processor was released in October 2001 and was available in speeds ranging from 1500 MHz to 2100 MHz. The processor used a Socket A interface, which was compatible with the AMD 760 chipset. Benchmark scores from the software of the time of release showed that the Athlon XP was faster than Intel’s Pentium 4 processor in most tests. Therefore, the Athlon XP was an excellent choice for consumers looking for a faster and more efficient processor.
