2.0GHz vs. 2.60GHz

[theproffessor]

Was looking at the new X2 price cuts on various sites and it had me wondering... is there any major differences between a AMD X2 3800+ and an AMD X2 5000+. With my limited knowledge, it just seems that the speed is the only difference, and if that's the case couldn't you just overclock the 3800+ to run as fast as the 5000+. Please correct me, cause I know there is more going on here.

On a similar note, is there any difference in product when a company will sell a vid card at a low speed, then sell an overclocked version of the same card later?

 

[RichPLS]

The 939 X2-3800 used to have 2x1MB cache, while the AM2 X2-5000 only has 2x512K cache...
but yeah, 600MHz is real difference...

 

[battousai831]

key word in that is used to tho, they now have x2 512k as well

 

[joefriday]

?

I thought the X2 3800 always had 512kb L2 cache per core. That was part of the reason why the Opteron 165 was so popular: with the Opteron you get 1 MB L2 cache per core, in exchange for 200 MHz decrease in clock speed.

 

[snooze2]

i have never understood the logic of overclocking 600mhz and calling it the same as a 5000+, can't you just OC the 5000+ even more like to 3.0 ghz or something, i have no idea. The logic of OC to matching another just allways has confused me.

 

[SidVicious]

The 939 X2-3800 used to have 2x1MB cache, while the AM2 X2-5000 only has 2x512K cache...
but yeah, 600MHz is real difference...

The S939 X2 3800+ never had 2x1MB of cache...

 

[K8MAN]

The 939 X2-3800 used to have 2x1MB cache, while the AM2 X2-5000 only has 2x512K cache...
but yeah, 600MHz is real difference...

The S939 X2 3800+ never had 2x1MB of cache...

?

I thought the X2 3800 always had 512kb L2 cache per core. That was part of the reason why the Opteron 165 was so popular: with the Opteron you get 1 MB L2 cache per core, in exchange for 200 MHz decrease in clock speed.

you are both right.

 

[RichPLS]

Then my bad, maybe I was thinking the Opteron 165 had a X2 equivlant... it ran at 1.8GHz with 2x1MB cache... which should equal performance of the X2-3800 right?