How do you know what AMD CPU you will get?

[goatcheese]

According to this page:
http://www17.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030210/barton-09.html

if you buy an Althon XP 1700+ to 2100+, it could be any one of three different chips!

Is this really the case, or are pretty much all of the honest dealers selling the same chips at this point (meaning no more Palomino's)?

If the chips are in retail packaging, how do you tell if you are holding a Palomino, T-Bred A, or T-Bred B (without breaking the seal, assuming there is one)?

What if they are in OEM packaging?

Finally (sorry for all the q's!), does it really matter?

 

[MeTaLrOcKeR]

Yes this is true.....

Palomino: XP 1500+ - 2100+
Thoroughbred 'A': XP 1700+ - 2200+
Thoroughbred 'B': XP 1700+ - 2800+

How can u tell ?? Well first off in a retial package its easy to tell as when u flip the package to the backside u can clearly see the CPU.....now if it looks like a Square and there is writting imprinted onto the actual DIE of the CPU itself than its a Palomino......... (This ALSO Applies to OEM CPU's)

If it looks more rectangular than it is a Thoroughbred....how to tell if its an A or B ?? well ull notice there will be a sticker on the opposite side of where the AMD Logo apears on the CPU....that Sticker will read something liek the following...

AMD Athlon XP
AXDA1700xxxx (x is just a filler it will have #'s or letters there)
AIUG<b>A</b> That is the STEPPING of the CPU...in this case its a Thoroughbred 'A' notice the letter A at the end of the 5 digits ??? Thats the stepping of my T-Bred 1800+......

A Thoroughbred 'B' CPU will show something like this...

AMD Athlon XO
AXDA1700xxxx
JIUH<b>B</b> Notice the letter B at the end of the 5 digits ??? that indicates its a Thoroughbred 'B' type.....eventually all AXP's NON-BARTON will be Thoroughbred B's as AMD No longer makes T-Bred A's or palomino's......essentially all T-Bred B's r downclocked 2800+'s......thats why they overclock so well....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>

 

[ad_rach]

Go <A HREF="http://www.overclockers.com/tips00173/" target="_new">here</A> to see how to tell which it is by looking at the manufacturers code they give on the retailers' websites.This way you can tell before you buy it.

no matter how hard you try, you can't polish a turd. :]

 

[goatcheese]

Thank you SO much for the great info. Hopefully in retail packaging I will be able to see the important side of the chip (with the letters).

I now see that the LAST LETTER of the bottom row is what indicates the stepping. By the way, according to:
http://www.overclockers.com/tips00246/

It seems like the chips with "A"'s as the first letter, and "B"'s as the last letter are the best chips right now.

In other words, something with the markings:

AMD Athlon XP
xxxxSPEEDxxxx
AxxxB

would be the best chip. (Where the x's don't make a hill of bean's worth of difference.)

Am I putting the pieces of the puzzle together correctly? Or am I way off?

 

[jimbo99]

Edit: After reading further my post seemed redundant.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Jimbo99 on 02/14/03 05:50 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[MeTaLrOcKeR]

What ur saying is correct except it doesnt matter if it has an 'A' at the begining....JIUH<b>B</b> 1700
+'s and etc. r overclocking to 2800+ and beyond speeds with ease....

just get a chip with the letter 'B' at the end..thats all that matters....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>