Duron (Applebre) or Sempron (T-Bred)?

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Before you cry "MORE CACHE!", read the cpu's intended application.

I plan on building a modrate PC for my uncle. Its main use will be internet, mp3 ipod 'base', and a bit of gaming. The vid card I plan on using will be a 9600 Pro or 9600 N/P (which to use won't be discussed here), so obviously not a killer gaming rig. The board will be an NF7-S, mainly because I prefer it AND it has usb2.0 & firewire for my cousin's ipod.

First off, the main reason for the question is because the Sempron is 166mhz FSB and the multiplier can't be raised. The 1.6ghz duron almost the same price as the 1.5ghz Sempron, but, from what I can see, has an unlocked multiplier and also has a 133mhz FSB. I was planning on getting PC3200 ram for 200FSB (max I'd set it to, regardless), which would only let the Sempron OC to 1.8ghz, whereas the Duron can OC to 2.4ghz with the stock multi (good if it is infact locked). This Madshrimps page shows that when not using the code optomizations that the Duron is nearly the same as the 133FSB T-Bred core.

So doing the math, a 2.2-2.4ghz Duron should outperform a 1.8ghz Sempron in the vast majority of tasks this PC will perform, right? I'd also assume that when the two cpu's are set at their respective speeds where performance was the same, the Duron would put out less heat since it has less cache, wouldn't it?


Your thoughts are welcome, despite the fact that this PC's goals are price and heat over raw power. Also, with the Duron I can claim even greater future upgradablility.
 
i wouldn't know for sure, but the duron is gonna run a lot warmer than the sempron, esp if it's clocked that much higher.
my advice? get a cheap mobile barton. you'll be glad you did, plus they oc wickedly, and have better performance at the same clock
 
The prob with the barton is that it would basicly religate the vid card to a 9200, since the budget doesn't allow for an extra $50 tossed to a better cpu *and* cpu cooler. As for the heat output, I was wondering about it when both cpu's are at the performance level (so when the duron clock is ~5% higher), not their max OC.

I guess what it really depends on is if anyone has physically seen the difference themself what a duron and sempron perform like on the desktop.
 
I say the sempron because it has a better architect than the duron.. Plus those extra instructions (sse2) helps out a bit...
 
I have had one of these in my sons comp for about a year. Duron On stock hsf the only thing i did was change fsb from 133 to 166 on the mobo (biostar m7vig). Processor runs almost at 2ghz never had temp creep above 45C even running prime for 8 hours. On the other hand I just built 2 computers that I sold with semprons and did nothing to them completely stock and both are getting rma'd because the totally fried. I'm happy with the duron but the semprons have got some serious sucking up to do for me to like em.

Edit: This is used as a secondary gaming rig when my friends come over. Has a 9200se. Runs Farcry, Doom3 and Warcraft3 very good. My one bud has no computer so he uses it when we go to lan parties. Maybe I got lucky but its a good rig for the 300$ I spent on parts.
 
Don't give overclocked CPUs to other people - you're just asking for trouble down the line.
 
Applebred = Athlon from "the cache is busted save for rainy day bin"
Sempron = Athlon from the "let's clear out the old stock as a Sempron bin"

Socket A Sempron has SSE1 Applebred has SSE1...

If price is the limiting factor, get a Duron 1800, it's really just an AXP2200+ with a reduced cache, either because the cache was faulty or the market demand was higher for a bargain cpu at the time so it was neutured..

MD
 
darktiger said:
I say the sempron because it has a better architect than the duron.. Plus those extra instructions (sse2) helps out a bit...
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you're thinking of the socket754 sempron's that are just a64's with a dysfunctional cache/64bit section
the sempron for socketA is a t-bred with a new name. i feel the bartons are far better, but if buying a really cheap cpu, i would have to say that the sempron is the way to go. 64kb of cache is just not enough, even for the K7
 
Arent the XP based Semprns priced poorly in lieu of the AXP-M's? My understanding is the move allows them to price closer to celerons with the renaming and XP-M's (while they last) are the only XP's in town for people that know what they are buying.

and yes... besides the 3100+ sempron for socket754, none of these chips (Sempron, Duron (those based on applebred), AXP's, and AXP-M's) have different architectures than the other.

edit: Ok so I guess the sempron 2200+ is priced moderately below the XP-M's but thats it. Semprons have come down.
 
If you're interested you can download the Sempron data sheets from AMD...nothing really different except how the bridges are configured...

MD
 
ameoba said:
Don't give overclocked CPUs to other people - you're just asking for trouble down the line.
Click to expand...
exactly what i was gonna say, it will mess up sometime and you'll be mr. IT for life. just get them something decent that wont mess up when it needs new thermal paste and youll be thankful down the road ;)
 
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