From an overall performance standpoint, the Athlon XP 3200+ did exceptionally well, and has really taken it to the high-end of the Pentium 4 533 MHz line. This is especially impressive, in that the move to a 400 MHz FSB and synchronous dual-DDR400 memory has yielded performed greater than even the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz running on the ultra-powerful i875P platform. Intel has long enjoyed the luxury of high-end, dual-channel memory platforms like the i850E and E7205, and by furnishing the nForce2 with a 400 MHz Athlon XP processor, AMD is finally able to enter that elite club.
On the flip side of the coin is the Pentium 4-3.0C 800 MHz FSB processor, and when paired with an i875P motherboard, it still holds the top slot in the performance hierarchy. The Athlon XP 3200+ does surpass it in a few benchmarks and challenge it in even more, but just falls shy of the overall crown. The i875P is positioned as high-end performance/workstation platform and things should get even more interesting once we compare the nForce2 against the mainstream Springdale later this month.
The Athlon XP 3200+ is available upon release, which should make some power users quite happy. AMD's current 1KU price on the Athlon XP 3200+ is $464, and street prices aren't much higher, checking in at between $465 and $480. This compares to the Athlon XP 3000+ at approximately $310 and the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz and 2.8 GHz at $370 and $260 respectively. In this range, the Athlon XP 3200+ represents an average deal, especially since it exhibits higher performance than the 3.06 GHz Pentium 4. It's still a bit higher priced than we'd like to see, and even the uber-costly Pentium 4-3.0C checks in only slightly higher at $510. Also keep in mind that initial AMD pricing is usually high, and then falls over the forthcoming weeks.
* Please note that these prices were taken at the time of review and are not meant to reflect long-term trends.
The Athlon 64 desktop CPU might still be a while off, but AMD has kept our interest through a series of impressive Athlon XP core and front-side bus improvements. The Athlon XP 3000+ Barton gave enthusiasts the requisite high-end option, and now with the Athlon XP 3200+ and its 400 MHz front-side bus, the performance circle is now complete. AMD has the high-end processor to take Intel on, and the nForce2 finally has the 400 MHz FSB to really show off its performance architecture.
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