The current street price for the Duron 950 is approximately $56, so we can expect the new Duron 1 GHz to have a higher price tag as well. Where exactly this ends up is an open question, since the street price of an AMD processor is usually well below what is on their stated price list. Currently, the AMD price list tags the Duron 950 at $74 and Duron 1 GHz at $89. This rates out to a $15 premium for the 1 GHz Duron according to AMD, and this difference may well bear out in the initial retail prices as well.
If so, then this price brings the Duron 1 GHz uncomfortably close to the Athlon 1 GHz, a situation that the previous Duron 950 knew all to well. It's tough to give a true value rating before accurate street prices are available, but if the Duron 1 GHz comes in under the Athlon 1 GHz, then it will be a very attractive option for a value PC. If not, then we may have to wait for price equalization to take place, much as we did with the Duron 950.
Once again AMD raises the ante for an entry-level processor and adds a few new features to boot. The prospect of upgrading an existing Duron system to the new Duron 1 GHz is a difficult one, and depends a lot on what speed of processor you currently have. For new system buyers interested in a Duron-based computer, we recommend buying the newer model even at the slight price premium. To put it bluntly, it is a faster CPU for not much more money. But looking a bit deeper, we also feel that for both multimedia applications and 3D gaming, having a processor capable of SSE simply makes the Duron 1 GHz a bit more future-proof than buying one without it.
Vince Freeman
Editor
Highs:
- SSE and Data Prefetch
- Still lower heat than Athlon
- AMD's value processor get faster
Lows:
- 1.75V core voltage?
- Getting too close to Athlon prices
- Not enough juice for current Duron users to upgrade