Pricing: TBA (we expect ~US$105 )

Availability: TBA

While Intel is idling in the slow lane with their FSB hobbled Celeron 700MHz, AMD is cruising by in the diamond lane with their new 800MHz Duron. In their usual style, AMD has pumped the Duron clock up 50MHz in order to reach 800MHz. 800MHz on a budget without even overclocking? AMD good! We took a Duron 800MHz, put it through a battery of tests, bent it to our will, and analyzed how it performed to bring you this review today. Read on to find out how it went.

The Duron 800MHz CPU contains 25million transistors and takes up 100mm^2 of die space. In comparison, the Thunderbird contains 37 million transistors and takes up 120mm^2 of die space. The Duron is being manufactured on a .18 micron aluminum interconnect process at AMD's Fab 25 in Austin, Texas. This is alongside AMD's aluminum Thunderbirds. Like the AMD Thunderbird, the Duron will use the new Socket A form factor. Socket A is less expensive than Slot A to manufacture, and also allows for more flexible system designs since it lies flat on the motherboard instead of sticking out. There will be no Slot A Duron at all so you will not be able to use a VIA KX133 based motherboard with the Duron.