Keeps going and going and...
Overall
Summary
Cheap and smooth processor…
Pros
Overclockable, Reliable, and Smooth!
Cons
None that I found.
The AMD Sempron 3000+ was the smoothest and fastest processor that I bought after I got tired of my AMD Athlon XP 2500+. Even though it was not much of an upgrade (the 2500+ was 1.8 GHz and the 3000+ is 2.0 GHz), I was very happy with it, until I sold it with a system I built for my boss. I will try my best to get all of the most helpful information on this review, but since it is my third review about processors I may miss some information.
INSTALLATION
The installation was as easy as always when it comes to AMD processors. I purchased the Asus A7N8X motherboard to go with this processor since I was upgrading from my old AMD Athlon 2500+ on the same motherboard. The easy installation guide that is in the box comes in handy if you are doing this for the first time. The guide clearly guides you step-by-step on what to do to properly install your processor.
After installing the processor, you can either choose to install the stock heat sink (which is also perfectly good if you do not plan to overclock) or one of the favorites that will keep you processor cool and performing at its best. One tip I would like to give you if you are planning to install it yourself; use Arctic Silver thermal grease when installing the heat-sink.
Now when you boot-up for the first time with this processor, you would probably have to clear your CMOS to make sure you start out with a clean system. Then just install your operating system or if you already have an operating system install, just boot up. One thing to keep in mind when booting for the first time is to keep an eye on the processor temperature (especially if you used a different heat-sink and overclocked). I did not have any trouble booting the first time because the Athlon 2500+ and the Sempron 3000+ are very similar and did not require many changes to the system.
FEATURES I LIKE
When I think about it, I only seem to like one feature the most about this processor. I like the way this processor overclocks and if you have ever used an AMD Athlon XP 2500+ (desktop or mobile), you will know that this processor is an overclocker’s dream come true just like the 2500+. I know that overclocking can damage your processor, but it was only about $125 and I was willing to risk it. I was able to safely increase the speed from 2.0 GHz to 2.4 GHz; that is an amazing 400 MHz increase in performance.
EXPERIENCE
I have had this processor for just over seven months when I sold it and it had not yet given me any problems. It did not overheat (even when it was overclocked to 2.4 GHz) ever. I did notice a great difference in speed from the AMD Athlon XP 2500+ that I upgraded from.
I did not perform any benchmarks on this processor, so would not be able to provide any scores. All I can say is that it felt faster and smoother than the 2500+ so I would assume that the scores would have been a bit higher also. My old AMD Athlon XP 2500+ used to get around 6,573 for 3DMark 03 and 1,678 on 3DMark 05 (actual data). These benchmarks are accurate as of September 10th, 2005.
My computer ran faster than my 2500+ and runs smoothly and cooler than also. I had installed Windows XP Pro SP2, and Suse Linux 9.1 on my computer and even with two operating system installations on one hard drive, this processor does not even blink. Suse Linux runs smoothly and without any problems also.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I used to have an Intel Pentium based computer (my first computer) that my data bought back in 1998. It was fast (133 MHz); at that time it was a state of the art computer. In 2003, I finally got tired of that old guy and decided it was time for me to upgrade to a much faster computer, so I built my very first system the Athlon 2500+ (1.8 GHz); which was the fastest in its time and then I upgraded again to 2.0 GHz (AMD Sempron 3000+). It is only a 200 MHz upgrade technically, but when you use it, you will feel like there is a ½ GHz difference. I have noticed major speed enhancements since I upgraded. My computer boots up faster, programs startup faster, and games run smoother. My AMD Athlon XP 2500+ was fast but this AMD Sempron 3000+ is simply amazing!