Question about my processor

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Since this summer I have an Athlon 64 X2 Dual core 3800+ Processor. I wonder the 3800 in it is it the Ghz or what? It's confusing me, while looking at Jade Empire's System spec, it stipulated a recomendation of a 3.0 Ghz processor and 1.8 minimum. While my Athlon be up to it?

 

Yes. Back in the day, the numbering system indicates the old Intel ghz equivalent. So a 3800 would run the same as say a Pentium 3.8ghz machine. Now that the Pentium is dead, I think it just indicates the ghz equivilent. So, Jade Empire requiring 3.0ghz is within the range of your CPU (which essentially runs at 3.8ghz).

 

No, no, and NO. The numbering system is simply a commercial scam from AMD - nothing more.

I have a similar Athlon X2, the 4600+ and it runs at *2.4* GHz. Even the 6000+ which is currently the fastest X2 runs at *3.0* GHz. There is NO 3.8 processors.

The 3800+ runs at *2.0* GHz.

 

Oh, weren't there? I remember a certain line of Pentium 4 Extreme Editions that suggested otherwise.

Anyway, all this is what makes the numbering system confusing. It was AMD's "commercial scam" to combat Intel's commercial scan (ala friggin high Pentium ratings that were said to pimp out the awesomeness of the processor while in fact indicating squat all).

However, the legacy of this is present on gaming boxes in the form of recommended processor speed. While Jade Empire states that it recommends 3.0ghz (which is completely unrealistic given the mechanics of the game), this rating scale is in no way in touch with reality - it goes back to both companies' unintelligible rating systems (look at how Intel core2duo chips dropped down so dramatically in ghz from the old high end Pentium's). Hence, my affirmation that his CPU could properly manage the requirements of the game was accurate.

Anyway, I have an X2 4200 (very close to yours) and the game runs fine.

[ March 22, 2007, 06:13: Message edited by: Celesialraven ]

 

I have a 2400+ (not dual core of course) and it runs at 2.0GHz... so that kinda reiterates the fact that the numbers have very little to do with it.

 

Okay, just to clear a few things up:
-processor ability is fairly multifactorial, there are a lot of things that determine how good a processor is and the clock speed (measured in gigahertz) is only one of these.
Back in the day of Athlons and Pentiums, Intel worked more on increasing the number of clock cycles per second (and hence higher gagahertz) while Amd worked on pushing more data through per clock cycle (and where hence able to push a similar amount of data through per second as the Pentiums).
To make it easier on the average consumer AMD gave a sort of clock speed equivalent so that their cores were more easily comparable Intel products.

IMHO, this "commercial scam" made things a hell of a lot easier for us, the consumers, as it gave a very accurate single figure point of comparison and eliminated the need to look up sever figures (eg cache, clock speed, front memory bus etc) or bulky benchmark tables. Now the whole cpu market has gone the way of the graphic card market in using brand specific and almost random number allocations that give no relative indication of performance.

To get back to the question, yes, a 3800 should give similar performance to a 3.8Ghz p4 and should be well over the 3.0ghz recommended cpu system requirement (disclaimer - this is not to say the rest of your system will handle it, merely that your cpu should be fine)

 

Oh I should be fine with the other specs, my graphic card is listed in the official list (a GeForce 6600) and I've 2 GO of Ram.

Thanks for the information. I always AMD cpu in the past, I wonder if my next compy should be an Intel?

 

Intel is overrated.

Yeah but this is AMD processors we're talking here, not Intel.

And yes, there is more to a processor than clock speed. L2 cache and front side bus, to name a few all have a big influence.

 

That's not a very good reason not to buy a brand. If it performs better than the competition, then it's the better choice.

 

Bah, looks like the Intel fanboys have invaded another thread. I'm outta here.