Weekly CPU & Video Card Price Guide: 3rd Edition

AMD is the quiet duck in the pond this week, and the prices aren't changing dramatically. We can expect the new 266MHz FSB Thunderbird models to show up online within 10 or so days, but for now the 200MHz FSB 1.2GHz Thunderbird is our pick as the fastest AMD CPU.

Current Thunderbirds are what most people are looking for in a high performance CPU, but the high-end "Classic" Athlons are dropping enough in price to make you want a faster part if you are stuck with a Slot-A motherboard.

Durons are shining as always, but you have to go for the lower end (up to 700MHz) part to get the most "bang for a buck". Purchasing a 750 or 800MHz Duron doesn't make too much sense at this point, our suggestion is to add a little extra and buy the 700 or 750Mhz Thunderbird.

Overclocking AMD's CPU's isn't too much of a hassle, it is still not as easy as overclocking Intel CPU's in which case you don't need any 3rd party tools at all, but it can be done. Overclocking Slot-A parts requires soldering of the multiplier resistors, but a faster and easier solution is a simple GFD. Overclocking all Socket-A CPU's requires the simple "L1 bridge connection trick", and a motherboard which supports multiplier adjustment. For more information check out our latest Socket-A Overclocking Guide.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest Athlon and Duron reviews for more information.