Maximum PC

i´m going to buy a 939 AMD 64 processor soon, i´d like to know how to distinguish between the winchester and the newcastle cores, i´m looking to buya winchester one, i just want to recognize it.

thanks,


diego

The most immediate way to tell is by going in the BIOS and seeing if the vCore is at 1.45v (I think it's 1.45v - just know it's lower than 1.5v ).

The other way to tell is by downloading CPU-Z to see what the core is.

Edit: Whoops. Usually, the retailer will say what the core is.

usually, the site you order from should list it as such...

i know newegg has it where you can search by Core type....

don't know where you're planning to order it from, but it should say it in the "Specifications".

that´s exactly the problem, it is a distributor that does not list the core type, it has a generic info page for all 64´s.

Who's the distributor? Sounds dodgy.

Some other specs to look for:

Die Size
144mm2 = Newcastle
84mm2 = Winchester

Process
130nm (.13 micron) = Newcastle
90nm (.09 micron) = Winchester

thanks,
the distributor is just a crappy one, that´s all.

i was interested more in differences in the box or markings or numbers on the processor itself, like if you go to a store and they don´t know what it is but you could check it for the info.

thanks,

diego

First, know that ALL 3000+ and 3200+ processors in the Athlon 64 socket 939 family are Winchesters.

If you're looking for the Winchester 3500+, look at the OPN number. Compare that to the 4000+'s OPN number. From what I gathered from this site, look for the "IK" after the "D". That shows what the V_CORE and T_DIE (assumably denotes die size) is.

thanks a lot,
that was the type of info iwas looking for...thanks to all

diego

iguanator:

You want the 90 nanometer part of the same speed AMD proc because it uses 1.4 v, runs cooler and therefore has a higher over-clocking headroom. CPU-Z will definitely tell the skinny, but that's after you've installed it. To be sure before installation, decipher the OPN number code printed across the face of the processor. Go to AMDBoard.com and on the left is a list which includes "OPN indentification..." Click on that and you'll be directed to a guide that will let you know for sure.

I meant to type: "OPN identification..."