I heard something about .25 or .18 micron. Whats that?
These numbers refer to the kind of manufacturing process used to make the chips. The smaller the process, the cooler the chips run and the less power they consume. As a result, chips manufactured with a smaller process will typically run at a higher clock speed. Generally, if you can get a hold of an Athlon made on AMD’s .18-micron process, it’s likely to tolerate higher clock speeds than a .25-micron chip with the same MHz rating. However, with the Athlon, cache timing is typically the biggest barrier to higher clock speeds; while the .18 micron processor cores may have a higher theoretical speed, the timing of the L2 cache may keep an Athlon from realizing its full potential. If, however, you are using an overclocking method that allows you to alter the L2 cache divisor, you may be able to overcome this barrier, as well. Regardless, you should probably try to find a .18 micron chip, as it will typically reach a higher stable speed than a .25 micron chip. Most Athlons being sold now a
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