Athlon Thunderbird 650

Table 7-33: Athlon Thunderbird 650 Specifications
Processor Family	Model Name	AMD Athlon Thunderbird

	Performance Rating	650 MHz
	Front-side Bus Speed	100 MHz (200 DDR)
	Multiplier Ratio	6.5x
Physical Design	Interface Packing	462-Pin Socket A
		242-Pin Slot A Cartridge
	Core Die Size	.18 micron, 120 mm
	Transistor Count	37 Million
	Voltage Interface	Split Core and I/O
	Core Voltage	Socket A = 1.75 volts
		Slot A = 1.6 volts
	Power Consumption	32.4 watts
	Maximum Power	36.1 watts

Table 7-34: Athlon Thunderbird 650 Overclocking
Athlon Thunderbird	Model Rating	650 MHz

Overclocking Potential	Multiplier Lock Support	Unlocked Multiplier
	Typical Multiplier O/C	7.5x – 8.0x
	Typical Front-side Bus O/C	103 – 115+ MHz
	Typical O/C Potential	750 – 800 MHz
	Maximum O/C Potential	850+ MHz
Overclocking Tolerances	Recommended Cooling Type	Forced-Air Heatsink
	Recommended Heatsink Coolers	Thermalright SK-6
		Alpha PAL-8045
		TaiSol CGK742092
		GlobalWin VOS-32
		Alpha P7125
	Recommended Peltier Active Cooler	Swifttech MCX370
		Swifttech MC1501
	Maximum Core Voltage	1.85 volts with Heatsink Cooler
	Maximum Core Temperature	Socket A = 90° Celsius
		Slot A = 70° Celsius

Strategy

The Thunderbird specifications reveal clear advantages to the Socket A interface. The Socket A format can withstand an additional 20° Celsius compared to the same Thunderbird Slot A processor. The Slot A Thunderbird does hold a slight advantage in voltage efficiency, but 1.6 volts were required by AMD to support existing slot-type motherboards.

The Athlon Thunderbird 650-MHz processor is a relative oddity in the industry, as only a small number escaped AMD fabrication facilities. AMD produced two variants of the Socket A version of this chip: one at 1.7 volts and another at 1.75 volts. Demand for this speed grade was small, as AMD already offered more powerful K75 Slot A designs. Those who possess this early revision Thunderbird processor can expect overclocking returns up to 800 MHz under good cooling conditions.