|
|
The Athlon Palomino represented the first major redesign of the Athlon core since the introduction of the Socket A processor-to-motherboard interface. The most significant new feature is a hardware data pre-fetch mechanism in the execution pipeline. This pre-fetch circuitry allows the Palomino to speculate and buffer certain data packets, increasing per MHz efficiency and performance compared to the Thunderbird.
AMD also introduced a new streaming multimedia instruction set with the Palomino architecture. 3DNow! Professional offers all the functions in previous 3DNow! instruction sets, but expands the base set to include binary compatibility with the Intel SSE specification. Because it can process both standards, the Athlon Palomino proves a formidable market competitor.
As expected with any core revision, AMD further refined the Athlon core to improve power efficiency. Core voltage remains consistent with the Thunderbird, but power consumption rates are improved by an average of 5 to 15%. Thermal generation loads have decreased accordingly. Maximum thermal ratings vary within the 90 to 95° Celsius range.
The first Palomino core processor arrived in the form of the Athlon MP. The MP stands for multiprocessing. This processor will operate in symmetric multiprocessing configurations. Oddly enough, nearly all Socket A AMD processors support SMP. The difference is that AMD tests and certifies its MP processors for stability. The Athlon MP usually commands a higher price due to this additional testing.
The Palomino architecture debuted in the consumer market under the designation Athlon XP. The term XP is derived from the marketing of this processor as the Athlon eXPerience. However, many enthusiasts believe AMD planned to correlate the naming of its chip with the release of Windows XP. Whatever the reason, the Athlon XP reigns as AMD's flagship consumer chip.
The most controversial aspect of the Athlon Palomino is the way it has been marketed. Labeled by comparative speed grades instead of raw MHz ratings, the Palomino's model numbers are reminiscent of those in the older K5 series.
Some speculate that these performance-rating values are somehow correlated to the performance of the Intel Pentium 4 models. In reality, the PR numbers compare the performance of the Athlon XP and the Athlon Thunderbird on a perMHz basis. Only the 1000MP and 1200MP processors in the Palomino series feature true MHz counts in their naming conventions.
|
|