Conclusion
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So, the Duron Morgan running a 1.2 GHz is nearly matching the performance of the 1.2 GHz Athlon Thunderbird in most tests. This shows the power that the new core can have on CPUs, and why the future of AMD’s processors looks so bright.AMD may not have the revolutionary chip in the 1.0 GHz Duron that some were looking for, but AMD is aware of this. Waiting for the Palomino desktop CPU is just getting more difficult after we’ve seen here what the Morgan/Palomino core can do.
What is my final decision on the new 1.0 GHz Duron processor? Truthfully, I have mixed feelings.
On one hand, the Duron 1.0 GHz processor can be found for as low as $90 some places, making it a great deal on a fast processor. It has new features not currently available on any desktop CPU and seems to be very overclocking friendly to consumers.
On the other hand, the current status of Athlon sales, including the 1.4 GHz being priced around $115, isn’t that much more expensive. Admittedly, you do not get the advantages of the new core, but if you really want that why not wait until late September or early October for the Palomino core Athlon?
It is hard to come to a final conclusion based on all of this. If you are looking for the lowest budget system, I think the 1.0 GHz Duron would be a great addition for a ECS board or a comparable KM133 board. But, if you plan on looking for a faster, more powerful system, and have to buy now, I think the 1.4 GHz is still the best bet. It will cost more, but not significantly, and you will see a fairly nice increase in performance. Couple it up with a good AMD760 or KT266 chipset board and you will be good to go.
But, as AMD has marketed the Duron as a value market processor, that’s where we should keep it. Indeed, the Duron 1.0 GHz is the king of the value CPU market, vastly out performing the competition. AMD has attained their goal and now has a firm grip on the on low-cost PC marketshare. With this in mind, I am awarding the Duron (Morgan core) 1.0 GHz processor a 9 out of 10 stars!
Join in the discussion at the AMD Forums!
I do want to let you know that you can you pick up the Duron 1.0 GHz processor for $95 at Monarch Computer.