Conclusion
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There is no doubt that the new Athlon XP 2700+ and 2800+ processor are an improvement over the previous processors. Of course, that is always the case in AMD’s line of CPUs (though we can’t say the same for Intel). However, it is very good to see a change in the processor architecture itself as opposed to a mere upgrade in frequency. When AMD released their Athlon XP 2600+ just a month ago, they were setting up the Athlon for room on this added bus speed. I still hear various rumors that there were actually working 2600+ 333 MHz FSB processors that MIGHT have been released at one time.

With the release of the 2700+ and 2800+ AMD has once again stepped up against Intel’s continuing releases of upgrade Intel processors. When the 2.8 GHz P4 was released, there was a slight swap of performance, and now it is simply swapping back. And, if the rumors hold true, Intel will release their 3.06 GHz P4 in the next week and again we will be having this same discussion about which of the flagship processors is fastest.
One thing that AMD fans have always been able to tout about is the price advantage AMD processors had over their Intel counterparts. Here is the latest price list that we received from AMD for CPU prices:
2800+ $397 (each in quantities of 1,000)
2700+ $349
2600+ $297
2400+ $193
2200+ $183
2100+ $174
2000+ $155
1900+ $139
At nearly $400, the 2800+ is the most expensive AMD processor in my recollection. What is nice to see is the prices of the 2400+ and 2600+ processors. These are your best choices for a low to mid budget AMD system as they are fast in their own, but also have the latest “Rev B” Thoroughbred core that will allow for the most room to grow should you want to overclock you system. If you do want to take advantage of the new 333 MHz FSB, you will have to pay for that premium.
Now that we see that AMD is actually feeling the current pressure from Intel on the desktop front and they have stopped hiding behind the Hammer name, you can be damn sure that our chances of seeing the Barton core come to fruition have increased exponentially. The delay of the Hammer core chips makes this next step for AMD even more apparent. The day I get a 512 KB cache Athlon with a 333 MHz FSB on my desk will be a happy one indeed.
The Athlon XP 2700+ and 2800+ processors are a good addition to the AMD family of processors and are a good stepping-stone to even greener pastures.
Be sure to check out the AMD processor prices on both Pricegrabber and Dealtime.