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AMD Athlon64 4000+ Underclocking
Bios_Hakr writes "PC Stats is running an article on their experiences underclocking an AMD 4000+ processor. Their goal was to try and reduce the voltage requirements and lower the heat output. They benchmark using 3dMark01, 3dMark05, as well as SuperPi. From the article: 'This got us thinking though; what about under-clocking? Most modern processors and motherboards can just as easily run under a rated speed as it can run over... but is there a point to this? Well possibly.'"
I think the point is that these "better" processors were built with that larger processor speed in mind, and if you underclock it, you still get the added benefit of somethign that's supposed to cool and use a bigger processor for a smaller one. It's like... AMD when they build the 4000+ over the 3200+, attempt to make the 4000+ as calm and quiet as possible, within limits, and go farther with the 4000+ than with the 3200+. Now if you underclock the 4000+, you still take advantage of that extra technology...
I'm probably wrong.
it draws a whopping 54 watts average
Oops... Just to clarify, the entire system, including power supply losses, draws that much. The CPU itself, from what I've read (published numbers seem to vary a LOT, and I'd love to see some hard data on the min, mean, and max draw of the 90nm Athlon 64s), only eats between 7 and 35W (for comparison, the Pentium III line came in at the low 30s) with a theoretical max somewhere in the 60W range.
Kinda funny, actually... When everyone talks about needing bigger and better power supplies, with 400W considered a bare minimum and 600W not all that uncommon these days, I upgraded from an old P-III system and the total power consumption of the system dropped by half.