New 200 and 266 T-birds confusion....makes my head hurt

[Aftershock]

Okay so the new T-birds are 200 and 266 FSB. So that means I have to get a mobo that supports 200/266 right? I heard someone say that AMD doubles or something silly like that to make it confusing?


200 and 266 sytems...what ram do they take? DDR (if so what kind) or do they take 133's?

it was much simpler with 100 and 133... now AMD's got 133/66/266 different parts running @ different speeds, so confusing....

[DamnFast]

Okay, it's not that confusing after all.
There are 2 main types of AMD chips currently. (Not including any Classic Athlon or K6 series)
1. AMD Athlon Thunderbird (100 and 133 FSB DDR) and
2. AMD Duron (100 FSB DDR)
Thunderbird has more cache than the Duron. So in simple words, the Thunderbird has better performance than the Durons.
Thunderbirds now have 2 types.
1. 200MHz(100 x 2) FSB (Front Side Bus) and
2. 266MHz(133 x 2) FSB
200 chips has 100MHz FSB running as DDR (Double Data Rate) in other words, 100 x 2 = 200.
266 chips has 133MHz FSB running as DDR, in other words, 133 x 2 = 266.
However, they both are the exact same core so no difference in the architecture what so ever. One is just running at higher FSB with lower multiplier. So for example, 1.2GHz 200 chip is -----> 12 multiplier x 100. 1.2GHz 266 chip is ----> 9 multiplier x 133.
That simple.
And as far as the RAM is concerned, you can use any memory you want to use. DDR is the new memory (Double Data Rate SDRAM) which has higher memory bandwidth compared to standard SDRAMs. If you get a motherboard that supports the DDR memory, than get DDR. If you get a motherboard with SDRAM support, get SDRAM. DDR will have better performance due to higher memory bandwidth.
There are two types of DDR memory as well.
1. PC1600 for 200FSB
2. PC2100 for 266FSB
It's that simple.

In general, higher FSB will have better overall performance, so I would recommend you to buy the motherboard which supports 266MHz FSB. You can then buy a 200FSB chip and just set it at lower multiplier and 133FSB in BIOS and there you'll have 266FSB chip.(Since they both are exact same chip, go with a cheaper version)

Well, if you need any further help, e-mail me.

Good luck. :)

[Aftershock]

arn't there 4 types you mean?

100
133
200
266

and they go into these catagories

DDR
200
266

SDRAM
100
133


So if I get a 200 Tbird, I can get either 266 or 200 ram ONLY. 266 ram will clock down to 200. Just like hte 100 and 133's. The only benefit for hte 200 and 266 Tbirds is the faster ram right? PCI speeds are still the same @ 33?

[Tachyon]

There are only 100MHz and 133MHz...period!!!

When people refer to 200 and 266, what they are talking about is the ability to read at BOTH the rising and falling edges of the cycle....the *new* AMD chips are/will be 133MHz chips. It puts AMD in the same camp as Intel.

[Tachyon]

RAM type is motherboard driven. Most motherboards require SDRAM to operate. Some newer boards require DDR RAM to operate. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the chip.

[Aftershock]

so whats the difference between

1.2TB
1.2TB 266

which is faster?
i'm guessing the FSB for them is 100 and 133 then?

Either everyone else is stupid or I am EXTREAMLY confused now. Can someone either explain this whole 200/266 crap that just pop'd up for no reason.... or point me to an article? Because Tom's Hardware is horrible...these fourms don't seem to explain much except repet themself.... over and over 266 is read on both ways, 266 is really 133.....

266 is 133 WTF are people smoking..... PC2100 ram is the same as SDRAM 133 then?

So did AMD just change the names of Tbirds to 200 and 266 then?
1.0Tbird 266 using DDR RAm @ 266
1.0 Tbird 133 using SDRAM @ 133

according to what you people are saying these sytems are IDENTIAL, one person just paid more for the fancy 266 name.

I've never been an AMD fan, then when Tbirds came out I started to like AMD more...now its just confusing, stupidly confusing because people are constaly claiming 200 = 100
133 = 266, except the 2xx can read both ways...this goes for ram and CPU

so whats the benefit of going 2xx ? Just faster RAM speed thats it right?
how can you tell if you are getting a 200 or 266? Which to get? It looks like to get a 200 because 266 is just $$$ for and I quote "THE EXACT SAME CHIP"...
oh no but wait! remember that 200 = 100? Gee that sucks you think you're getting a fast styem w/ 200FSB , with 200 RAM, but you are really getting a 100 FSB system, with 100RAM...... so my 133DRAM in my P3 ownz! (notice ram, not cpu)...

[Aftershock]

Tachyon (Mar 02, 2001 11:40 p.m.):
RAM type is motherboard driven. Most motherboards require SDRAM to operate. Some newer boards require DDR RAM to operate. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the chip.


so..... if I buy an Abit KT7A 133 mobo.....and a 266 Tbird..... what happens?
What happens if I buy a 200 Tbird? And this mobo can ONLY take SDRAM

if I get one of the new DDRAM mobo's
What if I buy a Tbird 600.... (no 200 or 266)......what happens then?
SDRAM won't fit, but DDR will...


so for the CPU why does AMD advertise the new Tbirds to be 200 and 266? Just a PR gimick? God thats lame. It still works the same as before??

[Prodigal]

200 and 266 designations are marketting ploys. Since DDR technology allows instruments operate at a rate of data exchange effectively 2x non-DDR instruments, marketers take advantage of this fact calling these instruments 200 and 266, be they CPUs, mobos or chipsets. So when you see 200 read 100, and read 266 as 133. All new Tbirds are either 100/200 or 133/266.

But this means nothing if you are setting your own FSB and CPU multiplier. Given the limitations of your mobo, cpu , ram and cooling apparatus you can make the FSB and cpu clock multiplier whatever you want, making manufacturer's designations meaningless in and of themselves. This is what o/c is about.

Although I believe 266 Tbirds are a higher quality processor by design than 200. 266 is a "C" class Tbird and the 200 is "B". Buy a "C".

[buginator]

Prodigal (Mar 03, 2001 05:41 a.m.):
200 and 266 designations are marketting ploys. Since DDR technology allows instruments operate at a rate of data exchange effectively 2x non-DDR instruments, marketers take advantage of this fact calling these instruments 200 and 266, be they CPUs, mobos or chipsets. So when you see 200 read 100, and read 266 as 133. All new Tbirds are either 100/200 or 133/266.

But this means nothing if you are setting your own FSB and CPU multiplier. Given the limitations of your mobo, cpu , ram and cooling apparatus you can make the FSB and cpu clock multiplier whatever you want, making manufacturer's designations meaningless in and of themselves. This is what o/c is about.

Although I believe 266 Tbirds are a higher quality processor by design than 200. 266 is a "C" class Tbird and the 200 is "B". Buy a "C".

WOW this started to confuse me then it all came back