Quake III Demo 1:

800x600 = 185 FPS

1024x768 = 146 FPS

I was quite pleased with the results, this CPU is certainly very fast, and unfortunately the video card is limiting some of its potential.

Comments:

As I've stated before, getting to and beyond the 1Ghz plateau is a goal for many overclockers, and the blue core Athlons seem to be doing that quite nicely. There are many merits to overclocking, the increased performance is the most important thing, the faster your CPU is, then you can get higher frame rates, smoother video, or get a mixture of everything. I can have many windows open, and still have a very reliable and quick computer. Sure at 800Mhz, you can do the same thing, but at 1045Mhz, it's definitely a lot smoother!

A case in point, to test stability, I'll run endless Quake III loops, in windowed mode, meanwhile I'll go about doing other more mundane tasks such as resizing images in Photoshop, surf the internet, listen to mp3's, write this article, etc. Believe me, I can accomplish the same thing with the CPU at 800Mhz, but it sure is a lot "faster" and more responsive at 1045Mhz!

Conclusion:

AMD has done it again, the Athlon 800Mhz, is a fast, reliable, and overclockable processor that should bring computing bliss to many people. However there is just one problem, the 1Ghz version is only about $100 USD more. For many people, it's a worthy upgrade. Ignoring the price of the 1Ghz CPU, AMD has managed to provide a very good CPU at an extremely attractive price point. Remember, the video card being used is an above average video card, and getting a faster CPU would be somewhat "wasted" anyway. So if you are thinking of getting a CPU upgrade coupled with a video card upgrade to a Geforce2 GTS, then perhaps an 800Mhz Athlon will suit you just fine. If you ever feel that your system is a little too slow, you can always try your hand at overclocking to 1Ghz and beyond.

To wrap up, the 800Mhz Athlon is priced just right, and provides a lot of computing value. Overclockers should also take notice of if as well. But for those of you who are able to spend the extra $100, should probably opt for the 1Ghz CPU, and can focus less on overclocking.