Testing:

Rather than spam your brains with endless game benchmarks, only a few newer and older games known to really tax a system were used such as Fear, Call of Duty 4, and Stalker. 3DMark is simply one of the best 3D graphics intensive program that benchmarks the entire system. Resolutions were set to 1440x900 on the trusty Viewsonic throughout testing.

As you can see in the results, the processor is still a viable option and can do just fine against some of the newer, more power hungry game titles. The scores aren't as high as the E6600, but they are close. And the frame rates are high enough that you don't have to run out and upgrade to an Intel system to play.

A couple other programs that can help show the processor's true core capabilities are WinRAR, Windows Media Encoder, Cinebench 10, and SANDRA Mathematical and Multi Media. Windows Media Encoder took only 4:24 versus its cousin which needed 4:55 to finish. And WinRAR compressed a 300MB file in about 30 seconds compared to 43 seconds. SANDRA Mathematical and Multi-Media benchmarks were also calculated below as well as Cinebench 10 to show what's exactly going on under the hood.

One thing that the AMD processors have always had going for them is the integrated memory controller. This allows AMD's AM2 processors to push more memory bandwidth than the Intel processors. You can see the extra performance a little overclocking can give using the SANDRA Memory Benchmark. It's sometimes hard to understand why all this extra bandwidth hasn't been put to better use. It seems like a huge waste especially without the chipsets to support and tap in to the potential.

One thing that you will like about the AMD X2 5000+ Black Edition is the lower power consumption. Stock retail heat sinks can easily do the job where as aftermarket extreme coolers will especially shine. The processor consumed some 75 Watts which is further indication of a much nicer tuned processor underneath that IHS.

To be honest, a 600 to 700MHz overclock from 2.6GHz isn't all that great. Part of it is due to the Abit AN9 32X's limitations and the other part is due to the processor. There isn't a great deal more head room without adding a lot more voltage to the chipsets and processor. Still, reaching 3.3GHz was at least effortless and showed some noticeable performance. Also, consider the very low or non-existent risk to overclocking the processor and higher frequency RAM. As long as your motherboard has the ability, the processor can afford to operate at these frequencies days on end. If all processors came unlocked, the possibilities would be endless.

Conclusion:

With the testing finished, allow me to put PC performance in perspective. While the Intel versus AMD debate rages on with fans screaming from both sides of the field, this is a really great thing for the consumers like us. This kind of rivalry brings about greater competition that results in good sales and sometimes awesome deals. No matter which processor you choose to use from the AMD or Intel, as long as your processor is from the latest multi-core generation and is paired up with a very capable video card, frame rates are going to be very playable no matter what the current games may be.

This may or may not come as a shock, but I'm not an Intel or AMD fan boy. I choose to use what has the greatest performance at the best price I can afford. And until one of these two processor giants hire me on staff, I'll continue to be the quintessential consumer who wants his money's worth no matter what processor is at the top of its game. If a processor helps a game system achieve 140 frames while the other achieves only 125 frames, do you really think you're going notice? That's why it really comes down to what you do with your system. If you're on a budget or play mostly games, that $115 AMD X2 5000+ Black Edition processor starts to look a really sweet deal. This processor coupled with an 8800 GTS or GTX, whether one or two, is obviously a cheaper solution than spending your money on a whole new system.

For the price and performance value of the AMD 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition Processor, it's really a good upgrade if you don't want or can't afford to spend money on a faster model. Its literal Unlocked Multiplier potential and power consumption make it an easy choice for stock or overclocking users. It's been upgraded enough internally to surpass a few of its own faster predecessors and operates much cooler. If you're still sitting on that older AMD 64 X2 3800+ Processor, or happen to be overclocking yours and it's just not giving you what you want, this is the processor upgrade worth the money. We'd very much like to thank AMD for giving back a little unlocked potential to the consumers.

Got News? Send 'em in!