Home : Hardware : Reviews : AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core 4200+ CPU
It’s not the newest or the biggest kid on the block, but AMD’s X2 Dual-Core 4200+ is definitely worth a look if you’re trying to get some good performance for your dollar out of your new rig.
Introduction
These days, when it comes to PC processors, if you don’t have two cores, you’re not worth a second glance. Both AMD and Intel now have dual-core solutions available in both mid-range and high-end options, with correspondingly difficult-to-decipher product names that will make you long for the days of numbered models. AMD’s product offerings for desktops run in two lines: the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core, aimed at the general consumer market and the Athlon 64 FX, aimed at the “PC enthusiast” (i.e., hardcore gamers and overclockers) market. Branding aside however, just because AMD markets a processor for the general consumer doesn’t mean it’s no good for gamers…or so we’d like to think. With that in mind, we’re testing out the X2 Dual-Core 4200+ 65W to see if it’s worth you value gamers out there saving a few bucks on your processor to spread around to other components. 
Specifications
The X2 Dual-Core differs from its more expensive cousin by its included L2 cache on each core: 1 MB for the FX processors, with only 512 KB for the X2 processors. Both processors come in two socket varieties (the older 939 and the newer AM2) and, to make things even more confusing, the Socket AM2 version of the X2 features 89 watt and 65 watt versions of the same processor throughout the middle part of the line. It took me about 20 minutes to decipher which processor I needed to get, let alone which one I wanted to get and I’m not sure why AMD doesn’t do some trimming to make things easier to figure out. In any case, just to be clear, we’re talking about the Socket AM2, 65-watt version of the X2 4200+ processor, which has the following additional specifications:
Operating Mode: 32/64. This processor is compatible with both 64- and 32-bit operating systems.
Stepping: F2. techPowerUp! has a good explanation of stepping, but basically it’s the processor equivalent of software patches.
Frequency: 2200 MHz. The actual “speed” of the processor, as people understood it until a few years ago. Also the spec that increases during overclocking.
HT Speed: 2000. The HT stands for HyperTransport Technology; it’s basically a method of moving information on and off the processor. AMD has more information.
Voltage: 1.20/1.25V
Maximum Temperature: 72 degrees Celcius.
CMOS Technology: 90nm SOI. Basically, the size of the circuits carved into the face of the processor. The smaller the size, the more circuits you can fit on the processor face. The more circuits, the more information the processor can handle.
