AMD Athlon User manual

A Guide to Building a PC with
an AMD Athlon Processor
Publication # 22914 Rev: B
Issue Date: September 1999
TM

Trademarks
AMD, the AMD logo, AMD Athlon, and combinations thereof and AMD-756 and 3DNow! are trademarks and
AMD-K6 is a registered trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Pentium and MMX are trademarks of the Intel Corporation.
3DMark is a trademark of Futuremark Ltd./Oy.
Winstone is a registered trademark of Ziff-Davis, Inc.
Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their
respective companies.
Winstone scores are Business Winstone overall scores.
Benchmark tests were performed without independent verification by SPEC, Futuremark, or Ziff-Davis. These
benchmark providers make no representations or warranties as to the results of the tests.
© 1999 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
The contents of this document are provided in connection with Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. (“AMD”) products. AMD makes no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this publication and
reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any
time without notice. No license, whether express, implied, arising by estoppel or oth-
erwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this publication. Except as
set forth in AMD’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale, AMD assumes no liability
whatsoever, and disclaims any express or implied warranty, relating to its products
including, but not limited to, the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a
particular purpose, or infringement of any intellectual property right.
AMD’s products are not designed, intended, authorized or warranted for use as com-
ponents in systems intended for surgical implant into the body, or in other applica-
tions intended to support or sustain life, or in any other application in which the
failure of AMD’s product could create a situation where personal injury, death, or
severe property or environmental damage may occur. AMD reserves the right to dis-
continue or make changes to its products at any time without notice.

Table of Contents iii
22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™ Processor
Contents
A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™ Processor . . . . . . . 1
Why Build a PC with an AMD Athlon Processor? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Benchmarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Performance Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Features and Benefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The AMD Processor In A Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Why Buy Processor in a Box?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Before You Start Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Read the FAQ and Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Take Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Serial Numbers and Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Basic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Surge Protectors and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS). . . . . 11
Building the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Compatible Components List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Installation Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

iv Table of Contents
A Guide to Buildinga PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999

List of Tables v
22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
List of Tables
Table 1. AMD Athlon™Processor Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table 2. AMD Athlon™Processor PC-100 Memory Requirements
(PC-100 Rev 1.0 minimum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Table 3. AMD Athlon™Processor Motherboard Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Table 4. Recommended Power Supply List (Revised 08-06-99). . . . . . .78
Table 5. Recommended Enclosure (Case) List (Revised 08-06-99) . . . . 79
Table 6. Microstar Motherboard Recommended Memory List
(Revised 08-06-99) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Table 7. AMD Athlon™Processor Component Compatibility List
(Revised 08-15-99) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

vi List of Tables
A Guide to Buildinga PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
Preliminary Information

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™ Processor
A Guide to Building a PC with an
AMD Athlon™ Processor
READTHISGUIDEFULLYBEFORESTARTINGTOBUILD
YOUR AMD Athlon™PROCESSOR-BASED SYSTEM.
It is crucial that you use the download and configuration information available at the
AMD web site. The latest configuration information and drivers are available at:
www1.amd.com/athlon/config
On page 89 there is a checklist for assembling AMD Athlon processor-based systems.
You can use this checklist to verify the steps of the assembly process as you proceed.

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
Why Build a PC with
an AMD Athlon™Processor?
The AMD Athlon processor sets a new performance standard in personal computing.
n True seventh-generation features include a 200-MHz system bus—twice the peak
bandwidth of the current industry standard 100-MHz bus.
n High-performance cache architecture featuring an integrated 128-Kbyte level-one
(L1) cache—four times the L1 cache of a Pentium®III—and a programmable, high-
speed backside L2 cache interface scalable to support up to eight Mbytes. Current
processor modules implement a 512-Kbyte L2 cache.
n AMD Athlon processor available at clock speeds of 650 MHz, 600 MHz, 550 MHz,
and 500 MHz.
n The AMD Athlon processor marks the introduction of the PC industry's fastest
floating-point engine, featuring three out-of-order, superscalar floating-point units.
n If you need fast rendering of high-resolution graphics and video, the AMD Athlon
processor provides the solution.
n 3DNow!™technology has been enhanced for the AMD Athlon processor with 24
new instructions added to the 21instructions already implemented in the currently
available AMD-K6®family of processors.
n If you are looking for long-term investment protection, the AMDAthlon processor
delivers next-generation features designed to allow your investment to last for
years to come. High clock speeds and seventh-generation architecture are designed
to allow you to be prepared for emerging technologies or future innovations in PC
software.
n Whether you are a business user, power user, or PC hobbyist, AMD has the solution
that is right for you.
n With over 120-million PC processors sold worldwide, AMD delivers a broad range
of highly reliable products to power mission-critical applications.
Benchmarks
The following benchmarks (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and Figure 4) show the
outstanding performance of the AMD Athlon processor. You can build the world’s
fastest PC system with the AMD Athlon processor.

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
3DMark
3DMark™99 MAX from Futuremark was designed specifically to measure 3D
performance and includes optimizations for AMD's 3DNow! technology, Intel's SSE
technology, and standard floating point processing for CPUs without 3DNow! or SSE
technologies. CPU 3DMark is a subset of 3DMark 99 MAX that indicates how quickly
your processor can handle large amounts of 3D geometry and lighting operations.
Figure 1. 3D Mark Benchmark Results
Benchmark System Configuration. Diamond 770 using nVidia TNT2 Ultra 150MHz core, 183MHz memory
clock 32MB, Western Digital Expert 41800, single PC100 128MB DIMM, SoundBlaster Live (Value)
Audio, Linksys HPN100 Home Ethernet card, Toshiba 6X DVD SD-M1212, Dual Boot Windows®98 &
WindowsNT®4.0usingNortonSystemCommander.WindowsNT4.0isinstalledwithSP4,Windows98
with DX 6.1A build 2150, and nVidia TNT2 Ultra Driver Rev 1.81 under Windows 98 and Windows NT.
AMD Athlon™processor-based system: Reference Motherboard Rev. B*, BIOS Rev AFTB00-2, Bus
Mastering EIDE Driver v1.03, AGP miniport v4.41.
Pentium®III processor-based system: ASUS P2B Rev 1.02, BIOS Rev 1008 beta 4, EIDE-BM Driver
5/11/98, AGP miniport 5/11/98.
* This Futuremark benchmark employs an AMD Athlon processor-specific DLL that has been devel-
oped independently by AMD. This benchmark is not meant to replace or be a new version of
3DMark, it is simply intended to demonstrate the superior performance capabilities of the
AMD Athlon processor architecture.
** This motherboard is not commercially available at this time.
0 2000 4000 6000 8000
Pentium® III 600
AMD Athlon 600
AMD Athlon™ 650
Futuremark 3DMark™ 99 MAX
- 3DMarks -
Slower Faster
The AMD Athlon™650 processor provides the projected
performance of a Pentium®III running at 770MHz.

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
Business Winstone 99 Windows 98
Ziff-Davis Business Winstone®99 is an application-based benchmark that measures
system performance when running popular Windows-based 32-bit business
applications. Winstone 99 uses real business suite applications with scripts that mimic
the usage patterns of typical computer users, and allows end-users and organizations
to evaluate PCs for mainstream use.
Figure 2. Business Winstone 99 (Windows® 98) Benchmark Results
Benchmark System Configuration. Diamond 770 using nVidia TNT2 Ultra 150MHz core, 183MHz memory
clock 32MB, Western Digital Expert 41800, single PC100 128MB DIMM, SoundBlaster Live (Value)
Audio, Linksys HPN100 Home Ethernet card, Toshiba 6X DVD SD-M1212, Dual Boot Windows®98
& Windows NT®4.0 using Norton System Commander. Windows NT 4.0 is installed with SP4, Win-
dows 98 with DX 6.1A build 2150, and nVidia TNT2 Ultra Driver Rev 1.81 under Windows 98 and
Windows NT.
AMD Athlon™processor-based system: Reference Motherboard Rev. B*, BIOS Rev AFTB00-2, Bus
Mastering EIDE Driver v1.03, AGP miniport v4.41.
Pentium®III processor-based system: ASUS P2B Rev 1.02, BIOS Rev 1008 beta 4, EIDE-BM Driver
5/11/98, AGP miniport 5/11/98.
*This motherboard is not commercially available at this time.
27 27 28 28 29
Pentium®III 600
AMD Athlon 600
AMD Athlon™650
Business Winstone®99 (Windows®98)
Slower Faster
The AMD Athlon™650 processor provides the projected
performance of a Pentium®III running at 680MHz.

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
Business Winstone 99 Windows NT
Ziff-Davis Business Winstone 99 is an application-based benchmark that measures
system performance when running popular Windows-based 32-bit business
applications. Winstone 99 uses real business suite applications with scripts that mimic
the usage patterns of typical computer users, and allows end-users and organizations
to evaluate PCs for mainstream use.
Figure 3. Business Winstone 99 (Windows NT®) Benchmark Results
Benchmark System Configuration. Diamond 770 using nVidia TNT2 Ultra 150MHz core, 183MHz memory
clock 32MB, Western Digital Expert 41800, single PC100 128MB DIMM, SoundBlaster Live (Value)
Audio, Linksys HPN100 Home Ethernet card, Toshiba 6X DVD SD-M1212, Dual Boot Windows®98
& Windows NT®4.0 using Norton System Commander. Windows NT 4.0 is installed with SP4, Win-
dows 98 with DX 6.1A build 2150, and nVidia TNT2 Ultra Driver Rev 1.81 under Windows 98 and
Windows NT.
AMD Athlon™processor-based system: Reference Motherboard Rev. B*, BIOS Rev AFTB00-2, Bus
Mastering EIDE Driver v1.03, AGP miniport v4.41.
Pentium®III processor-based system: ASUS P2B Rev 1.02, BIOS Rev 1008 beta 4, EIDE-BM Driver
5/11/98, AGP miniport 5/11/98.
*This motherboard is not commercially available at this time.
33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Pentium®III 600
AMD Athlon 600
AMD Athlon™650
Business Winstone®99 (Windows NT®4.0)
Slower Faster
The AMD Athlon™650 processor provides the projected
performance of a Pentium®III running at 780MHz.

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
SPECfp
Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC) SPECfp_base95 is a component of
the CFP95 suite, an industry standard for measuring and comparing a processor’s
floating performance. SPEC benchmarks are typically used by members of the
scientific and technical communities to measure the performance of high-end
computer systems.
Figure 4. SPECfp Benchmark Results
Benchmark System Configuration. Diamond 770 using nVidia TNT2 Ultra 150MHz core, 183MHz memory
clock 32MB, Western Digital Expert 41800, single PC100 128MB DIMM, SoundBlaster Live (Value)
Audio, Linksys HPN100 Home Ethernet card, Toshiba 6X DVD SD-M1212, Dual Boot Windows®98
& Windows NT®4.0 using Norton System Commander. Windows NT 4.0 is installed with SP4, Win-
dows 98 with DX 6.1A build 2150, and nVidia TNT2 Ultra Driver Rev 1.81 under Windows 98 and
Windows NT.
AMD Athlon™processor-based system: Reference Motherboard Rev. B*, BIOS Rev AFTB00-2, Bus
Mastering EIDE Driver v1.03, AGP miniport v4.41.
Pentium®III Xeon processor-based system (512K L2): Tyan Thunder X Motherboard, BIOS 1.02,
EIDE-BM Driver 5/11/98, AGP miniport 5/11/98.
*This motherboard is not commercially available at this time.
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Pentium®III Xeon 550
AMD Athlon 550
AMD Athlon 600
AMD Athlon™650
SPECfp_base95
Slower Faster

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
Performance Gains
Internet
n With a performance gain of up to 29% over a Pentium III 600 (JMark 2.0 Advanced
Processor Test), the AMDAthlon 650 processor offers new levels of multimedia
productivity.
Entertainment
n The AMD Athlon 650 processor provides up to 46% gains in performance over a
Pentium III 600 processor on popular 3D action and adventure games.
Speech Recognition
n Compared to a Pentium III 600, the AMDAthlon 650 processor provides a 10%
performance gain to power next-generation features in speech recognition
technology.
Business Customers
n The AMDAthlon 650 processor delivers a performance gain of up to 45% over a
Pentium III 600 processor when running popular Windows®software business
applications.

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
Features and Benefits
Table 1 shows AMDAthlon processor features and benefits.
Table 1. AMD Athlon™Processor Features and Benefits
Features Benefits
n PC Industry’s First 200-MHz Bus
•200 MHz versus 100 MHz in Pentium III
•Delivers twice the peak bandwidth of today’s
100-MHz bus.
•Enables users to better take advantage of
high-bandwidth Internet connectivity like
IEEE 1394, cable modem, etc.
n Most Advanced x86 Architecture
•Nine-Issue, superscalar microarchitecture
•Initial debut includes 650, 600, 550, and
500 MHz
•Highest frequency and best performance
•Investment in the future
n Superscalar Floating-Point Unit
•Issues three superscalar, pipelined
floating-point or multimedia instructions
simultaneously
•Fastest x87 floating-point unit today
•Outstanding processing speed for math-
intensive software programs like CAD and
scientific applications
•The 650-MHz AMD Athlon processor has over
45% faster floating-point performance versus
the Pentium III 600.
n High-Performance Cache
•Industry’s largest L1 cache (128 Kbytes)
Four times the Pentium III
•High-speed 64-bit backside L2 cache
(512 Kbytes)
•Processor-level cache (L1) is faster than
system cache (L2), enhances overall system
performance.
n Enhanced 3DNow! Instruction Set
Capabilities
•Five new 3DNow! instructions (not in
Pentium III
•Nineteen new multimedia instructions that
augment the MMX™instruction set.
•Relieves the floating-point-intensive
bottlenecks in 3D graphics processing
•Improved processing of audio, video, and
Internet content for a compelling visual
computing experience.

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
The AMD Processor In A Box
The AMD Processor In A Box includes the following:
n AMD Athlon processor assembled with heatsink and fan
n Installation Guide with configuration specifications
n AMD Athlon processor bezel logo
n A three-year limited warranty
n Certificate of Authenticity
Build a Better PC
The AMD Processor in a Box product, featuring an AMD Athlon processor, comes
assembled with a premium ball-bearing fan and heatsink. The unit is assembled with
a thermal compound that provides the thermal conditions required for your system.
You have it all in one unit. It’s fast and easy. It’s a great way to build a better PC.
The boxed processor is factory-sealed to ensure authenticity of your AMD processor.
The Certificate of Authenticity included in the box validates that you have purchased
an authentic AMD Athlon processor. Plus, we stand behind our product with a three-
year limited warranty, offering peace of mind for you and your customers.
In addition, the AMDAthlon processors undergo extensive testing for compatibility.
Hardware and software tests are performed in AMD’s internal compatibility lab. The
Microsoft WHQL and XXCAL also conduct independent testing to evaluate
compatibility with the installed base of x86 software and operating systems.
Buying quality AMD products from an authorized distributor makes good business
sense. When you buy from an unauthorized distributor, you risk getting chips that
have been re-marked or mishandled somewhere in the pipeline—problems that are
invisible until the part fails to perform in your system.
Why Buy Processor in a Box?
Confidence, Convenience, a Limited Three-Year Warranty, and More
The confidence that your AMD processor is marked accurately and the internal
architecture matches the speed on the package.
The convenience of having a processor module with the appropriate heatsink and fan,
assembled, and ready to install.
A three-year limited warranty on each processor you buy with assembled heatsink and
fan through the Processor in a Box program. Products other than Processor in a Box
products provide only a one-year warranty.

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
Before You Start Building
Follow these steps before you start building your AMD Athlon processor-based PC.
On page 89 there is a checklist for assembling AMD Athlon processor-based systems.
You can use this checklist to verify the steps of the assembly process as you proceed.
Read the FAQ and Recommendations
The FAQ (frequently asked questions) begins on page 66. The configuration
recommendations begin on page 77. Read the FAQ and system configuration
recommendationsbeforeyoubeginassemblingyoursystem.
Take Notes
Get a small notebook (a three-ring binder with lined paper works great). Keep notes
on what you’re doing, especially when trouble-shooting a problem. This keeps you
from making the same mistake more than once. When dealing with technical support,
always write down the name, telephone number and extension of the technical
support person who helps you.
Write clear and understandable notes on the resolution of the problem or call, and
don’t forget the case number. It can be very useful when having to call back later if the
problem was not resolved in your conversation.
Serial Numbers and Receipts
When you buy a component or peripheral, write down the serial number on the
receipt. Make sure you place all the receipts inside an envelope, and keep it in a safe
place. If you need to send a component back under warranty, you will have the receipt
and serial number required for the return RMA (Return Manufacturer Authorization).
You get a side benefit by having records of your computer and peripherals for
insurance purposes as well.
Make a photocopy of the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity, which has the CD-Key
code of your operating system, and copy other critical program access codes and keep
them with the receipts.
Basic Tools
Basic installation of computer components requires a minimum set of tools as follows:
1. A #2 Phillips screwdriver
2. A very small, straight blade screwdriver
3. Needlenose pliers and diagonal cutting pliers
4. A nut driver for screws that secure the case cover (The size will vary.)
5. A grounded wriststrap to wear while you are working on the system
6. Tiewraps to secure wires and cables
7. Locktite (optional)

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
Surge Protectors and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
Probably one of the most overlooked items is a surge protector or UPS unit. The
power that runs in most homes and businesses can have substantial variations (i.e.
drops in power, spikes in power, etc.).
The purpose of a surge protector is to protect your computer (and peripherals) against
an electrical spike. You can guess what channeling a very high voltage through your
computer can do. At a minimum, you should have at least one surge protector. Better
yet, if the budget can afford it, acquire a UPS.
A UPS usually has additional safeguards built in which allows your computer to deal
with drops, brownouts, and even total failures, depending on the unit you purchase.
Many units have voltage regulators to keep the power to the computer absolutely
uniform. This is the optimal performance you want.
A UPS is designed to keep your system running, even with a total power failure, but
only for a short period of time to allow you to properly shut everything down. Only the
more expensive UPSs, with substantial additional battery reserves can keep running
for extended periods of time or support additional devices like printers or scanners.
The manufacturer of the UPS can provide performance rating information.
If you can, get a good UPS with power conditioning for the computer, modem, and
monitor. All other peripherals should be plugged into a quality surge protector.

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999

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22914B/0—September 1999 A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor
Building the System
Step 1. Your Computer Case
The recommended computer case that you buy (see Table 5 on page 79) can be a
complicated mechanism. Take some time to learn how to take the side panels off and
put them back on. It is a good idea to ask your salesperson to show you how the case is
disassembled and assembled—especially the installation of the power supply.
Photo 1. Your Computer Case

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A Guide to Building a PC with an AMD Athlon™Processor 22914B/0—September 1999
Step 2. If Necessary, Install the Power Supply
If necessary, install the power supply in your case as shown in Photo 2. Secure the
power supply with screws and bolts as applicable as shown in Photo 3.
Set the power supply to the correct voltage setting—either 115V or 230V as shown in
Photo 4. In the United States we use 115V.
WARNING
Do not plug the power supply into a wall outlet until you have completed
all the steps of building your PC and you are ready to turn it on for the
first time.
AMD Athlon processor-based computer systems distribute power to the motherboard
whenever the power supply is plugged into the wall. You can damage components by
inserting them or removing them from the system when the power supply is plugged
in—even when the system is turned off.
Always unplug the power supply from the wall outlet when you work inside your
computer system.
Photo 2. Power Supply Being Installed