The 3000+ overclocks to well 3000MHZ @ 1.7V but that is not as important as the new memory controller which seems much more stable when using mixed memory modules.
Enhanced Integrated Memory Controller
Every time a new Athlon 64 processor core come out AMD engineers continue tuning up their integrated memory controller. Note that this is done not only for the sake of increasing the processor performance, but mostly in order to extend the compatibility of this memory controller with the different DIMM modules and their configurations. The previous 90nm Athlon 64 processor core aka Winchester had certain performance limitations when four DDR400 SDRAM modules were used. If there were four single-side DDR400 SDRAM DIMMs installed in a system with a Winchester based Athlon 64 CPU, they could only work with the 2T timing, which caused a few percent drop below the usual performance level. If there were four double-side memory modules installed, DDR400 SDRAM would not work at all and its working frequency would automatically drop down to 333MHz.
AMD engineers promised to eliminate this problem in the new Venice core and they did keep their word. Athlon 64 processors based on Venice can work with four single-side DDR400 SDRAM modules without any limitations, and if there are double-side DDR400 SDRAM DIMMs installed, they can work at 400MHz with 2T timing.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu...-venice_3.html
The changes in the Venice core don't help much in our synthetic memory bandwidth tests. In fact, its bandwidth numbers are slightly lower than the Newcastle-based 3800+.
http://techreport.com/reviews/2005q2...e/index.x?pg=3
But the venice also runs @ 1.35V instead of 1.4V or 1.5V...
So much for that better memory controller, the Winchester posts the first definite win in these tests. The Winchester beat the Venice by over 200 MB/sec. I ran these test over a dozen times to make sure what I was getting was real.
http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Compu.../AMD-Venice/3/