AMD Athlon 64 2700+ socket: Socket 754

What the Athlon 64 2700+ is

The AMD Athlon 64 2700+ is a 1600 MHz single-core mobile processor from June 2004. It runs one K8 Newcastle core at 1600 MHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 512 KB of full-speed L2 with 128 KB of L1 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 35 W in a Socket 754 micro PGA package with part number AMD2700BQX4AR on an 800 MHz HyperTransport link with an 8x multiplier at 1.2 V.

Newcastle trims Clawhammer cache from 1024 KB to 512 KB at the same 130 nm base, which is why the 2700+ at 1600 MHz trails 1 MB Clawhammer parts at matching frequency despite sharing the bus. AMD placed the 2700+ in June 2004 with other low-power mobile Newcastle parts such as the 2800+ at 1800 MHz. The chip supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, Enhanced 3DNow, AMD64 and Cool n Quiet.

Low clocks with a narrow cache and a 35 W envelope suit thin desktop-replacement boards with DDR memory and integrated graphics. The 1.2 V operating voltage keeps heat down in small chassis with limited airflow. That is why the 2700+ shipped in low-power Socket 754 laptops with chipset graphics.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Athlon 64 2700+ fits Socket 754 low-power mobile boards with Newcastle support. It needs a 754-pin board with an 800 MHz HyperTransport path and a BIOS that lists the 35 W 2700+. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Low-power laptop boards are the natural match. Boards listing Mobile Athlon 64 2700+ accept the chip with a 35 W heat pipe assembly. Desktop Socket 754 towers with 89 W desktop Newcastle support may accept it electrically, but power tables and cooler mounts differ, so the board CPU support list decides. Forcing a mobile part into an unlisted desktop board risks a no-boot state.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is single-channel DDR1 through the on-chip controller, matched to the board DIMM sockets. The controller runs DDR speeds up to 400 MHz with up to three unbuffered DIMMs, with the exact speed set by the board. ECC checking with double-bit detect and single-bit correct is available when the board wires it.

An 800 MHz HyperTransport link ties the CPU to the board chipset at up to 3.2 GB per second in each direction, while AGP and PCI slots hang off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the laptop heat pipe assembly for the exact chassis, rated for 35 W with a 100 degree C maximum case temperature. Replacement pads and pipes come from the laptop maker for the exact model.

Upgrade paths

On the same socket, a move to a faster Socket 754 mobile part such as AMD Athlon 64 2800+ keeps the board and memory when the support list names it. The 2800+ adds 200 MHz at a higher power envelope, so the heat pipe and power tables must match. A desktop Newcastle part at 89 W needs a desktop board and a desktop cooler, not a low-power laptop pipe.

A move to Socket 939 or Socket AM2 needs a new board and new memory rules. Socket 939 adds dual-channel DDR with a 1000 MHz link, while AM2 moves to DDR2. The Socket 754 page lists the full codename range from Clawhammer to Venice for planning.