AMD K6-2+ 500ACZ socket: Super Socket 7

What the K6-2+ 500ACZ is

The AMD K6-2+ 500ACZ is a 500 MHz single-core desktop processor from April 2000. It runs one K6 Sharptooth core at 500 MHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 128 KB of full-speed on-chip L2 with 64 KB of L1 on a 180 nm process. Power is rated at 13 W in a Super Socket 7 CPGA package on a 100 MHz front side bus with a 5x multiplier.

The desktop ACZ twin of the mobile-tuned 500ACZM shares clocks and power, which is why boards often list both strings for the same cooler. AMD sold the desktop 500ACZ in April 2000 with the M-tuned twin. The chip supports MMX, 3DNow+ and PowerNow.

A 500 MHz clock with a 13 W envelope suits late Super Socket 7 desktops with SDRAM and AGP graphics. The 5x ratio is standard for 100 MHz boards. That is why the 500ACZ shipped in mainstream home towers.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 500ACZ fits Super Socket 7 late desktops with Sharptooth support. It needs a 321-pin board with a 100 MHz bus and a BIOS that lists K6-2+ ACZ strings. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Late SDRAM towers are the natural match. Boards listing K6-2+ 500ACZ accept the chip with a 13 W cooler.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is EDO DRAM and SDRAM through the board chipset, matched to the board sockets. The CPU has no memory controller. Late boards commonly run PC100 pairs.

A 100 MHz front side bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while AGP and PCI hang off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the socket lug clip with a 13 W cooler.

Upgrade paths

On the same socket, a move to a K6-2+ 533ACZ such as AMD K6-2+ 533ACZ keeps the board for 33 MHz more at 14 W when the support list names it. A K6-2+ 500ACZM such as AMD K6-2+ 500ACZM is the mobile-tuned twin at matching clocks. A K6-III+ 500ACZ such as AMD K6-III+ 500ACZ doubles cache at 12 W.

A move to Slot A Athlon needs a new board. The Super Socket 7 page lists the range for planning.