Super7 Upgrade Guide: The K6-2+ and K6-3+ Processors

Conclusion

It is clear that the K6-2+ and K6-3+ processors offer quite an attractive upgrade option for aging Super7 systems, at a very reasonable price. With a K6-3+ 450MHz around $60 and a K6-2+ 550MHz for a bit more, the K6+ series chips may not be easy to find but do provide quite bang for the buck. As is typical with chips manufactured on a small architecture, overclocking the K6-X+ processors will go very smoothly for the most part, given that your motherboard supports high enough multiplier settings.

The one concern, and a large one in that fact, regards motherboard compatibility. It is usually not too difficult to see if your motherboard is able to provide the correct voltage for the + series processors, but BIOS support is a whole separate monster. You will be out of luck, as well as money, if you order a K6-2+ or K6-3+ processor that does not work in your current Super7 system. The best advice before dropping the money on the processor is to check around on the internet to see if anyone with your motherboard currently uses a + processor in their system. The best places to ask are on our own AnandTech forums or over at the AMD Zone forums. Another way to experiment with the K6+ series processors is to buy one from an online retailer who will accept returns. This may be difficult to find, but some out there may be willing to help.

Once you are certain of your motherboard's compatibility, the next step is to choose the K6-X+ processor for you. If you are looking for top of the line Super7 performance, go for the fastest clock speed you can find. A 450MHz K6-3+ may sound better than a 550MHz K6-2+, but the later performs better in every case. The extra cache present on the K6-3+ does not provide much performance over the cache already present on the K6-2+. By all means, the K6-2+'s cache is far better than the lack of L2 cache on the K6-2 series chips.

Super7 is not dead. What seems to be the last glimpse of hope comes with the AMD K6-2+ and K6-3+ processors, given that your motherboard can support them. It may not be possible to bring your aging system up to the speed that current high performance systems offer, but the K6-X+ processors provide a modest jump for an aging platform.