Difference Between AMD Athlon and AMD Turion (With Table)

Laptops, computers, mobile phones, and all other such devices have made the life of every person easier and more comfortable. With every advancing year and the growth in the developing technology, all these devices are getting more advanced as well. 

When such devices are talked about, their efficiency with which they work, and how seamlessly all the processes happen in that device, the processor of that device plays a major role in determining the rate of efficiency and fluency.

AMD Athlon and AMD Turion are two of the most popular types of microprocessors that are used in computers.

AMD Athlon vs AMD Turion 

The main difference between AMD Athlon and AMD Turion is that AMD Athlon is a type of microprocessor that generally operates at a frequency of about a minimum of 1.3 gigahertz to a maximum of 2.3 gigahertz. While on the other hand, the frequency with which the AMD Turion microprocessors generally operate is about a minimum of 1.5 gigahertz to a maximum of 2.5 gigahertz.

AMD Athlon vs AMD Turion

The AMD Athlon microprocessor was released on January 29, 1999. However, though the microprocessor was released in July 1999, it was made available to people from August 1999. 

The AMD Turion microprocessor was released on May 17, 2006. The microprocessor has many different generations and several different variants as well such as AMD Turion 64, AMD Turion X2, AMD Turion 64 X2, and AMD Turion X2 ultra.

Comparison Table Between AMD Athlon and AMD Turion

Parameters of comparisonAMD AthlonAMD Turion
Clock speedAMD Athlon has a clock speed of about 1.3 GHz to 2.3 GHzAMD Turion has a clock speed of about 1.5 GHz to 2.5 GHz
L2 cache sizeAMD Athlon has a L2 cache size of 256 KB per coreAMD Turion has a L2 cache size of 512 KB per core
Power consumptionAMD Athlon consumes 65 W of powerAMD Turion consumes 25 W to 35 W
CostCost of AMD Athlon is relatively lessCost of AMD Turion is relatively more
PerformancePerformance of AMD Athlon is relatively poorPerformance of AMD Turion is relatively better
Battery lifeBattery life of AMD Athlon is relatively shorterBattery life of AMD Turion is relatively longer
Machine lifeMachine life of AMD Athlon is relatively shorter Machine life of AMD Turion is relatively longer
System busAMD Athlon has a system bus of 2000 MHzAMD Turion has a system bus of 1600 MHz

What is AMD Athlon?

AMD Athlon, the name of this microprocessor can be broken down into two different parts, that is, AMD and Athlon. AMD signifies the name of the company which designed this microprocessor, which is Advanced Micro Devices. While the second name, that is Athlon, is derived from a Greek word that means a reward for something.

AMD Athlon has many versions, also known as different generations. The second-generation AMD Athlon microprocessor is known as Athlon thunderbird or also known as T-bird. This generation of AMD Athlon microprocessors was released on June 4, 2000, and has 37 million transistors.

The third generation of AMD Athlon microprocessor is known as Athlon XP and it was released on October 9, 2001. The third generation of AMD Athlon microprocessor had a total number of y different variations which were released further in time.

What is AMD Turion?

AMD Turion microprocessor can be called an upgraded version of AMD Athlon microprocessor as it has better battery life, better machine life, less power consumption, high cache storage, and many other such upgrades as well.

The AMD Turion microprocessor is sold by model number figure and has a ram capacity of upto 1 TB. The ML model of the AMD Turion microprocessor consumes up to 35 W of power, while on the other hand, the MT model of AMD Turion microprocessor consumes up to only 25 W of power.

The technology behind the AMD Turion microprocessor is known as power now and it also has enhanced or better virus protection. Moreover, this microprocessor also supports MMX, unlike AMD Athlon.

Main Differences Between AMD Athlon and AMD Turion

  1. The frequency with which AMD Athlon operates is lower than as compared to AMD Turion, that is the clock speed of AMD Athlon is about a minimum of 1.3 GHz to a maximum of 2.3 GHz. The frequency with which AMD Turion operates is higher than as compared to AMD Athlon, that is the clock speed of AMD Turion is about a minimum of 1.5 GHz to a maximum of 2.5 GHz.
  2. The level 2 cache size or also known as the L2 cache size of AMD Athlon is equal to 256 KB per core. On the other hand, the level 2 cache size or also known as the L2 cache size of AMD Turion is equal to 512 KB per core.
  3. The power consumption of AMD Athlon is high as compared to AMD Turion, that is to say, AMD Athlon consumes about 65W of power. Whereas, the power consumption of AMD Turion is low as compared to AMD Athlon, that is to say, AMD Turion consumes about 35W of power.
  4. The cost of AMD Athlon microprocessor is less as compared to AMD Turion. The cost of AMD Turion microprocessor is more as compared to AMD Athlon.
  5. The performance of the AMD Athlon microprocessor is poor as compared to AMD Turion. Whereas, the performance of the AMD Turion microprocessor is better as compared to AMD Athlon.
  6. The battery life of AMD Athlon microprocessors is shorter as compared to AMD Turion. The battery life of the AMD Turion microprocessor is longer as compared to AMD Athlon.
  7. The machine life of AMD Athlon microprocessors is shorter as compared to AMD Turion. The machine life of the AMD Turion microprocessor is longer as compared to AMD Athlon.
  8. The system bus of the AMD Athlon microprocessor is 2000 MHz. Whereas the system bus of AMD Turion is 1600 MHz. 

Conclusion

Both the microprocessors have the common initial, that is, AMD. AMD in the name of both of the microprocessors, that is, AMD Athlon and AMD Turion signifies the name of the company which designed these microprocessors. The name of the company which designed AMD Athlon and AMD Turion is Advanced Micro Devices.

References

  1. http://www.cs.put.poznan.pl/rwalkowiak/pliki/pr/Basic_Performance_Measurements.pdf
  2. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/3-540-40922-X_3