Using the aforementioned Socket 939, the Athlon 64 4000+ runs at a default clock speed of 2.40GHz. The processor has 1MB of Level 2 Cache memory and is designed for single processor systems only. It uses an integrated, dual-channel 128 bit wide memory controller for DDR memory speeds of up to PC3200, and a single 2GHz hypertransport link to the mainboard northbridge chipset.

The Athlon64 4000+ processor is manufactured at AMDs Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany using the 130nm Silicon on Insulator process technology. Its core contains a blusteringly large 105.9 million transistors, and is 193mm2 in size. Max thermal power is a conservative 89 Watts, and Vcore is 1.5V. Consumers can expect retail prices to start off in the neighborhood of $729 USD ($920 CDN).

At the same time, AMD also released its latest Athlon FX chip, the FX-55. We're struck by the similarities here. The FX-55 runs at 2.60GHz, but utilizes the same 1MB level 2 cache as the Athlon64 4000+. Unsurprisingly, the chip also contains 105.9 million transistors, but its max thermal power is 104 Watts, and Vcore 1.5V. Expect retail prices to start out at $827USD ($1040CDN).

As you may be thinking, from the spec sheets alone these two processors appear remarkably alike. AMD is moving its separate 64-bit processor lines closer together, most likely to simplify manufacturing. The FX line will still stand out because of higher clock speeds and unlocked multipliers for overclocking though. The Athlon64 4000+ is 'multiplier limited,' meaning it can be adjusted from 12x down.