AMD Athlon XP 3100+ socket: Socket 462

What the Athlon XP 3100+ is

The AMD Athlon XP 3100+ is a 2200 MHz single-core desktop processor from December 2003. It runs one K7 Thorton core at 2200 MHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 256 KB of L2 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 68.3 W in a Socket 462 package with part number AXDC3100DKV3E on a 400 MT/s front side bus with an 11x multiplier at 1.65 V.

The 3100+ tops the Thorton stack with the fastest front side bus in the group, moving from 266 MT/s on slower Thorton parts to 400 MT/s. AMD placed it as an OEM and late retail option with the Barton 3200+ at 2200 MHz and 512 KB above it. The chip supports MMX, SSE and Enhanced 3DNow. A Thoroughbred 3100+ at the same 2200 MHz and 400 MT/s shares the rating on a different stepping, so part numbers separate Thorton AXDC from Thoroughbred AXDC variants with similar clocks.

Bus speed with a small cache defines the trade. The 400 MT/s link feeds the 256 KB L2 faster than 266 MT/s Thorton parts, which helps office tasks despite the cache gap to Barton parts. That is why the 3100+ suited late DDR boards with 400 MT/s chipsets, where the bus lift offset the smaller cache.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Athlon XP 3100+ Thorton fits Socket 462 DDR boards with a 400 MT/s bus and Thorton BIOS support. It needs DDR slots with 400 MT/s chipset paths and Model 10 microcode. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Late DDR towers with 400 MT/s chipsets such as nForce2 Ultra are the natural match. Boards listing Thorton 3100+ accept the chip with a 68.3 W cooler. Older 266 MT/s boards need a full chipset and BIOS check for 400 MT/s operation, even though pin compatibility runs through the socket lifetime.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR through the board chipset in a single channel, with modules matched to the 400 MT/s bus for full speed. The CPU has no memory controller.

A 400 MT/s front side bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while AGP 8x and PCI hang off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the socket lug clip with a 68.3 W heatsink. Centered mounting and fresh paste protect the exposed die at higher bus speeds.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 462 the nearby steps are the Athlon XP 2600+ Thorton variants below and Barton 3200+ parts at 2200 MHz with 512 KB above. Barton 3000+ parts at 2100 MHz offer more cache at slightly lower clocks. Beyond Socket 462 a move to Socket 754 needs a new board. The 3100+ lifts with the lever, so swaps need no solder work.