IDF kicks off today and while Intel is was busy getting ready for the party, AMD has stepped in and snatched just a smidgen of the limelight by announcing that it is readying a hexa-core processor aimed at consumer desktops.
The chip, codenamed Thubon, is set for release sometime next year and according to Maximum PC, it will be backwards compatible with existing AM3 and AM2+ motherboards. Maximum PC cites AMD officials who Monday said that the heavily rumored Thurbon was "a done deal."
Thurbon will feature all six cores on a single 45nm die, feature an integrated DDR3 controller and is expected to have 3MB of L2 and 6MB of L3 cache. No word on branding or clock speeds as of yet but MPC reports the Phenom II X6 as a possible label.
All together now, ooooh!
AMD Cool N Quite Technology
CoolnQuiet automatically reduces your clock speed when your processor is not being used to save power and lower head production. Its like Intel's SpeedStep. There is nothing wrong with your computer. But of you dont want this feature, then enter your motherboard's BIOS [by pressing F8(or Delete most likely) during the mobo splash screen]
ATI Radeon HD 4850 GPU
The ATI Radeon HD 4850 GPU brings the power of graphics supercomputing to gamers, setting a new standard for visual computing. Redefine the way you play and take HD gaming to the extreme with best-in-class performance. The new TeraScale graphics engine delivers an immersive, cinematic gaming experience. Add this GPU to your PC and watch Blu-ray movies and play HD content with incredible visual fidelity.* Do it all with break-through efficiency that doesn't compromise performance.
GDDR3 memory 256-bit memory interface
DirectX® 10.1
24x custom filter anti-aliasing (CFAA) and high performance anisotropic filtering
ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU support for highly scalable performance
Use up to four discrete cards with an AMD 790FX based motherboard
PCI Express® 2.0 support
PCI Express® 2.0 supportDynamic geometry acceleration
Game physics processing capability
ATI Avivo™HD video and display technologyUnified Video Decoder 2 (UVD)
ATI PowerPlay™ technology
AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1 GHz Unlocking $100 buck
At Computex 2009 in Taipei, Taiwan, AMD announced a new lineup of processors
for the second half of 2009. These included the Phenom II X4 905e and X3 703e, which are energy-efficient processors, the Athlon II X2 250 AMD's first 45nm Athlon processor, and the dual-core 3.1GHz AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition.
The Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is AMD's first dual-core Phenom processor, and thanks to an unlocked multiplier and 45nm manufacturing process, it has the potential to break some serious overclocking records...
Based on the 'Deneb' architecture of the Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition, this chip simply has two of its four cores disabled. The Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition does retain the same L3 cache size as its big brother though, with a massive 6MB shared L3 cache that allows for faster, smaller 512KB of individual cache for each of the two cores. As the 550BE is part of AMD's Black Edition line up, it is multiplier unlocked for easier overclocking. The Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is built on AMD's 45nm manufacturing process, so processor TDP sits at a comfortable 80W.
This 3.1GHz CPU slips easily into socket AM3 motherboards and Socket AM2+ platforms as well. This is largely due to its integrated DDR2/DDR3 memory controller, which functions in DDR3 mode for AM3 motherboards, and DDR2 mode on socket AM2/AM2+ motherboards. Overall it makes for some dead-simple upgrades, and the increased versatility is a welcome change from the complete system overhaul that's required to operate Intel's Core i7 and Core i5 processors.
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The physical specifications of the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition are the same as that of the AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition that it's based on. Both processors have 758 million transistors packed into a 258mm2 die, a feat possible thanks to AMD's 45nm die shrink.
Given Windows 7, AMD has ensured that the new Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition processor and the rest of the Phenom processor line will have full support for this operating system, most importantly the new 'XP virtualization' feature. The Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition supports full hardware virtualization, allowing a single core to run a simulated Windows XP environment inside of Windows 7.
AMD's suggested retail price for the Phenom II X2 550 processor is a mere $103 USD ($110 CDN, £62 GBP), which positions it right between Intel's 2.6GHz E5300 processor and the Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz E7400 processor. This makes it both an inexpensive, easy upgrade for those looking to drop it into an existing socket AM2+ motherboard. The 3.1GHz clockspeed and potential overclocking headroom also mean that this processor should be a very exciting prospect for those who are building gaming systems on a budget.
The Dragon goes Mainstream
At the end of 2008 AMD launched its Dragon platform, a combination of its new Phenom II processors, socket AM3 motherboards, and Radeon 48XX series of videocards. Since then AMD has updated Dragon with the Phenom II X4 955 processor. Now AMD is focusing on bringing the Dragon platform to the midrange market, with the Radeon HD 4770 videocard and the Phenom II X2 550.
As PCSTATS has previously demonstrated, a single Radeon HD 4770 is good budget gaming value, providing excellent performance at a low price point. However when two of them are linked together in Crossfire mode, the performance can rival high-end videocards that are much more expensive.
The Phenom II X2 550 fits into AMD's plan for budget system builders, giving an option for an affordable dual-core processor with a high clock speed
. Thanks to the Phenom II X2 550's low TDP and unlocked multiplier, there's also the potential for some heavy-duty overclocking.
| AMD Phenom II Processors | ||||||||||||
| Processor Models | Thermal Design Power | Clock Speed | Cache | Price (USD) | ||||||||
| AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE | 125W | 3.2GHz | 8MB (2MB L2 +6MB L3) | $246 | ||||||||
| AMD Phenom II X4 945 | 125W | 3.0 GHz | 8MB (2MB L2 +6MB L3) | $226 | ||||||||
| AMD Phenom II X4 920 | 125W | 3.0 GHz | 8MB (2MB L2 +6MB L3) | $190 | ||||||||
| AMD Phenom II X4 810 | 95W | 2.6 GHz | 6MB (2MB L2 +4MB L3) | $176 | ||||||||
| AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE | 95W | 2.8 GHz | 7.5 (1.5MB L2 + 6MB) | $139 | ||||||||
| AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE | 80W | 3.1GHZ | 7MB (1MB L2 +6MB L3) | $103 | ||||||||
PCSTATS takes a closer look at AMD overdrive and memory profiles next, then it's on to system power draw tests on a core-by-core basis and overclocking.
Intel Core i7 Overclocking Tutorial (Stability Testing)
The programs used for testing are:
Immediately after the launch of Windows you need to load CPU-Z. If CPU-Z shows the correct values start Prime95 and let them run with eight workers at a time. Choose the option for "maximum heat generation. Prime is particularly suited to see if the system is stable for daily use. Let prime95 fifteen minutes every time you turn to the maximum speed does have found. Turn prime95 less than an hour, but rather one or four hours to see if your system is stable.
Meanwhile, the temperatures can be monitored using Real Temp. I recommend to the temperatures 24/7-test among the 85 ~ 90 degrees and holding.
- MemTest86 +
- CPU-Z
- Prime95
- Real Temp
Immediately after the launch of Windows you need to load CPU-Z. If CPU-Z shows the correct values start Prime95 and let them run with eight workers at a time. Choose the option for "maximum heat generation. Prime is particularly suited to see if the system is stable for daily use. Let prime95 fifteen minutes every time you turn to the maximum speed does have found. Turn prime95 less than an hour, but rather one or four hours to see if your system is stable.
Meanwhile, the temperatures can be monitored using Real Temp. I recommend to the temperatures 24/7-test among the 85 ~ 90 degrees and holding.
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