Legit Reviews

The time has finally come for AMD to bring their dual-core processor to their beloved FX processor family. Can you believe that dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors have been out for more than seven months? During these seven months the King Of The Hill (KOTH) processor for AMD has always been a single core processor. Several months ago in Texas AMD asked the reviewers what we thought the next FX processor should be and it looks like the votes for dual-core came out on top...

Thor wrote:Great review.

Makes me feel the warm fuzzies that I'm only 100mhz off the fx-60 with my 165 crammed into my shuttle at 2.5. Nothing like 300 dollar-come-1000 dollar processors.

Bio-Hazard wrote:You also might remember that AMD also has a new generation CPU coming out shortly. ..................

Bio-Hazard wrote:I really don'y think Intel will beat out anyone when you start comparing apples to apples. Intel couldn't do it last generation and I don't think they will with their next. You also might remember that AMD also has a new generation CPU coming out shortly. ..................

Zinn2b wrote:

Bio-Hazard wrote:I really don'y think Intel will beat out anyone when you start comparing apples to apples. Intel couldn't do it last generation and I don't think they will with their next. You also might remember that AMD also has a new generation CPU coming out shortly. ..................

Well ya I do and here is an apples to apples review . So I say at 4.7 GHz Intel Rules.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/di ... -fx60.html

Bio-Hazard wrote:

Zinn2b wrote:

Bio-Hazard wrote:I really don'y think Intel will beat out anyone when you start comparing apples to apples. Intel couldn't do it last generation and I don't think they will with their next. You also might remember that AMD also has a new generation CPU coming out shortly. ..................

Well ya I do and here is an apples to apples review . So I say at 4.7 GHz Intel Rules.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/di ... -fx60.html

You might want to read a bit more on what other people are getting out of their FX60 on stock air, one review doesn't make the world............
But it also a known fact that Intesl work better at video encoding and the like, but if you're a gamer, AMD running at a little over half the Intel speed will trash the Intels....................

Bio-Hazard wrote:

Zinn2b wrote:

Bio-Hazard wrote:I really don'y think Intel will beat out anyone when you start comparing apples to apples. Intel couldn't do it last generation and I don't think they will with their next. You also might remember that AMD also has a new generation CPU coming out shortly. ..................

Well ya I do and here is an apples to apples review . So I say at 4.7 GHz Intel Rules.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/di ... -fx60.html

You might want to read a bit more on what other people are getting out of their FX60 on stock air, one review doesn't make the world............
But it also a known fact that Intesl work better at video encoding and the like, but if you're a gamer, AMD running at a little over half the Intel speed will trash the Intels....................

Zinn2b wrote:

Bio-Hazard wrote:

Zinn2b wrote: Well ya I do and here is an apples to apples review . So I say at 4.7 GHz Intel Rules.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/di ... -fx60.html

You might want to read a bit more on what other people are getting out of their FX60 on stock air, one review doesn't make the world............
But it also a known fact that Intesl work better at video encoding and the like, but if you're a gamer, AMD running at a little over half the Intel speed will trash the Intels....................

I am a gamer and don't try pulling that BS on me . I game at high res with eye candy on . Intel is just as fast as Amd in those circumstances.
Is what you meant was if your looking for head room you lower res . and turn off eyecandy to find which cpu was designed to do real world work and which was designed for gaming . I know AMD is stong but Intel is coming on stong and Conroe will put them over the top.

The guys over at TG Daily found out that, while Intel is busy bringing its next processor generation, based on the Merom core, up to speed, AMD is adding the final touches to its DDR2-based Socket M2 Athlon 64 platform by preparing 12 M2 processors for the Q2 launch, spanning the Athlon 64, X2, FX and Sempron series of CPUs. Part of the launch will be an Athlon 64 X2 5000+ and an Athlon 64 FX-62 chip.

All Socket M2 processors will be based on a common DDR2 memory controller that is validated for 333 MHz operation (DDR2-667), with only the cache size and clock speed differentiating the individual processors. There will be 2 x 1 MB or 2 x 512 KB L2 cache for the dual cores, 512 KB L2 cache for the single core Athlon 64 models and 256 KB for the Sempron series. While Intel's chipset specifications officially support 4 clock CAS latencies for DDR2-667 memory only, there is some headroom for AMD to optimize the memory interface for CAS 3. This circumstance could become significant, as the performance difference between the current Socket 939 processors and their upcoming Socket M2 counterparts will be rather small, according to sources.

The Socket M2 launch will be flanked by at least four Athlon 64 X2 models, which are based on the 90 nm Windsor core. These processors will be running the clock speeds we are familiar with today. However, AMD will introduce an Athlon 64 X2 5000+ clocked at 2.6 GHz and equipped with 1x 1 MB L2 cache. The single core Athlon 64 family will be slimmed down to just three models integrating the 90 nm Orleans core.

The Athlon 64 4000+ will be running at 2.6 GHz, as it comes with 512 KB L2 cache only (today's 4000+ is a 1 MB part). The 3800+ runs at 2.4 GHz; the Athlon 64 3500+ will be the entry level chip at 2.2 GHz. Both the Athlon 64 and the Athlon 64 X2 will support AMD's virtualization technology known as "Pacifica."

Last but not least, the Sempron family will consist of four members at the time of M2 launch. All Sempron processors are based on the 90 nm Manila core and carry only 256 KB L2, but they do come with AMD's dual channel DDR2-667 interface. The Sempron models 3500+, 3400+, 3200+ and 3000+ will run at 2.2, 2.0, 1.8 and 1.6 GHz, respectively. 3600+ and 3800+ models 2.4 and 2.6 GHz apparently are available already and could be added to the line-up, as soon as Intel speeds up the Celeron family.

EETimes wrote:The CSI bus is also expected to appear in 2007 versions of Intel's x86 Xeon server CPUs, probably including the chip code-named Whitefield.

The CSI bus is optimized for low latency when used as a cache coherent processor bus in four-processor systems. However, it can also be used to link up to 16 CPUs for the high-end X86 systems built by OEMs such as IBM, NEC and Unisys. In addition, CSI will be used without cache coherency as a standard way to link north and south bridge chips in a processor core logic set

kenc51 wrote:Intel will be moving the memory controller to the cpu......
It will be called "CSI", but won't be until '07
It will be for server chips, so we won't see it in desktop cpus till ~'08?

EETimes wrote:The CSI bus is also expected to appear in 2007 versions of Intel's x86 Xeon server CPUs, probably including the chip code-named Whitefield.

The CSI bus is optimized for low latency when used as a cache coherent processor bus in four-processor systems. However, it can also be used to link up to 16 CPUs for the high-end X86 systems built by OEMs such as IBM, NEC and Unisys. In addition, CSI will be used without cache coherency as a standard way to link north and south bridge chips in a processor core logic set

link

Conroe should be interesting as Intel has shortened the pipeline....a short pipeline is what makes AMD better for gaming etc. (games don't use large instructions!)

AMD have being working with memory companies and others perfecting their new ddr2 memory controller...IF they have it sorted then we should see some performance....but I can't see how more bandwith will help with higher latencies...I suspect with ddr-667, the extra MHz will be to compensate for the higher latency...
What also may happen is AMD will have to bring out a few revisions of their cpu's to gain from DDR2....if that's the case, then AM2 will have no performance benefits for the first few months...

2$

killswitch83 wrote:Life is just about to be that much better