Phenom II x2 550BE and x2 250 reviews are up

[happy medium]

for some reason I can't edit right since I installed IE8?

Techspot

http://www.techspot.com/news/3...-review--TechSpot.html

Tomshardware

http://www.tomshardware.com/re...phenom-ii-x2,2324.html[/quote]

Icrontic

http://icrontic.com/articles/p...n-ii-x2-250#more-24344

Hothardware

http://hothardware.com/Article...I-X2-Processors-Debut/

Firing squad

http://www.firingsquad.com/har...2_x2_550_athlon_2_250/[/quote]

Xbit labs

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...enom-athlon-ii-x2.html[/quote]

pc perspective

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=721&type=expert

Legion Hardware

http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=834

Hexus

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=18685

Benchmark reviews

http://benchmarkreviews.com/in...=view&id=310&Itemid=63

Driverheaven

http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=784

 

[happy medium]

Again!:frown:

 

[happy medium]

again

 

[happy medium]

I give up!:roll:

 

[TotalLamer]

Glad to see the new Athlon II X2 is a totally new die.

 

[Eeqmcsq]

If the Athlon II X2 is an actual dual core processor (as opposed to being an "Athlon II X4" with 2 cores disabled), how will AMD build the Athlon II X3s and X4s?

Also, Tomshardware's article said that these AthII X3s and AthII X4s will debut next month. With only a $15 difference between the AthII X2 and PhII X2 today, where will AMD price these two chips? Will they squeeze all the AthIIs below the PhII X2? Or will they let the two brand names overlap each other? I guess we'll find out next month.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: Eeqmcsq
If the Athlon II X2 is an actual dual core processor (as opposed to being an "Athlon II X4" with 2 cores disabled), how will AMD build the Athlon II X3s and X4s?

Also, Tomshardware's article said that these AthII X3s and AthII X4s will debut next month. With only a $15 difference between the AthII X2 and PhII X2 today, where will AMD price these two chips? Will they squeeze all the AthIIs below the PhII X2? Or will they let the two brand names overlap each other? I guess we'll find out next month.

Why would they debut Athlon X3's and X4's when they already have Phenom X3's and X4's?

 

[Soleron]

Originally posted by: Eeqmcsq
If the Athlon II X2 is an actual dual core processor (as opposed to being an "Athlon II X4" with 2 cores disabled), how will AMD build the Athlon II X3s and X4s?

Also, Tomshardware's article said that these AthII X3s and AthII X4s will debut next month. With only a $15 difference between the AthII X2 and PhII X2 today, where will AMD price these two chips? Will they squeeze all the AthIIs below the PhII X2? Or will they let the two brand names overlap each other? I guess we'll find out next month.

It's another new die, Propus. Quad-core with no L3. Tri-cores are that with one core disabled.

The purpose of it is to reduce power consumption (it will be a quad with a 45W power rating), so I imagine it'll be priced just under the current quads (~$160?) due to the low-TDP premium.

 

[LoneNinja]

Athlon II X4 is a new die like Soleron said, and it's suppose to have a smaller die size than Phenom II which will reduce cost of manufacturing. AMD plans to use it as a mainstream processor(budget) on it's new mainstream platform this fall. I don't expect Athlon II X4 to be cheaper than a Phenom II X2, it just wouldn't make sense, I'm guessing the Athlon II X4 will be priced similar to the Phenom II X3.

In other words, AMD is trying to throw quads out as mainstream while Intel continues to sell dual cores over $200.

And it's also good AMD can finally put K8 to rest now that they have a native 45nm dual core.

 

[Stoneburner]

PHenom X2 550 is at newegg for $115.

 

[richierich1212]

Originally posted by: Stoneburner
PHenom X2 550 is at newegg for $115.

Finally

 

[daveybrat]

The 550BE looks like a really nice cpu for the money!

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: richierich1212

Originally posted by: Stoneburner
PHenom X2 550 is at newegg for $115.

Finally

$109.99 now

 

[Stoneburner]

AT this rate they'll $50 dollars by the end of the week!

I am sorely tempted to try one, but would prefer it around the promised $102 mark. But then all these sites are warning that the early batches will be the unlockable ones!

 

[magreen]

First of all, a number of posters up above made reference to an "Athlon II X4". There is no such thing. "X4" is AMD's nomenclature for a quadcore chip. These new Athlon II chips are dual core. They are called "Athlon II X2".

Now that that's handled... What's the excitement over these Athlon II X2 chips? I mean, they're a good move for amd, don't get me wrong. But from a consumer/enthusiast perspective, it's just a pentium dual core lookalike. I might buy one if I wanted an e5300 type of chip, assuming the new athlon II has a slightly better priceerf ratio. But it doesn't seem exciting. Just a relief that there's a good amd option also.

 

[richierich1212]

Originally posted by: magreen
First of all, a number of posters up above made reference to an "Athlon II X4". There is no such thing. "X4" is AMD's nomenclature for a quadcore chip. These new Athlon II chips are dual core. They are called "Athlon II X2".

Now that that's handled... What's the excitement over these Athlon II X2 chips? I mean, they're a good move for amd, don't get me wrong. But from a consumer/enthusiast perspective, it's just a pentium dual core lookalike. I might buy one if I wanted an e5300 type of chip, assuming the new athlon II has a slightly better priceerf ratio. But it doesn't seem exciting. Just a relief that there's a good amd option also.

Athlon X4 processors are on the roadmap for this year

 

[magreen]

Well cover me with gravy and call me a biscuit, they do seem to be on the roadmap.
Well, alls I can say is they don't exist yet (and fudzilla from last december in't the most reassuring source that they will indeed exist). But thanx for the link.

 

[richierich1212]

Athlon X4 Propus Benchmarks (ES)

 

[Fox5]

So are these Athlon II X2's just Athlon II X4's with 2 cores disabled, or has AMD actually made 3 different designs, a quad core with L3, a quad core without L3, and a dual core without L3?

 

[nyker96]

looks like calisto is finally here! they really needed that to compete on the low end of things.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: Fox5
So are these Athlon II X2's just Athlon II X4's with 2 cores disabled, or has AMD actually made 3 different designs, a quad core with L3, a quad core without L3, and a dual core without L3?

the athlon ii x2 is a new die.

the athlon ii x4 and ii x3 are the same die.

 

[Spoelie]

WOW, it really amazes me how little performance has improved. Athlon II X2 250 (3ghz) is barely faster in most benchmarks than a Athlon X2 6400+ (3,2ghz), and loses in 1 or 2.

So the core "redesign" buys as little as 300mhz around 3ghz, or only 10%. Everything else that improved in phenom is uncore.

And this while the original is at 90nm and the new one is 45nm, what a waste of potential. It seems to me AMD could've tried a little harder with the Athlon II.

EDIT: Make no mistake, I'm rooting for AMD through and through, am just disappointed

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: Spoelie
WOW, it really amazes me how little performance has improved. Athlon II X2 250 (3ghz) is barely faster in most benchmarks than a Athlon X2 6400+ (3,2ghz), and loses in 1 or 2.

So the core "redesign" buys as little as 300mhz around 3ghz, or only 10%. Everything else that improved in phenom is uncore.

And this while the original is at 90nm and the new one is 45nm, what a waste of potential. It seems to me AMD could've tried a little harder with the Athlon II.

EDIT: Make no mistake, I'm rooting for AMD through and through, am just disappointed

the athlon / phenom core has not changed all that much since the original athlon 64.


I think the main differences are the new cores use much much less power, and support new types of memory, or support new cache heirarchies (like l3 cache). and VT support.

amd needs to get some micro ops fusion, or hyperthreading type things added to their cores for better ipc, but thats probably a long ways away.

 

[Lorne]

Dont jump the gun to fast, If the AII X3 or X4 come out you had better watch the watt range, I suspect alot of AM2 motherboards smoking out really quick.

I personally have an eye on the PhenII X2 as the watt ratting is below the AM2 motherboard I have in my personal workstation at work.

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: Spoelie
WOW, it really amazes me how little performance has improved. Athlon II X2 250 (3ghz) is barely faster in most benchmarks than a Athlon X2 6400+ (3,2ghz), and loses in 1 or 2.

So the core "redesign" buys as little as 300mhz around 3ghz, or only 10%. Everything else that improved in phenom is uncore.

And this while the original is at 90nm and the new one is 45nm, what a waste of potential. It seems to me AMD could've tried a little harder with the Athlon II.

EDIT: Make no mistake, I'm rooting for AMD through and through, am just disappointed

I see it the other way around, this L3 cacheless phenom isn't that far behind the real phenom IIs in most things.
On top of that, it beats out the Phenom 1's in many situations.