There's no doubt that 2006 was one of the most incredible years in technology in recent memory. There were scandals, impressive landscape-shifting mergers, strange new alliances and many new products and technologies unveiled. One launch that stands out in everyone's mind is Intel's Conroe last summer. We were teased with leaked benchmark results and other information months before the release and once the launch finally hit, we were all relieved to see that it actually lived up to the hype.
After a launch like this, we didn't think that a follow-up would arrive for a while. We were wrong. In the early fall, we first learned about Intel's quad-core CPU, which is essentially two Conroes under the same IHS. I admit, I didn't expect to actually see it so soon, but come November, it was publicly available for anyone to purchase. Intel's at the top of their game, and don't want to step down anytime soon.
When they first launched their QX6700, they held off launching the Q6600 until early January. We don't know the reason for the delay, but now the possibility of having your own quad-core machine without breaking the bank has finally arrived. Let's first get the basics out of the way.
Oh My Quad
The Q6600 is a 2.4GHz chip, like its little brother the E6600. Both CPUs are nearly identical and use the same die(s), except that the Q6600 has two of them. Essentially, everything is doubled. Twice the cores, twice the cache and twice the drool. Like the other Core 2 Duos, Core 2 Quads are based on a 65nm process, although the process requires a slightly higher stock voltage. Since both the Quads are so similar to the Duos, it's no surprise to see that the die size is simply doubled as well, resulting in 2 x 143mm^2.
When compared to the top of the line QX6700 chip, the specs are again identical except for the 2.66GHz clock speed. Other than that, the CPUs are the same, just binned differently. When comparing to the top end Core 2 Duo, the differences are a lot more meaningful. While the QX6700 retails for just under $1,000, so does the X6800. However, when considering the QX6700, you receive a lower clock speed in return for twice the cores. At that point, it's up to you whether you want or need the sheer clock speed or greater benefits for your multi-thread applications.
To help put everything into perspective, here's a simple graph showcasing all of Intel's current Core 2 offerings.
CPU Model
Clock Speed
FSB
L2 Cache
TDP
Cores
Pricing
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4 $999
Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 2.93GHz 1066MHz 4MB 75W 2 $999
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 105W 4 $851
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2 $530
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2 $316
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz 1066MHz 2MB 65W 2 $224
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz 1066MHz 2MB 65W 2 $183
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2 $163
One interesting point to note is that even though the Q6600 is essentially 2 x E6600, the TDP is not doubled, but rather sits at a comfortable 105W. The higher clocked QX6700 is 130W, however, which is why we don't see a QX6800 instead. A TDP of 130W is high to begin with, but considering the much slower 820 D we reviewed less than a year ago also had a TDP of 130W, power consumption still hasn't entered uncharted territory, and there are thermal solutions available to deal with that kind of heat.
Below, you can see a highly detailed illustration of the quad-core's innards. In case you thought that two dies would be a tight squeeze, think again! Despite having four cores, there's still a reasonable amount of breathing room in there. For a more realistic view of the chip with the HS off, you can check out the picture provided by Intel
Friday, January 23, 2009
Intel Pentium 820 D 2.8GHz 90nm Dual Core
It wasn't too long ago that we were all asking the question, "Should I go dual core?" Times have proven that dual core is the future and has clear benefits, which turned that question into, "Which dual core should I get?" Even if you are buying the lowest dual core on the scale, you are essentially getting twice the computing power than from a single chip. As more and more applications take advantage of dual cores, it makes the buying decision easier. Of course, the ability to multi-task without slowing your OS down is another huge benefit.
Intel and AMD both have a great selection of dual core chips, for all wallet sizes. Intel dual cores almost always cost less than AMD's, which makes them look more attractive. Generally speaking though, tests have proven AMD dual cores better for gaming on high-end systems. But, if you are looking for a cheap solution to get yourself a dual core rig built, then Intels offerings are worth looking at.
Today's processor in question is the 820 D. It was the bottom of the barrel when it came to Intel DC's, until the lower clocked 805 D came out. But before we get into specifics and feature comparisons, let's delve a bit deeper into why dual cores are beneficial to you.
Features
PCs that have two CPU cores are not necessarily new, although it is for the consumer market. A few years ago, you would need two separate CPU's in the same machine. You can now have the same benefit but with only one CPU. There was a lot of speculation when dual cores came to be, but there's no denying just how beneficial they can be. Because you essentially have two CPU cores under the same IHS, multitasking proves less groggy with larger applications. As you open new instances of applications, the CPU will decide which core to use. The goal is to allow you to do more on your PC than with a single core, without having a sluggish experience.
Even though you have a dual core, things can still slow down your PC, but that primarily only happens with multiple intensive applications that are stressing the same components at once, such as ram or your hard drive. As a great example though, you could play a game and convert a video file at the same time and feel virtually no lag or slowdown. Try doing that on a single core and it will not be a fun experience. Because of these possibilities, it's no wonder why dual cores are growing in popularity.
Intel and AMD both have a great selection of dual core chips, for all wallet sizes. Intel dual cores almost always cost less than AMD's, which makes them look more attractive. Generally speaking though, tests have proven AMD dual cores better for gaming on high-end systems. But, if you are looking for a cheap solution to get yourself a dual core rig built, then Intels offerings are worth looking at.
Today's processor in question is the 820 D. It was the bottom of the barrel when it came to Intel DC's, until the lower clocked 805 D came out. But before we get into specifics and feature comparisons, let's delve a bit deeper into why dual cores are beneficial to you.
Features
PCs that have two CPU cores are not necessarily new, although it is for the consumer market. A few years ago, you would need two separate CPU's in the same machine. You can now have the same benefit but with only one CPU. There was a lot of speculation when dual cores came to be, but there's no denying just how beneficial they can be. Because you essentially have two CPU cores under the same IHS, multitasking proves less groggy with larger applications. As you open new instances of applications, the CPU will decide which core to use. The goal is to allow you to do more on your PC than with a single core, without having a sluggish experience.
Even though you have a dual core, things can still slow down your PC, but that primarily only happens with multiple intensive applications that are stressing the same components at once, such as ram or your hard drive. As a great example though, you could play a game and convert a video file at the same time and feel virtually no lag or slowdown. Try doing that on a single core and it will not be a fun experience. Because of these possibilities, it's no wonder why dual cores are growing in popularity.
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Preview
It hasn't been a full year since we saw Intel launch their Core 2 Duo processors, but we will soon be seeing a line-up refresh. This is one product that really needs no introduction, but seeing as this is a refresh, refreshing everyones minds seems appropriate. Intel launched the Core 2 Duo to much fanfare last July. Months prior to this, enthusiasts were drooling over leaks of performance reports, which fortunately, turned out to be right on the money.
The entire Conroe line-up is built on a 65nm process, with the mainstream products offering 4MB of L2 cache. Improved over the previous Pentium 4/Pentium D line-up was better power efficiency resulting in a lower TDP and better overall temperatures. This is appreciated, as two cores under the same IHS can potentially create an unwanted room heater.
All but the lowest end Core 2 Duos take advantage of a 1066FSB. This is where this refreshed line-up comes into play, as it ushers in 1333FSB computing. This noticeable speed bump is all done while retaining the same TDP.
All Conroe 1333FSB processors are identified by by a 50 at the end of the product name, hence E6750, which is effectively taking over the spot of the E6700. Nothing has changed except for the FSB and speeds, except the ratio of course, which had to be altered in order to compliment the upgraded frequency.
One thing that should be cleared up is that most overclocking enthusiasts have already accomplished the same speeds we are seeing today, with most being exceeded. In fact, there is nothing stopping anyone from popping in an E6600 and overclocking using a 333FSB and 8 multiplier. That would effectively give you the exact same speed as the E6750 we are taking a look at today.
You might be wondering where the benefit is, with this official speed bump. Primarily it will benefit those non-overclockers most. There is no comparison to equal processor speed at 1066FSB and 1333FSB. That added FSB frequency should make a much more noticeable performance difference than the CPU frequency boost itself.
The entire Conroe line-up is built on a 65nm process, with the mainstream products offering 4MB of L2 cache. Improved over the previous Pentium 4/Pentium D line-up was better power efficiency resulting in a lower TDP and better overall temperatures. This is appreciated, as two cores under the same IHS can potentially create an unwanted room heater.
All but the lowest end Core 2 Duos take advantage of a 1066FSB. This is where this refreshed line-up comes into play, as it ushers in 1333FSB computing. This noticeable speed bump is all done while retaining the same TDP.
All Conroe 1333FSB processors are identified by by a 50 at the end of the product name, hence E6750, which is effectively taking over the spot of the E6700. Nothing has changed except for the FSB and speeds, except the ratio of course, which had to be altered in order to compliment the upgraded frequency.
One thing that should be cleared up is that most overclocking enthusiasts have already accomplished the same speeds we are seeing today, with most being exceeded. In fact, there is nothing stopping anyone from popping in an E6600 and overclocking using a 333FSB and 8 multiplier. That would effectively give you the exact same speed as the E6750 we are taking a look at today.
You might be wondering where the benefit is, with this official speed bump. Primarily it will benefit those non-overclockers most. There is no comparison to equal processor speed at 1066FSB and 1333FSB. That added FSB frequency should make a much more noticeable performance difference than the CPU frequency boost itself.
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Quad-Core
When Intel launched their P35 chipset two months ago, it ushered in not only DDR3 support, but also native 1333FSB support. This wasn't much of a surprise, since DDR3-1333 is a standard, and it's common to want to run 1:1 ratios with the FSB and memory frequency. We saw this with 800FSB CPUs and DDR2-800 memory and also 1066FSB CPUs with DDR2-1066 memory. The next big thing from Intel will be 1333FSB Penryn, which we have taken a look at in depth in previous months. To tide us over until then, Intel is launching refreshing parts of their Core 2 line-up to include native 1333FSB processors.
We took a look at their second-to-top offering a few weeks ago, in the form of a 2.66GHz E6750. Although it's an incredible CPU for the money, we already knew what to expect since it was a 'mere' speed bump and retained identical TDPs. You could take any Core 2 Duo and clock it to 1333FSB and have the same performance, in reality.
As I mentioned in that review, though, the biggest reason you should look forward to these new launches is because of their price points. The 2.66GHz E6750 will retail for around $200, which is an incredible thought considering what prices were set at last year. $200 will now get you a very powerful processor that will not be the bottleneck in gaming or other activities. In years past, you almost had to hand over $1,000 for a new CPU if you wanted ultimate performance. The Core 2 series has well proved itself since launch however, with even the budget offerings giving any enthusiast the performance they crave.
Those who don't enjoy overclocking, or are skeptical of the activity, are in luck because of the fact that they can still have a great CPU and not skip a car payment. But, despite the fact that there are powerful CPUs out there for reasonable prices, the Extreme line exists for two types of people. Those who want a top of the line processor without overclocking, and those who want to get every last ounce out of their overclocking. Because Extreme CPUs are binned higher, it's not unusual to see the top overclocks performed with them.
The only downside, of course, is the price. One has to wonder if the premium nowadays is truly worth it, considering the performance of the budget offerings can still be considered extreme by todays standards. Nothing stops overclockers from achieving the same frequencies with ease, either. Still, those who refuse to overclock for the sake of stability or what-have-you, but still want the best performance available, can't go wrong.
That's where the QX6850 comes into play, a 3.0GHz Core 2 Extreme that offers four cores to computing enthusiasts. This is the fastest Core 2 processor ever released, and in turn the fastest processor the market has to offer. Price as expected, is $999 in quantities of 1,000. You should expect to see it retail for closer to ~$1,250 at your favorite e-tailer, or even higher though. It's like buying a Ferrari, where paying $50,000 over SRP is not uncommon. This is just on a far smaller scale.
Although we are taking a look at the top offering for the 1333FSB processors, there will be a total of five being released immediately, with availability in the coming weeks. Below you will find the completely up-to-date line-up.
CPU Model
Clock Speed
FSB
L2 Cache
TDP
Cores
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 2.93GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 105W 4
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 2.93GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.60GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz 1333MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6540 2.33GHz 1333MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz 1066MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz 1066MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2
Compared to the previous top-end processor, the QX6850 has a 70MHz advantage. Though a non-impressive frequency boost, it should prove much faster than the QX6800 overall, thanks to the much-improved FSB frequency.
The first Extreme Quad-Core released late last year was the QX6700, clocking in at 2.66GHz. Because of this new launch, it is being re-released as the Q6700, meaning no unlocked multiplier. Its price will also be dropped, alongside the rest of the line-up.
Below is a table of just the new processors, with their prices in quantities of 1,000.
CPU Model
Clock Speed
FSB
L2 Cache
TDP
Cores
$1,000
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4 $999
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4 $530
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2 $266
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2 $183
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz 1333MHz 2MB 65W 2 $163
Also announced today is Intels first extreme mobile part, the X7800. Like the desktop counter-parts, this Extreme processor features an unlocked multiplier, so it's overclocking friendly. This dual-core CPU is clocked at 2.6GHz and features an 800MHz FSB and 4MB of L2 Cache. Like all other extreme offerings though, it doesn't come cheap, costing $851 to OEMs.
The 6x50 series will be available to consumers in two weeks time, through your favorite retailer or e-tailer. The X7800 mobile CPU is being sold to OEMs now, and should be available in various notebooks in the coming weeks.
With that, let's cover our testing methodology and then jump right into benchmarking.
We took a look at their second-to-top offering a few weeks ago, in the form of a 2.66GHz E6750. Although it's an incredible CPU for the money, we already knew what to expect since it was a 'mere' speed bump and retained identical TDPs. You could take any Core 2 Duo and clock it to 1333FSB and have the same performance, in reality.
As I mentioned in that review, though, the biggest reason you should look forward to these new launches is because of their price points. The 2.66GHz E6750 will retail for around $200, which is an incredible thought considering what prices were set at last year. $200 will now get you a very powerful processor that will not be the bottleneck in gaming or other activities. In years past, you almost had to hand over $1,000 for a new CPU if you wanted ultimate performance. The Core 2 series has well proved itself since launch however, with even the budget offerings giving any enthusiast the performance they crave.
Those who don't enjoy overclocking, or are skeptical of the activity, are in luck because of the fact that they can still have a great CPU and not skip a car payment. But, despite the fact that there are powerful CPUs out there for reasonable prices, the Extreme line exists for two types of people. Those who want a top of the line processor without overclocking, and those who want to get every last ounce out of their overclocking. Because Extreme CPUs are binned higher, it's not unusual to see the top overclocks performed with them.
The only downside, of course, is the price. One has to wonder if the premium nowadays is truly worth it, considering the performance of the budget offerings can still be considered extreme by todays standards. Nothing stops overclockers from achieving the same frequencies with ease, either. Still, those who refuse to overclock for the sake of stability or what-have-you, but still want the best performance available, can't go wrong.
That's where the QX6850 comes into play, a 3.0GHz Core 2 Extreme that offers four cores to computing enthusiasts. This is the fastest Core 2 processor ever released, and in turn the fastest processor the market has to offer. Price as expected, is $999 in quantities of 1,000. You should expect to see it retail for closer to ~$1,250 at your favorite e-tailer, or even higher though. It's like buying a Ferrari, where paying $50,000 over SRP is not uncommon. This is just on a far smaller scale.
Although we are taking a look at the top offering for the 1333FSB processors, there will be a total of five being released immediately, with availability in the coming weeks. Below you will find the completely up-to-date line-up.
CPU Model
Clock Speed
FSB
L2 Cache
TDP
Cores
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 2.93GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 105W 4
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 2.93GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.60GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40GHz 1066MHz 4MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz 1333MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6540 2.33GHz 1333MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz 1066MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz 1066MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80GHz 800MHz 2MB 65W 2
Compared to the previous top-end processor, the QX6850 has a 70MHz advantage. Though a non-impressive frequency boost, it should prove much faster than the QX6800 overall, thanks to the much-improved FSB frequency.
The first Extreme Quad-Core released late last year was the QX6700, clocking in at 2.66GHz. Because of this new launch, it is being re-released as the Q6700, meaning no unlocked multiplier. Its price will also be dropped, alongside the rest of the line-up.
Below is a table of just the new processors, with their prices in quantities of 1,000.
CPU Model
Clock Speed
FSB
L2 Cache
TDP
Cores
$1,000
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4 $999
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz 1066MHz 4MB x 2 130w 4 $530
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2 $266
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 1333MHz 4MB 65W 2 $183
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz 1333MHz 2MB 65W 2 $163
Also announced today is Intels first extreme mobile part, the X7800. Like the desktop counter-parts, this Extreme processor features an unlocked multiplier, so it's overclocking friendly. This dual-core CPU is clocked at 2.6GHz and features an 800MHz FSB and 4MB of L2 Cache. Like all other extreme offerings though, it doesn't come cheap, costing $851 to OEMs.
The 6x50 series will be available to consumers in two weeks time, through your favorite retailer or e-tailer. The X7800 mobile CPU is being sold to OEMs now, and should be available in various notebooks in the coming weeks.
With that, let's cover our testing methodology and then jump right into benchmarking.
Intel Xeon X3210 2.13GHz Quad-Core B3-Revision
With last months launch of Intel's 6x50 series of processors also came price drops that everyone had been anticipating for months. Rumors were that you would be able to purchase a Quad-Core for close to $300, and to everyone's relief, it proved absolutely true. However, while most will run towards the Q6600, many will overlook the Xeon alternatives. While not normally clocked the same, they had price drops as well, and should not be ignored.
One of the more popular Xeon's that were noticed was the X3210, a Quad-Core clocked at 2.13GHz. While the clock speed leaves a bit to be desired for desktop users, it was hard to ignore the $250 price tag. This was at a time when Q6600s retailed for $280 - $300, so a small frequency drop could save you upwards of $30.
But, to say 'less expensive' almost seems silly. Just last year, an E6600 cost close to $400, while a Q6600 today retails for $300 or lower. It's a great time to be building a new computer, there's no doubt about that.
After last months price drops though, prices have fluctuated constantly. One day, the Q6600 might retail for $280 from your favorite e-tailer and then the next, you'll find it for $350. So needless to say, if you spot the CPU on the cheap, it's probably not the best idea to sit back and wait, if you want to secure it for the lowest price possible.
At the time of writing, US e-tailers are selling the Q6600 2.4GHz Quad-Core for an average price of $280.00, while the X3210 sits at closer to $260. At that point, if big overclocking is in the cards, then the Q6600 is well worth the extra $20, unless you happen to find a X3210 G0 revision. Ahh, revision hunting.
When Intel released G0 revision processors, it was a good day for enthusiasts. Every model seemed to overclock far beyond what was possible with previous revisions, so it's important to keep an eye out if overclocking is important to you. This is where things get tricky, however. If you are purchasing a processor from a random e-tailer, chances are good that it's a luck of the draw. However, you might be lucky enough to visit an e-tailer that will list the entire spec number.
One of the more popular Xeon's that were noticed was the X3210, a Quad-Core clocked at 2.13GHz. While the clock speed leaves a bit to be desired for desktop users, it was hard to ignore the $250 price tag. This was at a time when Q6600s retailed for $280 - $300, so a small frequency drop could save you upwards of $30.
But, to say 'less expensive' almost seems silly. Just last year, an E6600 cost close to $400, while a Q6600 today retails for $300 or lower. It's a great time to be building a new computer, there's no doubt about that.
After last months price drops though, prices have fluctuated constantly. One day, the Q6600 might retail for $280 from your favorite e-tailer and then the next, you'll find it for $350. So needless to say, if you spot the CPU on the cheap, it's probably not the best idea to sit back and wait, if you want to secure it for the lowest price possible.
At the time of writing, US e-tailers are selling the Q6600 2.4GHz Quad-Core for an average price of $280.00, while the X3210 sits at closer to $260. At that point, if big overclocking is in the cards, then the Q6600 is well worth the extra $20, unless you happen to find a X3210 G0 revision. Ahh, revision hunting.
When Intel released G0 revision processors, it was a good day for enthusiasts. Every model seemed to overclock far beyond what was possible with previous revisions, so it's important to keep an eye out if overclocking is important to you. This is where things get tricky, however. If you are purchasing a processor from a random e-tailer, chances are good that it's a luck of the draw. However, you might be lucky enough to visit an e-tailer that will list the entire spec number.
Intel Brands 'Nehalem' Processors as Intel Core
At the 2008 Intel Developer Forum, the IT community and PC enthusiasts will get a first look at the Intel Nehalem processor, which represents a whole new microarchitecture. Intel is also planning to brand its first "Nehalem" chips as Intel Core, and the first of these chips will appear in gaming PCs and high-end desktops.
Intel is planning to devote most of its energy at IDF on detailing the features behind its processor microarchitecture dubbed "Nehalem," including a new brand name for this upcoming family of desktop chips.
Intel is expected to officially brand the processors that will be built on the Nehalem architecture as Intel Core on Aug. 11. The first set of these microprocessors will be offered for gaming machines and high-end PCs, and the first processor will be an Extreme Edition chip called the Intel Core i7.
"The Core name is and will be our flagship PC processor brand going forward," said Sean Maloney, Intel's executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer.
While Intel has focused most of its energy this year to bring its Atom processors to market to support whole new classes of devices, from low-cost "netbooks" to MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices), Nehalem is expected to be the biggest announcement the chip maker makes in 2008, and it will radically alter the company's approach to its chip microarchitecture.
Nehalem will allow Intel to create processors that can scale from two to eight cores. Each core supports two instructional threads that will then allow the chips to perform several tasks simultaneously. Intel will also introduce a new technology called QuickPath, a high-speed chip-to-chip interconnect technology that will allow the Nehalem family of processors to connect to another component or another chip on the motherboard.
Perhaps the greatest improvement with Nehalem is that Intel will integrate the memory controller—the part of the CPU that communicates with the DDR (double data rate) memory chips—into the processor die itself, which eliminates the traditional FSB (front side bus). This type of integration will allow for greater levels of performance without increasing the clock speed of the processor, which should also keep the thermal envelope the same as the previous generation.
"When you go to an integrated memory controller, you reduce a substantial portion of the memory latency between the processor, and the system memory and typically the initial access memory latency is a big determinant of performance," said Dean McCarron, founder of Mercury Research. "Typically, you can get a performance increase of anywhere between 10 and 25 percent when you fix that latency problem."
Advanced Micro Devices has been building processors with an integrated memory controller for a number of years now, and that chip design helped AMD close the gap between its processors and Intel's chips, McCarron said. Now, Intel is catching up and will eliminate one of the technological advantages AMD has enjoyed.
"When AMD introduced the integrated memory controller, it allowed them close the gap between them and Intel very rapidly," McCarron added. "With Intel doing this, the performance gains will probably not be as great as what happened with their competitor because Intel has fairly large caches, which cover up part of that problem. There is little question, however, that making this move results in substantially higher performance gains with no increase in clock rate, so you are getting more performance at the same clock speed."
Intel is planning to devote most of its energy at IDF on detailing the features behind its processor microarchitecture dubbed "Nehalem," including a new brand name for this upcoming family of desktop chips.
Intel is expected to officially brand the processors that will be built on the Nehalem architecture as Intel Core on Aug. 11. The first set of these microprocessors will be offered for gaming machines and high-end PCs, and the first processor will be an Extreme Edition chip called the Intel Core i7.
"The Core name is and will be our flagship PC processor brand going forward," said Sean Maloney, Intel's executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer.
While Intel has focused most of its energy this year to bring its Atom processors to market to support whole new classes of devices, from low-cost "netbooks" to MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices), Nehalem is expected to be the biggest announcement the chip maker makes in 2008, and it will radically alter the company's approach to its chip microarchitecture.
Nehalem will allow Intel to create processors that can scale from two to eight cores. Each core supports two instructional threads that will then allow the chips to perform several tasks simultaneously. Intel will also introduce a new technology called QuickPath, a high-speed chip-to-chip interconnect technology that will allow the Nehalem family of processors to connect to another component or another chip on the motherboard.
Perhaps the greatest improvement with Nehalem is that Intel will integrate the memory controller—the part of the CPU that communicates with the DDR (double data rate) memory chips—into the processor die itself, which eliminates the traditional FSB (front side bus). This type of integration will allow for greater levels of performance without increasing the clock speed of the processor, which should also keep the thermal envelope the same as the previous generation.
"When you go to an integrated memory controller, you reduce a substantial portion of the memory latency between the processor, and the system memory and typically the initial access memory latency is a big determinant of performance," said Dean McCarron, founder of Mercury Research. "Typically, you can get a performance increase of anywhere between 10 and 25 percent when you fix that latency problem."
Advanced Micro Devices has been building processors with an integrated memory controller for a number of years now, and that chip design helped AMD close the gap between its processors and Intel's chips, McCarron said. Now, Intel is catching up and will eliminate one of the technological advantages AMD has enjoyed.
"When AMD introduced the integrated memory controller, it allowed them close the gap between them and Intel very rapidly," McCarron added. "With Intel doing this, the performance gains will probably not be as great as what happened with their competitor because Intel has fairly large caches, which cover up part of that problem. There is little question, however, that making this move results in substantially higher performance gains with no increase in clock rate, so you are getting more performance at the same clock speed."
Intel Adds Processors, Cuts Core 2 Quad, Xeon Prices
With the Intel Nehalem chip on its way, Intel is cutting the prices of some of its high-end desktop processors and adding some chips into its lineup. The new Intel chips include the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 processor for high-end and gaming desktop PCs.
Intel is slashing the prices on some of its high-end desktop PC and server processors and adding some new chips to its portfolio following the release of the chip maker’s naming scheme for Nehalem.
The changes to Intel’s chip pricing were officially released Aug. 10, and those changes include cutting the price of the high-end Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz) by 40 percent from $530 to $316. Intel also added a new Core 2 Quad chip into the mix called the Q9650 (3.0GHz) at a price of $530.
Other additions to the high-end lineup include the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 (2.66GHz) at a price of $266. All three of these desktop chips are built on the company’s 45-nanometer manufacturing process.
Intel also announced chip price cuts July 20.
The changes to Intel's processor listing come a day after the company released the new branding and naming scheme for the processors that will be built on Intel’s forthcoming Nehalem microarchitecture. Since Intel has said that the first of the Nehalem chips – the Core i7 – is destined for high-end PCs and gaming desktops, the changes allow Intel to drop the prices of some its older chips, while freeing up room in its pricing chart for its latest processors.
The Intel Developer Forum will kick off Aug. 19, and much of the discussion there will focus on Nehalem, which will allow Intel to build chips that scale for two to eight cores and have new features such as an integrated memory controller. By bringing the first of the Nehalem chips into the high-end PC space, it allows Intel to showcase the chips in a small, but influential part of the market before entering the mainstream.
The other part of the market that Nehalem processors are likely to show up first is in the single-socket server space, and Intel also made changes to its Xeon lineup. The chip maker added three new models, the Xeon X3370 (3.0GHz), the X3330 (2.66GHz) and the E3120 (3.16GHz). The prices for these chips are $530, $266, and $188 respectively.
Intel also cut the price of its Xeon X3360 (2.83) by 40 percent from $530 to $316. The X3370 now replaces this chip as the high-end of the single-socket server chip lineup.
Finally, Intel added two additional Core 2 Duo desktop chips into the lineup. These additions include the Core 2 Duo E8600 (3.33GHz) for $266 and the E7300 (2.66GHz) for $133.
All the new prices are calculated in 1,000-unit shipments.
Intel is slashing the prices on some of its high-end desktop PC and server processors and adding some new chips to its portfolio following the release of the chip maker’s naming scheme for Nehalem.
The changes to Intel’s chip pricing were officially released Aug. 10, and those changes include cutting the price of the high-end Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz) by 40 percent from $530 to $316. Intel also added a new Core 2 Quad chip into the mix called the Q9650 (3.0GHz) at a price of $530.
Other additions to the high-end lineup include the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 (2.66GHz) at a price of $266. All three of these desktop chips are built on the company’s 45-nanometer manufacturing process.
Intel also announced chip price cuts July 20.
The changes to Intel's processor listing come a day after the company released the new branding and naming scheme for the processors that will be built on Intel’s forthcoming Nehalem microarchitecture. Since Intel has said that the first of the Nehalem chips – the Core i7 – is destined for high-end PCs and gaming desktops, the changes allow Intel to drop the prices of some its older chips, while freeing up room in its pricing chart for its latest processors.
The Intel Developer Forum will kick off Aug. 19, and much of the discussion there will focus on Nehalem, which will allow Intel to build chips that scale for two to eight cores and have new features such as an integrated memory controller. By bringing the first of the Nehalem chips into the high-end PC space, it allows Intel to showcase the chips in a small, but influential part of the market before entering the mainstream.
The other part of the market that Nehalem processors are likely to show up first is in the single-socket server space, and Intel also made changes to its Xeon lineup. The chip maker added three new models, the Xeon X3370 (3.0GHz), the X3330 (2.66GHz) and the E3120 (3.16GHz). The prices for these chips are $530, $266, and $188 respectively.
Intel also cut the price of its Xeon X3360 (2.83) by 40 percent from $530 to $316. The X3370 now replaces this chip as the high-end of the single-socket server chip lineup.
Finally, Intel added two additional Core 2 Duo desktop chips into the lineup. These additions include the Core 2 Duo E8600 (3.33GHz) for $266 and the E7300 (2.66GHz) for $133.
All the new prices are calculated in 1,000-unit shipments.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz - Wolfdale Arrives
In the summer of 2006, Intel released their 65nm Conroe-based processors, and to say they won the hearts of many would be an understatement. It was one product-launch that Intel didn't want to hit lightly, especially since AMD were actively taking from their customer base - on the enthusiast side, most notably. When said and done, Intel did accomplish what they planned to do. They put the industry through a blender and showed us how to be excited about processors again.
Although frequencies with Conroe were not as high as what we were used to seeing from Intel, the folks in Santa Clara proved that a high frequency didn't mean much if the processor itself was inefficient. Indeed, a 2.4GHz Conroe Dual-Core proved just how much better an efficient processor could be, and it quickly became the most common processor choice for the enthusiast.
The following summer, follow-up processors were released, including the E6750 Dual-Core which we evaluated at the time. Besides speed bumps, those processors didn't bring much to the table in way of new features, except for native 1333FSB support. Instead, the processor we are taking a look at today is one of the few new models that effectively replace the Conroe-based chips that we came to love so dearly in summer of '06.
I won't delve deep into how 45nm improves on 65nm, as I explained all of that in our QX9650 review, but I will touch on things briefly. One large benefit that comes with all die shrinks is better power efficiency and lower temperatures. Chips have the capability to run just as fast, if not faster, than their predecessors, all while running cooler and drawing less power. It's a win/win situation.
But with 45nm, Intel introduced more than just a die shrink. The biggest feature that most people will be interested in is the SSE4 instruction set. It affects media-buffs only - those who encode videos - but the performance gains are so evident, that developers of such applications are bound to begin supporting it sooner than later. The speed increases could be as large as 2x, even though it's difficult to believe.
Other improvements include increased L2 cache, half-multipliers (eg, 9.5x), a faster front-side-bus, improved Super Shuffle Engine, Smart Cache (to improve how split loads are accessed and stored) and so many transistors on a single die, it can give people headaches to think about it!
The obvious downside of the QX9650 launch in November was the fact that no other processors complimented it. Therefore, it was QX9650 or bust - until now that is. During CES earlier this month, Intel officially announced their 45nm launch plans, which include the desktop side, server and also mobile. We found out at that time that the Quad-Core models (Q9300 - Q9550) were pushed back to sometime in Q1. Although a solid date was never settled on, original road maps showed January as the scheduled launch. However, the rumor is that due to poor performing Phenom Quad-Core sales, Intel decided to hold off on the launch to help push remaining 65nm models to consumers first.
So how does the road map stand now that some time has past? Although Intel announced near-immediate availability of all 45nm desktop Dual-Cores at CES, only the E8400 has shown up on e-tailers. One popular e-tailer has the other models listed for availability in April. How true that is, I'm unsure, but it's strange given the fact that they were supposed to be available by now.
Processor Name
Cores
Clock
Cache
FSB
TDP
1Ku Price
Available
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775
4
3.20GHz
2 x 6MB
1600MHz
150W
$1,499
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770
4
3.20GHz
2 x 6MB
1600MHz
136W
$1,399
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650
4
3.0GHz
2 x 6MB
1333MHz
130W
$999
Now
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
4
2.86GHz
2 x 6MB
1333MHz
95W
$530
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450
4
2.66GHz
2 x 6MB
1333MHz
95W
$316
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300
4
2.5GHz
2 x 3MB
1333MHz
95W
$266
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
2
3.16GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$266
Jan 2008
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
2
3.00GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$183
Now
Intel Core 2 Duo E8200
2
2.66GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$163
Jan 2008
Intel Core 2 Duo E8190
2
2.66GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$163
Jan 2008
The biggest downside to the road map is that the Q9xxx are not available. Once they are, they are no doubt going to sell like hotcakes, given the improvements over the previous generation and the fact that the prices do not increase. The upside, though, is that even though the E8400 is the lone desktop Dual-Core to be available right now, we can be happy that it is the model most people would be after.
What makes the E8400 such a great choice is the fact that it's affordable, at $220USD on average, and has a nice clock speed. Let's face it... where overclocking is not concerned, having a 3.0GHz CPU looks better to the ego than say, 2.66GHz. It's all about the smooth frequencies, baby.
Although frequencies with Conroe were not as high as what we were used to seeing from Intel, the folks in Santa Clara proved that a high frequency didn't mean much if the processor itself was inefficient. Indeed, a 2.4GHz Conroe Dual-Core proved just how much better an efficient processor could be, and it quickly became the most common processor choice for the enthusiast.
The following summer, follow-up processors were released, including the E6750 Dual-Core which we evaluated at the time. Besides speed bumps, those processors didn't bring much to the table in way of new features, except for native 1333FSB support. Instead, the processor we are taking a look at today is one of the few new models that effectively replace the Conroe-based chips that we came to love so dearly in summer of '06.
I won't delve deep into how 45nm improves on 65nm, as I explained all of that in our QX9650 review, but I will touch on things briefly. One large benefit that comes with all die shrinks is better power efficiency and lower temperatures. Chips have the capability to run just as fast, if not faster, than their predecessors, all while running cooler and drawing less power. It's a win/win situation.
But with 45nm, Intel introduced more than just a die shrink. The biggest feature that most people will be interested in is the SSE4 instruction set. It affects media-buffs only - those who encode videos - but the performance gains are so evident, that developers of such applications are bound to begin supporting it sooner than later. The speed increases could be as large as 2x, even though it's difficult to believe.
Other improvements include increased L2 cache, half-multipliers (eg, 9.5x), a faster front-side-bus, improved Super Shuffle Engine, Smart Cache (to improve how split loads are accessed and stored) and so many transistors on a single die, it can give people headaches to think about it!
The obvious downside of the QX9650 launch in November was the fact that no other processors complimented it. Therefore, it was QX9650 or bust - until now that is. During CES earlier this month, Intel officially announced their 45nm launch plans, which include the desktop side, server and also mobile. We found out at that time that the Quad-Core models (Q9300 - Q9550) were pushed back to sometime in Q1. Although a solid date was never settled on, original road maps showed January as the scheduled launch. However, the rumor is that due to poor performing Phenom Quad-Core sales, Intel decided to hold off on the launch to help push remaining 65nm models to consumers first.
So how does the road map stand now that some time has past? Although Intel announced near-immediate availability of all 45nm desktop Dual-Cores at CES, only the E8400 has shown up on e-tailers. One popular e-tailer has the other models listed for availability in April. How true that is, I'm unsure, but it's strange given the fact that they were supposed to be available by now.
Processor Name
Cores
Clock
Cache
FSB
TDP
1Ku Price
Available
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775
4
3.20GHz
2 x 6MB
1600MHz
150W
$1,499
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770
4
3.20GHz
2 x 6MB
1600MHz
136W
$1,399
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650
4
3.0GHz
2 x 6MB
1333MHz
130W
$999
Now
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
4
2.86GHz
2 x 6MB
1333MHz
95W
$530
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450
4
2.66GHz
2 x 6MB
1333MHz
95W
$316
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300
4
2.5GHz
2 x 3MB
1333MHz
95W
$266
Q1 2008
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
2
3.16GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$266
Jan 2008
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
2
3.00GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$183
Now
Intel Core 2 Duo E8200
2
2.66GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$163
Jan 2008
Intel Core 2 Duo E8190
2
2.66GHz
6MB
1333MHz
65W
$163
Jan 2008
The biggest downside to the road map is that the Q9xxx are not available. Once they are, they are no doubt going to sell like hotcakes, given the improvements over the previous generation and the fact that the prices do not increase. The upside, though, is that even though the E8400 is the lone desktop Dual-Core to be available right now, we can be happy that it is the model most people would be after.
What makes the E8400 such a great choice is the fact that it's affordable, at $220USD on average, and has a nice clock speed. Let's face it... where overclocking is not concerned, having a 3.0GHz CPU looks better to the ego than say, 2.66GHz. It's all about the smooth frequencies, baby.
AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple-Core Processor Review
AMD announced the availability of three new AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processors that feature the latest B3 stepping. AMD first announced triple-core processors back in September 2007, but only just recently launched the AMD Phenom X3 8000 series last month. As the world's only triple-core x86 desktop processor, the Phenom X3 processors make for a very interesting product, but enthusiasts and consumers that follow processor launches had some concerns about the new triple-core processors. AMD states that the triple-core processors integrate three computational cores on a single die of silicon, but in reality it is a quad-core processor with one of the cores disabled. The initial batch of triple-core processors also suffered from the same TLB erratum that was found on the quad-cores since they made from the same B2 die steppings. When AMD announced the 50-series of quad-core processors they brought hope to AMD fans around the world as the TLB erratum was fixed thanks to a new and improved B3 stepping. AMD has finally brought the 'B3' stepping to the triple-cores and has announced three new AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processors that make up the new '50-series'. Without further ado here are the new AMD Phenom X3 processors and their price points.
• AMD Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor - (2.4GHz) - $195
• AMD Phenom X3 8650 triple-core processor - (2.3GHz) - $165
• AMD Phenom X3 8450 triple-core processor - (2.1GHz) - $145
As you can see triple-core pricing starts at $145 for the 2.1GHz Phenom X3 8450 to $195 for the top end 2.4GHz Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor. While these prices are very competitive, they are really close to that of the AMD Phenom X4 series. For example the AMD Phenom X4 9750 Quad-Core Processor is currently $214.99 shipped on our shopping service. Is it worth the extra $20 to get a quad-core or should one save the cash and go triple-core? You also have the2.2GHz Phenom X4 9550 for the same exact price of $195 plus shipping. If that question isn't tough keep in mind that Intel just cut prices this week, so now you have the 3GHz Intel E6850 for $183 and the 2.4GHz Intel Q6600 for $224.
The processor we will be looking at today is the AMD Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor. The AMD Phenom X3 8750 is a 2.4GHz processor manufactured using AMD's 65nm Silicon on Insulator process technology. The chip has a Max TDP of 95W and has official support for a 1.8GHz memory controller and HT 3.0 frequency with Dual Dynamic Power Management technology. AMD informed Legit Reviews that they do have higher clock frequencies on the road map later this year as well as 65W Phenom X3 triple-core processors. The 65W triple-core processors will be aimed at HTPC users and those looking to build energy efficient computers. AMD will continue to expand and introduce new Phenom X3 processors in the months ahead, so expect to see and hear more about them!
• AMD Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor - (2.4GHz) - $195
• AMD Phenom X3 8650 triple-core processor - (2.3GHz) - $165
• AMD Phenom X3 8450 triple-core processor - (2.1GHz) - $145
As you can see triple-core pricing starts at $145 for the 2.1GHz Phenom X3 8450 to $195 for the top end 2.4GHz Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor. While these prices are very competitive, they are really close to that of the AMD Phenom X4 series. For example the AMD Phenom X4 9750 Quad-Core Processor is currently $214.99 shipped on our shopping service. Is it worth the extra $20 to get a quad-core or should one save the cash and go triple-core? You also have the2.2GHz Phenom X4 9550 for the same exact price of $195 plus shipping. If that question isn't tough keep in mind that Intel just cut prices this week, so now you have the 3GHz Intel E6850 for $183 and the 2.4GHz Intel Q6600 for $224.
The processor we will be looking at today is the AMD Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor. The AMD Phenom X3 8750 is a 2.4GHz processor manufactured using AMD's 65nm Silicon on Insulator process technology. The chip has a Max TDP of 95W and has official support for a 1.8GHz memory controller and HT 3.0 frequency with Dual Dynamic Power Management technology. AMD informed Legit Reviews that they do have higher clock frequencies on the road map later this year as well as 65W Phenom X3 triple-core processors. The 65W triple-core processors will be aimed at HTPC users and those looking to build energy efficient computers. AMD will continue to expand and introduce new Phenom X3 processors in the months ahead, so expect to see and hear more about them!
AMD Phenom X4 9850 Processor Review - B3 Stepping
When the AMD Phenom series of processors launched back on November 19th, 2007 no one could have expected just how rough things were about to get for AMD. First, they sent out Phenom 9900 processors to the press that were was unable to keep up with the Intel Core 2 series of processors. Second, the Phenom 9700/9800/9900 processors that AMD sent out to the media were pulled at the last second and replaced with the lower clocked Phenom 9600 (2.3GHz) and Phenom 9500 (2.2GHz). Then after the Phenom series was lauched it got caught up in the TLB erratum 298 controversy and found itself plauged by benchmark problems. On top of all this AMD kept telling the media, who in turn told consumers, that everything was fine and AMD was on track to deliver the Phenom 9700 and 9800 later in Q1 with a new 3GHz model in Q2 of 2008.
AMD is committed to bring quad-core to the desktop market in Q4, and we are meeting that commitment with the launch of AMD Phenom quad-core processors 9500 and 9600 (2.2GHz and 2.3GHz) on Nov. 19th. AMD is going to initially introduce these two mainstream AMD Phenom quad-core processor models in order to satisfy customer demand in 2007. Since the October meeting, AMD has decided to launch our AMD Phenom 9700 (2.4GHz) quad core product in Q1 2008, along with our AMD Phenom 9900 (2.6 GHz) quad core processor. The launch of these two higher performance processors models will coincide with the introduction of related, significant performance enhancements in the platform; namely CrossFireX and our new enthusiast graphics product. Higher performance AMD Phenom processors will follow the introduction of the AMD Phenom 9700 and 9900 models, with a 3.0 GHz model in Q2 2008. AMD has a great history of delivering faster parts through a product’s lifecycle, and we are confident that this will remain true. - AMD PR 11/14/2007
The past four months could not have gone by fast enough for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), but there does seem to be a new hope for Phenom as the latest revision of the core (stepping B3) fixes the TLB erratum along with many other erratums that were on the list. The TLB fix is now done at the silicon level, so the performance hit users were seeing with the BIOS workaround should be gone. AMD has now stopped production on the older core steppings as a result of this change. If you see a Phenom 9500 or Phenom 9600 in a system or for sale at a retailer you know that the procesor is a B1 or B2 stepping that has the TLB issue. All of the new Phenom B3 steppings will be named with the nomenclature of what AMD is calling the '50 series' of processors. The four new AMD Phenom X4 processors that AMD is announcing today are the 9550 (2.2GHz), 9650 (2.3GHz), 9750 (2.4GHz) and 9850 Black Edition (2.5GHz). AMD has told us to expect the new 50-series processors to perform the same, clock-for-clock as older revision (B2) processors operating in a platform that is not implementing the TLB erratum fix. For example, the 2.2GHz Phenom 9550 processor will replace the Phenom 9500 (B2) processor. AMD is basically 'fixing' Phenom and is making the model numbers clear to make sure consumers know what processors they are getting without having to open the retail box.
Our Phenom 9600 Black Edition on the left has been the fastest Phenom X4 processor that money could buy for a number of months now, but it is being replaced by the Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition processor that is seen above on the right. What is shocking is the fact that our Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition has a production date code of the tenth week of 2008. It is obvious that AMD was in a hurry to get these in our hand just days after these rolled off the production line.
The AMD Phenom X4 9850 that we will be benchmarking today is a 2.5GHz processor manufactured using AMD's 65nm Silicon on Insulator process technology. The chip has a Max TDP of 125W and it is a 'Black Edition', which means its multiplier is unlocked for better overclocking. Since the bus speed can't be raised that high on Phenom processors the best way to overclock is by increasing the multipler and the Black Edition was designed just for that. The one feature that is new and exclusive to just the AMD Phenom X4 9850 processor is a 2.0GHz memory controller.
AMD is committed to bring quad-core to the desktop market in Q4, and we are meeting that commitment with the launch of AMD Phenom quad-core processors 9500 and 9600 (2.2GHz and 2.3GHz) on Nov. 19th. AMD is going to initially introduce these two mainstream AMD Phenom quad-core processor models in order to satisfy customer demand in 2007. Since the October meeting, AMD has decided to launch our AMD Phenom 9700 (2.4GHz) quad core product in Q1 2008, along with our AMD Phenom 9900 (2.6 GHz) quad core processor. The launch of these two higher performance processors models will coincide with the introduction of related, significant performance enhancements in the platform; namely CrossFireX and our new enthusiast graphics product. Higher performance AMD Phenom processors will follow the introduction of the AMD Phenom 9700 and 9900 models, with a 3.0 GHz model in Q2 2008. AMD has a great history of delivering faster parts through a product’s lifecycle, and we are confident that this will remain true. - AMD PR 11/14/2007
The past four months could not have gone by fast enough for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), but there does seem to be a new hope for Phenom as the latest revision of the core (stepping B3) fixes the TLB erratum along with many other erratums that were on the list. The TLB fix is now done at the silicon level, so the performance hit users were seeing with the BIOS workaround should be gone. AMD has now stopped production on the older core steppings as a result of this change. If you see a Phenom 9500 or Phenom 9600 in a system or for sale at a retailer you know that the procesor is a B1 or B2 stepping that has the TLB issue. All of the new Phenom B3 steppings will be named with the nomenclature of what AMD is calling the '50 series' of processors. The four new AMD Phenom X4 processors that AMD is announcing today are the 9550 (2.2GHz), 9650 (2.3GHz), 9750 (2.4GHz) and 9850 Black Edition (2.5GHz). AMD has told us to expect the new 50-series processors to perform the same, clock-for-clock as older revision (B2) processors operating in a platform that is not implementing the TLB erratum fix. For example, the 2.2GHz Phenom 9550 processor will replace the Phenom 9500 (B2) processor. AMD is basically 'fixing' Phenom and is making the model numbers clear to make sure consumers know what processors they are getting without having to open the retail box.
Our Phenom 9600 Black Edition on the left has been the fastest Phenom X4 processor that money could buy for a number of months now, but it is being replaced by the Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition processor that is seen above on the right. What is shocking is the fact that our Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition has a production date code of the tenth week of 2008. It is obvious that AMD was in a hurry to get these in our hand just days after these rolled off the production line.
The AMD Phenom X4 9850 that we will be benchmarking today is a 2.5GHz processor manufactured using AMD's 65nm Silicon on Insulator process technology. The chip has a Max TDP of 125W and it is a 'Black Edition', which means its multiplier is unlocked for better overclocking. Since the bus speed can't be raised that high on Phenom processors the best way to overclock is by increasing the multipler and the Black Edition was designed just for that. The one feature that is new and exclusive to just the AMD Phenom X4 9850 processor is a 2.0GHz memory controller.
AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition
Enthusiast products probably come under more scrutiny than most other products, and for good reason. When something is advertised to run faster, clock higher, or pretty much be the best of any product that is marketed, you expect it to be so. Even if the product is only that for a short time, you just expect great results.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the AMD Phenom processors long before they actually launched. There was also a great hope that AMD would be on the comeback trail and once again be competitive against Intel. Well, by now everyone knows that not only did the Phenom let us down as far being a competitive product when up against a similar Intel CPU, but the release of the first generation of Phenom CPU's had issues that caused grief among consumers.
Not long after the initial release of the Phenom CPUs, AMD introduced a Black Edition for overclockers. At least, that is what was assumed by many in the enthusiast crowd. To their credit, AMD was not charging any more for these (even if retailers were).
So what did the release of the Black Edition mean? It meant that you were getting a CPU that had unlocked multipliers which can be a true dream to those that like to just absolutely push their systems to the max. A low multiplier and a high front side bus or HTT is what overclockers dream of. But we want to make one thing clear from the beginning of this article. Phenom is not built for high HTT settings. Our overclocking endeavors were actually very frustrating because of this. With that in mind, it is obvious why AMD wanted to release this part with unlocked multipliers and why they are not charging any extra. If you want to overclock Phenom at all, your best bet is to be able to raise the multiplier. I know I am giving away the rest of the article here, but I think it is important to say this right up front. It is what it is!
It is really hard to figure out what to say to end this article. Most people will probably buy this CPU thinking that it will be an overclocking beast, and that they are guaranteed to get 3.0GHz out of it. If that is what you are thinking, you will be sorely displeased. Think about it, if 3.0GHz was automatic, why have we not seen any speed bumps for the Phenom actually released yet? Truth be told, AMD is having a hard time with these parts. The TLB problems have not helped, and being so sensitive to the higher bus speeds is certainly a hindrance to any serious overclocker. When it comes down to it, you should consider yourself lucky any time you get anything extra out of a CPU, and you can take that statement to the 10th degree for Phenom.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the AMD Phenom processors long before they actually launched. There was also a great hope that AMD would be on the comeback trail and once again be competitive against Intel. Well, by now everyone knows that not only did the Phenom let us down as far being a competitive product when up against a similar Intel CPU, but the release of the first generation of Phenom CPU's had issues that caused grief among consumers.
Not long after the initial release of the Phenom CPUs, AMD introduced a Black Edition for overclockers. At least, that is what was assumed by many in the enthusiast crowd. To their credit, AMD was not charging any more for these (even if retailers were).
So what did the release of the Black Edition mean? It meant that you were getting a CPU that had unlocked multipliers which can be a true dream to those that like to just absolutely push their systems to the max. A low multiplier and a high front side bus or HTT is what overclockers dream of. But we want to make one thing clear from the beginning of this article. Phenom is not built for high HTT settings. Our overclocking endeavors were actually very frustrating because of this. With that in mind, it is obvious why AMD wanted to release this part with unlocked multipliers and why they are not charging any extra. If you want to overclock Phenom at all, your best bet is to be able to raise the multiplier. I know I am giving away the rest of the article here, but I think it is important to say this right up front. It is what it is!
It is really hard to figure out what to say to end this article. Most people will probably buy this CPU thinking that it will be an overclocking beast, and that they are guaranteed to get 3.0GHz out of it. If that is what you are thinking, you will be sorely displeased. Think about it, if 3.0GHz was automatic, why have we not seen any speed bumps for the Phenom actually released yet? Truth be told, AMD is having a hard time with these parts. The TLB problems have not helped, and being so sensitive to the higher bus speeds is certainly a hindrance to any serious overclocker. When it comes down to it, you should consider yourself lucky any time you get anything extra out of a CPU, and you can take that statement to the 10th degree for Phenom.
Intel's New Core 2 Duo Processors Run Blazingly Fast
In our WorldBench 5 test suite, Intel's Core 2 Duo reference system outscored a matching system equipped with AMD's high-end Athlon 64 FX-62 chip by 17 percent. We also tested shipping PCs based on several chips in the Core 2 Duo family, including a water-cooled, overclocked ABS machine that posted a mark of 181 on our WorldBench 5 test--the highest WorldBench score we've ever seen. (See PC World's detailed test results and chart. For full reviews of five new Core 2 Duo-based systems, click the product names in the results chart.)
All of our Core 2 Duo configurations performed impressively, and the higher-end models in particular should allow power users to handle demanding multimedia work on their PCs more quickly and to perform multiple computing tasks at once more efficiently. Gaming, too, will receive an impressive boost from systems equipped with the new chips.
Though its new products are good news for users, things are different for some Intel employees, as the company announced the layoff of 1000 management employees.
The Core 2 Duo processor line ranges from the 1.86-GHz E6300 chip ($183) with 2MB of cache to the 2.93-GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip ($999) with 4MB of cache; all have a 1066-MHz system bus. (Intel leaves the "Duo" designation off of its X6800 CPU.)
Though Core 2 Duo chips use the same Socket 775 interface as current Pentium 4 and Pentium D chips, they require new chip sets, so you'll have to get a new motherboard--you can't just pop a Core 2 Duo chip into your existing Intel-based PC and reap the tremendous performance gains. The Core 2 Duo reference systems we tested used a motherboard with Intel's 975X Express chip set (boards using the P965 Express chip set will also be available); nVidia and ATI have their own Core 2 Duo boards as well.
The new processors and systems will be on sale from various vendors beginning July 27, with some configurations of Core 2 Duo machines checking in at surprisingly reasonable prices.
Our motherboard Core 2 Duo test setup consisted of an Intel 975X Express board, 2GB of DDR2-667 memory, a pair of SATA hard drives configured in a striped array, and an nVidia GeForce 7800GT-based graphics card. We swapped first a 2.93-GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip and then a 2.67-GHz Core 2 E6700 chip into that setup to generate scores we could compare directly to an otherwise identically configured system featuring AMD's new DDR2-capable AM2 platform and its top-of-the-line FX-62 processor.
Both of the Intel setups bested the AMD-based system on every test in our WorldBench 5 suite as well as on every one of our gaming tests (see chart below). The improvement on WorldBench 5's multitasking tests, which involve running a Web browsing session in Mozilla while encoding a file with Windows Media Encoder, was particularly dramatic. You'll also see notable gains in Photoshop and similar graphics applications.
In addition to our lab-built systems, we tested several vendor-supplied PCs. For example, Dell's $3985 XPS 700, a high-end system based on the 2.67-GHz Duo E6700 processor, came with 2GB of RAM, an nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2 Dual-GPU graphics board with 1GB of SDRAM, and two 320GB SATA hard drives in a Raid 0 array. That system (whose price includes a 24-inch wide-screen monitor) also earned a score of 153 on WorldBench 5, well ahead of the 142 posted by the previous top scorer, a 2.6-GHz AMD Athlon 64 FX-60-based Xi system.
Dell's $2350 XPS 410--a relatively mainstream system based on the midrange 2.4-GHz E6600 CPU--shipped with 2GB of RAM, an nVidia GeForce 7900GS graphics board, and two 320GB SATA drives configured in a Raid 0 array. That machine (whose price includes a 20-inch wide-screen LCD) earned a score of 138 on WorldBench 5, matching the score posted by AMD's high-end FX-62 chip on our motherboard test bed.
But even those notable scores paled in comparison to the performance of the overclocked system that ABS sent us. The $4199 water-cooled ABS Ultimate X9--which shipped with 2GB of RAM, a pair of Radeon X1900 Crossfire graphics boards, two superfast Western Digital 150GB SATA drives configured in a striped RAID array, and a Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip overclocked from 2.93 GHz to run at 3.5 GHz--turned in a WorldBench 5 score of 181. Obviously, this system is not a likely choice for typical buyers, but its score is by far the highest we've seen from a shipping system. And it may indicate how much headroom Intel's Core microarchitecture possesses.
All of our Core 2 Duo configurations performed impressively, and the higher-end models in particular should allow power users to handle demanding multimedia work on their PCs more quickly and to perform multiple computing tasks at once more efficiently. Gaming, too, will receive an impressive boost from systems equipped with the new chips.
Though its new products are good news for users, things are different for some Intel employees, as the company announced the layoff of 1000 management employees.
The Core 2 Duo processor line ranges from the 1.86-GHz E6300 chip ($183) with 2MB of cache to the 2.93-GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip ($999) with 4MB of cache; all have a 1066-MHz system bus. (Intel leaves the "Duo" designation off of its X6800 CPU.)
Though Core 2 Duo chips use the same Socket 775 interface as current Pentium 4 and Pentium D chips, they require new chip sets, so you'll have to get a new motherboard--you can't just pop a Core 2 Duo chip into your existing Intel-based PC and reap the tremendous performance gains. The Core 2 Duo reference systems we tested used a motherboard with Intel's 975X Express chip set (boards using the P965 Express chip set will also be available); nVidia and ATI have their own Core 2 Duo boards as well.
The new processors and systems will be on sale from various vendors beginning July 27, with some configurations of Core 2 Duo machines checking in at surprisingly reasonable prices.
Our motherboard Core 2 Duo test setup consisted of an Intel 975X Express board, 2GB of DDR2-667 memory, a pair of SATA hard drives configured in a striped array, and an nVidia GeForce 7800GT-based graphics card. We swapped first a 2.93-GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip and then a 2.67-GHz Core 2 E6700 chip into that setup to generate scores we could compare directly to an otherwise identically configured system featuring AMD's new DDR2-capable AM2 platform and its top-of-the-line FX-62 processor.
Both of the Intel setups bested the AMD-based system on every test in our WorldBench 5 suite as well as on every one of our gaming tests (see chart below). The improvement on WorldBench 5's multitasking tests, which involve running a Web browsing session in Mozilla while encoding a file with Windows Media Encoder, was particularly dramatic. You'll also see notable gains in Photoshop and similar graphics applications.
In addition to our lab-built systems, we tested several vendor-supplied PCs. For example, Dell's $3985 XPS 700, a high-end system based on the 2.67-GHz Duo E6700 processor, came with 2GB of RAM, an nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2 Dual-GPU graphics board with 1GB of SDRAM, and two 320GB SATA hard drives in a Raid 0 array. That system (whose price includes a 24-inch wide-screen monitor) also earned a score of 153 on WorldBench 5, well ahead of the 142 posted by the previous top scorer, a 2.6-GHz AMD Athlon 64 FX-60-based Xi system.
Dell's $2350 XPS 410--a relatively mainstream system based on the midrange 2.4-GHz E6600 CPU--shipped with 2GB of RAM, an nVidia GeForce 7900GS graphics board, and two 320GB SATA drives configured in a Raid 0 array. That machine (whose price includes a 20-inch wide-screen LCD) earned a score of 138 on WorldBench 5, matching the score posted by AMD's high-end FX-62 chip on our motherboard test bed.
But even those notable scores paled in comparison to the performance of the overclocked system that ABS sent us. The $4199 water-cooled ABS Ultimate X9--which shipped with 2GB of RAM, a pair of Radeon X1900 Crossfire graphics boards, two superfast Western Digital 150GB SATA drives configured in a striped RAID array, and a Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip overclocked from 2.93 GHz to run at 3.5 GHz--turned in a WorldBench 5 score of 181. Obviously, this system is not a likely choice for typical buyers, but its score is by far the highest we've seen from a shipping system. And it may indicate how much headroom Intel's Core microarchitecture possesses.
Intel Core 2 Extreme: 1333MHz PSB
In our Intel Core 2 (Conroe) Performance Review article, we briefly mentioned about the initial rumors of the Core 2 Extreme clocks. There was talk about it debuting at 3.33GHz on a 1333MHz PSB, but of course that didn't happen. While we're in no position to pout about the Core 2 Extreme X6800, especially after seeing its performance, we couldn't get rid of that nagging feeling that the X6800 just wasn't extreme enough since it was just a multiplier increment over the regular Core 2 Duo E6700.
We wanted to satisfy our curiosity as to how the Core 2 Extreme would perform if it did meet the speculated specifications on release. Our overclocking platform of choice - Gigabyte's GA-965P-DQ6. At the present moment, we find that many initial Core 2 motherboards' BIOS do not properly detect Core 2 processor capabilities, sometimes restricting multiplier selection and others lack the necessary voltage and tweaking selections. The GA-965P-DQ6 happens to be one of the better boards to support the unlocked X6800 and possess great voltage granularity, a perfect combination for our overclocking efforts.
To do this, we overclocked the Core 2 Extreme X6800 to the ideal 3.33GHz with a 1333MHz PSB using a 333x10 FSB to CPU multiplier ratio and then topped it off with DDR2-1066 memory.
Maximum Overclocking
Next, we did some real overclocking to see just how scalable the Core microarchitecture can be. Intel's Netburst has produced scalable processors with good overclockability, but are bogged down by high power consumption and operating temperatures. The Core 2 is almost a total opposite, starting at modest sub-2GHz speeds. The Core microarchitecture's short pipelines would have reduced the processors scalability in terms of frequency, but its ultra efficient power consumption and low thermals should give it plenty of room.
In our overclocking tests, we took the same Core 2 Extreme X6800 and went all out to see just how far we could push the processor on stock Intel air-cooling. That's right, we didn't use fancy third-party coolers for this nor did we rely on exotic cooling techniques. The standard Intel boxed processor cooler was used to realistically set a stage for overclocking bandwidth right out of the box.
Our result? A final clock of 3.60GHz at 360x10. Not exactly the best overclock on the Conroe core, but it nearly puts the Core 2 Extreme at the same speed of the Intel's Pentium Extreme Edition 965, which runs at 3.73GHz. In the end though, our overclocking effort was possibly limited by the older B1 stepping of our X6800. The newer B2 stepping on the retail processors seems to have better overclocking performance from what we've been able to gather. On the other hand, the GA-965P-DQ6 showed a great overclocking bandwidth, with the retail boards clocking up to 480MHz with ease. However, since we were testing the processor and not the motherboard, the 360x10 setting was more ideal than say 450x8 after taking into consideration memory limitations and keeping chipset voltage on the low.
We wanted to satisfy our curiosity as to how the Core 2 Extreme would perform if it did meet the speculated specifications on release. Our overclocking platform of choice - Gigabyte's GA-965P-DQ6. At the present moment, we find that many initial Core 2 motherboards' BIOS do not properly detect Core 2 processor capabilities, sometimes restricting multiplier selection and others lack the necessary voltage and tweaking selections. The GA-965P-DQ6 happens to be one of the better boards to support the unlocked X6800 and possess great voltage granularity, a perfect combination for our overclocking efforts.
To do this, we overclocked the Core 2 Extreme X6800 to the ideal 3.33GHz with a 1333MHz PSB using a 333x10 FSB to CPU multiplier ratio and then topped it off with DDR2-1066 memory.
Maximum Overclocking
Next, we did some real overclocking to see just how scalable the Core microarchitecture can be. Intel's Netburst has produced scalable processors with good overclockability, but are bogged down by high power consumption and operating temperatures. The Core 2 is almost a total opposite, starting at modest sub-2GHz speeds. The Core microarchitecture's short pipelines would have reduced the processors scalability in terms of frequency, but its ultra efficient power consumption and low thermals should give it plenty of room.
In our overclocking tests, we took the same Core 2 Extreme X6800 and went all out to see just how far we could push the processor on stock Intel air-cooling. That's right, we didn't use fancy third-party coolers for this nor did we rely on exotic cooling techniques. The standard Intel boxed processor cooler was used to realistically set a stage for overclocking bandwidth right out of the box.
Our result? A final clock of 3.60GHz at 360x10. Not exactly the best overclock on the Conroe core, but it nearly puts the Core 2 Extreme at the same speed of the Intel's Pentium Extreme Edition 965, which runs at 3.73GHz. In the end though, our overclocking effort was possibly limited by the older B1 stepping of our X6800. The newer B2 stepping on the retail processors seems to have better overclocking performance from what we've been able to gather. On the other hand, the GA-965P-DQ6 showed a great overclocking bandwidth, with the retail boards clocking up to 480MHz with ease. However, since we were testing the processor and not the motherboard, the 360x10 setting was more ideal than say 450x8 after taking into consideration memory limitations and keeping chipset voltage on the low.
Intel® Centrino® with vPro™ Technology
* Remote manageability providing IT with remote PC monitoring and the ability to diagnose and repair the PC even when the OS is off or unresponsive.¹
* Broad industry support from leading manageability and security independent software vendors (ISVs) like Symantec, LANDesk, HP, Microsoft, and Cisco that take advantage of the Intel Centrino with vPro technology features.
* Industry-standard management support for protocols such as WS-MAN and DASH² that are more capable and secure than ASF and enables secure communication between the console and the PC.
* Industry-leading mobile dual-core performance so you can run multiple intensive applications at once without slowing down
* Breakthrough battery life enabled by next-generation hafnium-infused 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture
* 2x greater wireless range and up to 5x faster wireless with the optional integrated 802.11n wireless technologyΔ
* Full Windows Vista* and Windows Aero* graphics without the expense of an external graphics card enabled by powerful Intel® Graphics Technology.
Keep systems secure, maintain them more efficiently, and reduce your operating expenses with laptop PCs with Intel's hardware-based management technologies enabling a stable and reliable IT infrastructure. Check out the benchmarks:
* Achieve up to 94 percent faster time to patch saturation³
* Reduce hardware related desk-side visits by up to 50 percent³
* Reduce software related desk-side visits by up to 75 percent³
* Conduct hardware and software inventory up to 95 percent faster than manually per PC³
¹ Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) requires the computer system to have an Intel® AMT-enabled chipset, network hardware and software, as well as connection with a power source and a corporate network connection. Setup requires configuration by the purchaser and may require scripting with the management console or further integration into existing security frameworks to enable certain functionality. It may also require modifications of implementation of new business processes. With regard to notebooks, Intel AMT may not be available or certain capabilities may be limited over a host OS-based VPN or when connecting wirelessly, on battery power, sleeping, hibernating or powered off.
² Intel® vPro™ processor technology in 2007 DASH implementation is based on draft DASH 1.0 specifications.
³ Results shown are from the 2007 EDS Case Studies with Intel® vPro™ processor technology, by LeGrand and Salamasick, 3rd party audit commissioned by Intel, of various enterprise IT environments. The studies compare test environments of Intel® vPro™ processor technology equipped PCs vs non-Intel® vPro™ processor technology environments. Tested PCs were in multiple OS and power states to mirror a typical working environment. Actual results may vary.
Δ Up to 2x greater range and up to 5x better performance and improved battery life with optional Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N technology enabled by 2x3 Draft N implementations with 2 spatial streams. Actual results may vary based on your specific hardware, connection rate, site conditions, and software configurations. Also requires a Connect with Intel® Centrino® processor technology certified Wireless_N access point. Wireless-N access points without the Connect with Intel Centrino processor technology identifier may require additional firmware for increased performance results. Check with your PC and access point manufacturer for details.
* Broad industry support from leading manageability and security independent software vendors (ISVs) like Symantec, LANDesk, HP, Microsoft, and Cisco that take advantage of the Intel Centrino with vPro technology features.
* Industry-standard management support for protocols such as WS-MAN and DASH² that are more capable and secure than ASF and enables secure communication between the console and the PC.
* Industry-leading mobile dual-core performance so you can run multiple intensive applications at once without slowing down
* Breakthrough battery life enabled by next-generation hafnium-infused 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture
* 2x greater wireless range and up to 5x faster wireless with the optional integrated 802.11n wireless technologyΔ
* Full Windows Vista* and Windows Aero* graphics without the expense of an external graphics card enabled by powerful Intel® Graphics Technology.
Keep systems secure, maintain them more efficiently, and reduce your operating expenses with laptop PCs with Intel's hardware-based management technologies enabling a stable and reliable IT infrastructure. Check out the benchmarks:
* Achieve up to 94 percent faster time to patch saturation³
* Reduce hardware related desk-side visits by up to 50 percent³
* Reduce software related desk-side visits by up to 75 percent³
* Conduct hardware and software inventory up to 95 percent faster than manually per PC³
¹ Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) requires the computer system to have an Intel® AMT-enabled chipset, network hardware and software, as well as connection with a power source and a corporate network connection. Setup requires configuration by the purchaser and may require scripting with the management console or further integration into existing security frameworks to enable certain functionality. It may also require modifications of implementation of new business processes. With regard to notebooks, Intel AMT may not be available or certain capabilities may be limited over a host OS-based VPN or when connecting wirelessly, on battery power, sleeping, hibernating or powered off.
² Intel® vPro™ processor technology in 2007 DASH implementation is based on draft DASH 1.0 specifications.
³ Results shown are from the 2007 EDS Case Studies with Intel® vPro™ processor technology, by LeGrand and Salamasick, 3rd party audit commissioned by Intel, of various enterprise IT environments. The studies compare test environments of Intel® vPro™ processor technology equipped PCs vs non-Intel® vPro™ processor technology environments. Tested PCs were in multiple OS and power states to mirror a typical working environment. Actual results may vary.
Δ Up to 2x greater range and up to 5x better performance and improved battery life with optional Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N technology enabled by 2x3 Draft N implementations with 2 spatial streams. Actual results may vary based on your specific hardware, connection rate, site conditions, and software configurations. Also requires a Connect with Intel® Centrino® processor technology certified Wireless_N access point. Wireless-N access points without the Connect with Intel Centrino processor technology identifier may require additional firmware for increased performance results. Check with your PC and access point manufacturer for details.
Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ Technology
With security and manageability built right onto the chip, Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology provides hardware-assisted remote isolation, diagnostics, and repair, so you can manage your mobile workforce remotely, even if the system's OS is unresponsive.¹ And with exceptional dual-core performance, 5X better wireless performanceΩ and the longest possible battery life.²
Now you can also get notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology in astonishingly thin and light packages. As the smallest version of Intel® Centrino® processor technology yet-50 percent smaller-you're most mobile workforce can enjoy the sleekest full-featured and performance packed notebooks³ along with improved energy efficiency and power savings.
Features and benefits
Best for business, providing state-of-the-art threat protection against security threats enabled by hardware defense filters and agent presence checking.Φ
Mobile performance. Providing the next level of mobile performance,Δ new Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology is designed for today's needs, future 64-bit applications,² and next-generation multithreaded software.
Increased energy-efficiency. Built on the latest 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology provides industry-leading,² energy-efficient performance.
Longer battery life. Based on next-generation hafnium-based 45nm technology, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers unique energy-saving components designed to give you the longest possible battery life.
Faster, more predictable wireless. Experience up to 5x faster connectivity speeds with 802.11n wireless technology improving reliability while decreasing connection loss.Ω
Manage your mobile workforce wirelessly. Remotely diagnose, isolate, and repair infected notebooks using hardware-based remote manageability features that work even if notebooks are off or the OS is unresponsive.
Broad industry support from leading manageability and security software providers like Symantec, LANDesk, HP, Microsoft, and Cisco.
Reduce maintenance costs and stay compliant. Provide routine patching and maintenance ensuring that you're only paying software license fees for what you're using while keeping your licenses up-to-date.¹
Get the most out of graphics-intensive Windows Vista*. Powerful Intel® Graphics allow you to run Windows Vista with full Aero* support-without the expense of an additional graphics card.
Now you can also get notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology in astonishingly thin and light packages. As the smallest version of Intel® Centrino® processor technology yet-50 percent smaller-you're most mobile workforce can enjoy the sleekest full-featured and performance packed notebooks³ along with improved energy efficiency and power savings.
Features and benefits
Best for business, providing state-of-the-art threat protection against security threats enabled by hardware defense filters and agent presence checking.Φ
Mobile performance. Providing the next level of mobile performance,Δ new Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology is designed for today's needs, future 64-bit applications,² and next-generation multithreaded software.
Increased energy-efficiency. Built on the latest 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology provides industry-leading,² energy-efficient performance.
Longer battery life. Based on next-generation hafnium-based 45nm technology, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers unique energy-saving components designed to give you the longest possible battery life.
Faster, more predictable wireless. Experience up to 5x faster connectivity speeds with 802.11n wireless technology improving reliability while decreasing connection loss.Ω
Manage your mobile workforce wirelessly. Remotely diagnose, isolate, and repair infected notebooks using hardware-based remote manageability features that work even if notebooks are off or the OS is unresponsive.
Broad industry support from leading manageability and security software providers like Symantec, LANDesk, HP, Microsoft, and Cisco.
Reduce maintenance costs and stay compliant. Provide routine patching and maintenance ensuring that you're only paying software license fees for what you're using while keeping your licenses up-to-date.¹
Get the most out of graphics-intensive Windows Vista*. Powerful Intel® Graphics allow you to run Windows Vista with full Aero* support-without the expense of an additional graphics card.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Intel® Celeron® Processor
The new Intel® Celeron® processor delivers a balanced level of proven technology and exceptional value for desktop PCs. Based on a new energy-efficient microarchitecture, this Celeron processor enables smaller, quieter, and more capable desktop PCs.
Systems based on the Celeron processor are ideal for day-to-day computing, whether in the home, classroom, or office. The Execute Disable Bit¹, a built-in security feature, helps protect your programs and files from viruses, worms, and other malicious attacks. The Celeron processor also includes Intel® 64² architecture, so you can access larger amounts of memory when used with appropriate 64-bit supporting hardware and software. A faster Front Side Bus accelerates access between the processor core and your data for an enhanced computing experience.
When combined with an Intel® Express Chipset-based board, this platform provides a balanced entry level desktop PC. Enjoy integrated Intel® High Definition Audio (Intel® HD Audio) for exceptional audio quality, and Intel® Graphics Media Acceleration (Intel® GMA) which delivers a smooth visual experience. Enter the colorful world of e-learning and digital photography, or perform business activities like data entry, inventory management, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and e-mail.
Enabling Execute Disable Bit functionality requires a PC with a processor with Execute Disable Bit capability and a supporting operating system. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Execute Disable Bit functionality.
Intel® 64 requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers, and applications designed for these features. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
Intel Designed Thermal Solution
Intel boxed processors ship with a thermal solution specifically for this processor, designed for maximum thermal and acoustic performance.
Single-Core Processing
New microarchitecture with 800 MHz FSB enhances your computing experience.
Intel® Wide Dynamic Execution
Improves execution speed and efficiency, delivering more instructions per clock cycle.
Intel® Smart Memory Access
Optimizes the use of the data bandwidth from the memory subsystem to accelerate out-of-order execution. A newly designed prediction mechanism reduces the time in-flight instructions have to wait for data. New pre-fetch algorithms move data from system memory into the fast L2 cache in advance of execution. These functions keep the pipeline full, improving instruction throughput and performance.
Intel® Advanced Digital Media Boost
Significantly improves the media performance on a broad range of applications including video, audio, image and photo processing, multimedia, encryption, financial, engineering, and scientific applications. The 128-bit SSE instructions are now issued at a throughput rate of one per clock cycle, effectively doubling speed of execution on a per clock basis over previous generation processors.
Intel® 64² architecture
Allows the desktop processor platform to access larger amounts of memory. With appropriate 64 bit supporting hardware and software, platforms based on an Intel processor supporting 64-bit computing can use extended virtual and physical memory. Intel 64 provides flexibility for 32-bit and 64-bit computing.
Execute Disable Bit¹
Provides enhanced virus protection when deployed with a supported operating system. Allows memory to be marked as executable or non executable, allowing the processor to raise an error to the operating system if malicious code attempts to run in non-executable memory, thereby preventing the code from infecting the system.
Systems based on the Celeron processor are ideal for day-to-day computing, whether in the home, classroom, or office. The Execute Disable Bit¹, a built-in security feature, helps protect your programs and files from viruses, worms, and other malicious attacks. The Celeron processor also includes Intel® 64² architecture, so you can access larger amounts of memory when used with appropriate 64-bit supporting hardware and software. A faster Front Side Bus accelerates access between the processor core and your data for an enhanced computing experience.
When combined with an Intel® Express Chipset-based board, this platform provides a balanced entry level desktop PC. Enjoy integrated Intel® High Definition Audio (Intel® HD Audio) for exceptional audio quality, and Intel® Graphics Media Acceleration (Intel® GMA) which delivers a smooth visual experience. Enter the colorful world of e-learning and digital photography, or perform business activities like data entry, inventory management, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and e-mail.
Enabling Execute Disable Bit functionality requires a PC with a processor with Execute Disable Bit capability and a supporting operating system. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Execute Disable Bit functionality.
Intel® 64 requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers, and applications designed for these features. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
Intel Designed Thermal Solution
Intel boxed processors ship with a thermal solution specifically for this processor, designed for maximum thermal and acoustic performance.
Single-Core Processing
New microarchitecture with 800 MHz FSB enhances your computing experience.
Intel® Wide Dynamic Execution
Improves execution speed and efficiency, delivering more instructions per clock cycle.
Intel® Smart Memory Access
Optimizes the use of the data bandwidth from the memory subsystem to accelerate out-of-order execution. A newly designed prediction mechanism reduces the time in-flight instructions have to wait for data. New pre-fetch algorithms move data from system memory into the fast L2 cache in advance of execution. These functions keep the pipeline full, improving instruction throughput and performance.
Intel® Advanced Digital Media Boost
Significantly improves the media performance on a broad range of applications including video, audio, image and photo processing, multimedia, encryption, financial, engineering, and scientific applications. The 128-bit SSE instructions are now issued at a throughput rate of one per clock cycle, effectively doubling speed of execution on a per clock basis over previous generation processors.
Intel® 64² architecture
Allows the desktop processor platform to access larger amounts of memory. With appropriate 64 bit supporting hardware and software, platforms based on an Intel processor supporting 64-bit computing can use extended virtual and physical memory. Intel 64 provides flexibility for 32-bit and 64-bit computing.
Execute Disable Bit¹
Provides enhanced virus protection when deployed with a supported operating system. Allows memory to be marked as executable or non executable, allowing the processor to raise an error to the operating system if malicious code attempts to run in non-executable memory, thereby preventing the code from infecting the system.
Intel® Celeron® M Processor
Based on an architecture designed specifically for mobile computing, the Intel® Celeron® M Processor delivers a balanced level of mobile processor technology and exceptional value for sleeker, lighter laptop designs.
Intel® processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across different processor families.
Enabling Execute Disable Bit functionality requires a PC with a processor with Execute Disable Bit capability and a supporting operating system. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Execute Disable Bit functionality.
Intel® 64 architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers and applications enabled for this feature. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
Other Key Features
Execute Disable Bit° (520, 450, 443, 440, 430, 423, 420, 410, 390, 383, 380, 360J and 350J products only)
Intel® 64 architectureΦ (520 product only)
Mobile optimized architecture
Low power technologies
Streaming SIMD Extensions 2
Micro FCPGA & FCBGA packaging technology (ULV parts only available in FCBGA)
Intel® processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across different processor families.
Enabling Execute Disable Bit functionality requires a PC with a processor with Execute Disable Bit capability and a supporting operating system. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Execute Disable Bit functionality.
Intel® 64 architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers and applications enabled for this feature. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
Other Key Features
Execute Disable Bit° (520, 450, 443, 440, 430, 423, 420, 410, 390, 383, 380, 360J and 350J products only)
Intel® 64 architectureΦ (520 product only)
Mobile optimized architecture
Low power technologies
Streaming SIMD Extensions 2
Micro FCPGA & FCBGA packaging technology (ULV parts only available in FCBGA)
Intel® Celeron® Processor
Many software applications for everyday tasks are now designed for dual-core processors. With the Intel® Celeron® processor, you can now take basic computing to new levels; become more creative and productive in the home, office, or classroom.
In addition, security and virus protection often means running more than one application at a time, and the Celeron processor has the power to run them simultaneously. Based on energy-efficient microarchitecture, the Celeron processor delivers superior energy-efficient dual-core performance.
Features and benefits
Energy efficiency
Intel® Intelligent Power Capability, a feature of the Intel Celeron processor, optimizes energy usage in the processor cores by turning computing functions on only when needed.
Better acoustics
The acoustic benefit of temperature monitoring is that system fans spin only as fast as needed to cool the system, and slower spinning fans generate less noise.
Platform support
The flexibility of platform options brings an array of new capabilities.
In addition, security and virus protection often means running more than one application at a time, and the Celeron processor has the power to run them simultaneously. Based on energy-efficient microarchitecture, the Celeron processor delivers superior energy-efficient dual-core performance.
Features and benefits
Energy efficiency
Intel® Intelligent Power Capability, a feature of the Intel Celeron processor, optimizes energy usage in the processor cores by turning computing functions on only when needed.
Better acoustics
The acoustic benefit of temperature monitoring is that system fans spin only as fast as needed to cool the system, and slower spinning fans generate less noise.
Platform support
The flexibility of platform options brings an array of new capabilities.
Notebook Processors
Intel® Core™2 Extreme mobile processor
Experience the world's highest performing mobile processor¹. Enjoy revolutionary levels of performance enabling vivid, high-definition experiences and multi-tasking responsiveness from state-of-the-art Intel dual-core technologies.
Intel® Core™2 Quad processor
Intel® Core™2 Quad mobile processor
Introducing Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for notebook PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology.
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor
Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processor
Based on Intel's revolutionary Intel® Core™ microarchitecture. Experience new levels of system responsiveness when running multiple applications and smarter battery performance designed to help extend mobility.
Intel® Core™ Duo processor
Intel® Core™ Duo mobile processor
Intel's first mobile dual-core processor executes multiple threads simultaneously using two cores, thereby helping to maximize performance and multitasking capabilities.
Intel® Core™2 Solo processor
Intel® Core™2 Solo mobile processor
The Intel Core 2 Solo processor is the next generation single-core mobile processor that provides freedom and flexibility to live, work, and play on-the-go.
Intel® Core™ Solo processor
Intel® Core™ Solo mobile processor
The Intel Core Solo processor is a single-core mobile processor that provides freedom and flexibility to live, work, and play on-the-go.
Intel Pentium mobile processor
Intel's newest addition to the Intel Pentium family with dual-core processor technology that delivers great mobile performance, low power enhancements, and multitasking for everyday computing.
Intel® Pentium® M processor
Intel® Pentium® M processor
Intel's initial mobile processing technology designed specifically for notebooks to deliver great mobile performance and low power enhancements.
Experience the world's highest performing mobile processor¹. Enjoy revolutionary levels of performance enabling vivid, high-definition experiences and multi-tasking responsiveness from state-of-the-art Intel dual-core technologies.
Intel® Core™2 Quad processor
Intel® Core™2 Quad mobile processor
Introducing Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for notebook PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology.
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor
Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processor
Based on Intel's revolutionary Intel® Core™ microarchitecture. Experience new levels of system responsiveness when running multiple applications and smarter battery performance designed to help extend mobility.
Intel® Core™ Duo processor
Intel® Core™ Duo mobile processor
Intel's first mobile dual-core processor executes multiple threads simultaneously using two cores, thereby helping to maximize performance and multitasking capabilities.
Intel® Core™2 Solo processor
Intel® Core™2 Solo mobile processor
The Intel Core 2 Solo processor is the next generation single-core mobile processor that provides freedom and flexibility to live, work, and play on-the-go.
Intel® Core™ Solo processor
Intel® Core™ Solo mobile processor
The Intel Core Solo processor is a single-core mobile processor that provides freedom and flexibility to live, work, and play on-the-go.
Intel Pentium mobile processor
Intel's newest addition to the Intel Pentium family with dual-core processor technology that delivers great mobile performance, low power enhancements, and multitasking for everyday computing.
Intel® Pentium® M processor
Intel® Pentium® M processor
Intel's initial mobile processing technology designed specifically for notebooks to deliver great mobile performance and low power enhancements.
Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology Advantages
Features and benefits
Massive performance. Delivering faster performance for multi-tasking with state-of-the-art hafnium-based design, the new Intel Centrino 2 processor technology provides new breakthroughs in mobile performance. With a minimum of 3MB smart cache and 1066 Front Side Bus, you can experience performance gains of up to 50%.¹
Multitask like mad. When you're looking for a notebook that can keep up the pace, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology makes quick work of the toughest computing tasks like HD video encoding up to 90 percent faster so you can accomplish more without the wait.² Plus, when you get an Intel Centrino 2 processor technology with integrated Intel® Turbo Boost, you have everything you need to run Microsoft Windows Vista* with support for full Aero*.
Break free with longer battery life. Designed for the longest possible battery life, notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology will keep you unwired longer with Intel® Intelligent Power capability and Deep Power Down Technology built in.
Enjoy the hi-def mobile multimedia monster inside. With up to 90% faster performance when compressing HD videos² and over 3X better 3D graphics performance³, you'll enjoy your HD entertainment experience at home or on the fly.
The future of wireless now. With integrated WiFi, you'll get up to 5X the speed when connecting wirelessly to your Wireless N home network and up to 5X better wireless performance for even faster Wireless N technology that's just around the corner.∇
With WiMAX rolling out in cities around the U.S., you’ll want to be ready with WiMAX built into your laptop powered by Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology.Φ Adding the optional WiMAX technology will position you at the cutting edge of 4G wireless. It’s like taking the fast, high-performance Internet experience you’ve come to expect at home, all around town with you.
Massive performance. Delivering faster performance for multi-tasking with state-of-the-art hafnium-based design, the new Intel Centrino 2 processor technology provides new breakthroughs in mobile performance. With a minimum of 3MB smart cache and 1066 Front Side Bus, you can experience performance gains of up to 50%.¹
Multitask like mad. When you're looking for a notebook that can keep up the pace, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology makes quick work of the toughest computing tasks like HD video encoding up to 90 percent faster so you can accomplish more without the wait.² Plus, when you get an Intel Centrino 2 processor technology with integrated Intel® Turbo Boost, you have everything you need to run Microsoft Windows Vista* with support for full Aero*.
Break free with longer battery life. Designed for the longest possible battery life, notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology will keep you unwired longer with Intel® Intelligent Power capability and Deep Power Down Technology built in.
Enjoy the hi-def mobile multimedia monster inside. With up to 90% faster performance when compressing HD videos² and over 3X better 3D graphics performance³, you'll enjoy your HD entertainment experience at home or on the fly.
The future of wireless now. With integrated WiFi, you'll get up to 5X the speed when connecting wirelessly to your Wireless N home network and up to 5X better wireless performance for even faster Wireless N technology that's just around the corner.∇
With WiMAX rolling out in cities around the U.S., you’ll want to be ready with WiMAX built into your laptop powered by Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology.Φ Adding the optional WiMAX technology will position you at the cutting edge of 4G wireless. It’s like taking the fast, high-performance Internet experience you’ve come to expect at home, all around town with you.
Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology
With new laptop PCs based on Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology for the home, or Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology for business, you'll experience a new breakthrough in mobile performance, enabled longer battery life, the future of wireless now with 802.11n standard, and more, right at your fingertips.‡ Delivering performance gains of up to 50%¹ enabled by a minimum 3MB Smart Cache and 1066MHz Front Side Bus, these laptops are equipped to handle everything from robust business to masterful multimedia and everything in between. And with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology, you'll make quick work of the toughest computing tasks like HD video encoding—up to 90% faster², so you can accomplish more without the wait.
System performance, battery life, power savings, high-definition quality, video playback and functionality, and wireless performance and functionality will vary depending on your specific operating system, hardware, chipset, connection availability and rate, site conditions, and software configurations. References to enhanced performance including wireless refer to comparisons with previous generation Intel® technologies. Wireless connectivity and some features may require you to purchase additional software, services or external hardware.
As measured using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom* comparing latest generation Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-based notebooks with comparable frequency first-generation Intel® Centrino® processor technology-based notebooks. Actual performance may vary.
Performance measured is based on TMPGEncoder Xpress* 4.4 comparing Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-based notebooks with comparable frequency first-generation Intel® Centrino® processor technology-based notebooks. Actual performance may vary.
Up to 2x greater range and up to 5x better performance (compared to 802.11a/g) with Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-enabled notebooks. Actual results may vary based on your specific hardware, connection rate, site conditions, and software configurations. Wireless N standard currently not available in all countries. Check with your PC and access point manufacturer for details.
Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) requires the computer system to have an Intel® AMT-enabled chipset, network hardware and software, as well as connection with a power source and a corporate network connection. Setup requires configuration by the purchaser and may require scripting with the management console or further integration into existing security frameworks to enable certain functionality. It may also require modifications of implementation of new business processes. With regard to notebooks, Intel AMT may not be available or certain capabilities may be limited over a host OS-based VPN or when connecting wirelessly, on battery power, sleeping, hibernating or powered off.
System performance, battery life, power savings, high-definition quality, video playback and functionality, and wireless performance and functionality will vary depending on your specific operating system, hardware, chipset, connection availability and rate, site conditions, and software configurations. References to enhanced performance including wireless refer to comparisons with previous generation Intel® technologies. Wireless connectivity and some features may require you to purchase additional software, services or external hardware.
As measured using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom* comparing latest generation Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-based notebooks with comparable frequency first-generation Intel® Centrino® processor technology-based notebooks. Actual performance may vary.
Performance measured is based on TMPGEncoder Xpress* 4.4 comparing Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-based notebooks with comparable frequency first-generation Intel® Centrino® processor technology-based notebooks. Actual performance may vary.
Up to 2x greater range and up to 5x better performance (compared to 802.11a/g) with Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-enabled notebooks. Actual results may vary based on your specific hardware, connection rate, site conditions, and software configurations. Wireless N standard currently not available in all countries. Check with your PC and access point manufacturer for details.
Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) requires the computer system to have an Intel® AMT-enabled chipset, network hardware and software, as well as connection with a power source and a corporate network connection. Setup requires configuration by the purchaser and may require scripting with the management console or further integration into existing security frameworks to enable certain functionality. It may also require modifications of implementation of new business processes. With regard to notebooks, Intel AMT may not be available or certain capabilities may be limited over a host OS-based VPN or when connecting wirelessly, on battery power, sleeping, hibernating or powered off.
Intel® Itanium® Processor 9000 Sequence
Itanium®-based servers deliver the scalable performance, reliability, and headroom for your most compute-intensive workloads, including direct replacement for RISC and mainframe platforms. Because Itanium processors are available in commercial off-the-shelf hardware from a rich ecosystem of system and solution providers, they can quickly meet mission-critical needs.
Itanium-based servers are incredibly scalable, allowing configuration in systems of as many as 512 processors and a full petabyte (1024TB) of RAM. Together with full support for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications, that capacity provides unmatched flexibility in tailoring systems to your enterprise needs.
† Hyper-Threading Technology (HT Technology) requires a computer system with an Intel® Processor supporting HT Technology and an HT Technology enabled chipset, BIOS, and operating system. Performance will vary depending on the specific hardware and software you use.
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT) requires a computer system with an enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM) and for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefits will vary depending on hardware and software configurations. Intel Virtualization Technology-enabled BIOS and VMM applications are currently in development.
Itanium-based servers are incredibly scalable, allowing configuration in systems of as many as 512 processors and a full petabyte (1024TB) of RAM. Together with full support for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications, that capacity provides unmatched flexibility in tailoring systems to your enterprise needs.
† Hyper-Threading Technology (HT Technology) requires a computer system with an Intel® Processor supporting HT Technology and an HT Technology enabled chipset, BIOS, and operating system. Performance will vary depending on the specific hardware and software you use.
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT) requires a computer system with an enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM) and for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefits will vary depending on hardware and software configurations. Intel Virtualization Technology-enabled BIOS and VMM applications are currently in development.
Intel® Xeon® Processor 3000 Sequence
The Intel® Xeon® processor 3000 sequence-based platforms unleash the computing power of Intel® Xeon® processors. The new 45 nm Quad and Dual-Core processors feature enhanced Intel® Core™ microarchitecture that provides your business with exceptional performance and power efficiency at a very affordable cost.
These servers are ideal for small business owners looking for ways to grow business, manage operation more effectively and efficiently, and protect and secure one of their most important assets - information.
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT), and Intel® 64 architecture require a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers and applications designed for these features. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
Built for business growth: Based on enhanced Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, 64-bit quad-core computing with up to 12 MB on-die cache and 1333 MHz front side bus provides the performance necessary for small, medium business owners looking for ways to support rapid business growth on small technology budgets.
Also suitable for building small, cost-effective HPC clusters that create high-performance, personal super computing solutions and work-group clusters.
These servers are ideal for small business owners looking for ways to grow business, manage operation more effectively and efficiently, and protect and secure one of their most important assets - information.
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT), and Intel® 64 architecture require a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers and applications designed for these features. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
Built for business growth: Based on enhanced Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, 64-bit quad-core computing with up to 12 MB on-die cache and 1333 MHz front side bus provides the performance necessary for small, medium business owners looking for ways to support rapid business growth on small technology budgets.
Also suitable for building small, cost-effective HPC clusters that create high-performance, personal super computing solutions and work-group clusters.
Intel® Xeon® Processor 5000 Sequence
The breakthrough performance, energy efficiency, and reliability of Intel® Xeon® processor-based server systems make them the ideal choice for all of your data demanding or standard enterprise infrastructure applications.
Intel® processor-based servers enable businesses worldwide to do more and spend less—with outstanding price/performance and broad 64-bit choice across OEMs, operating systems, and applications. Supported by a single stable mainstream 2P server platform supporting a range of CPU options for IT flexibility, investment protection and easy migration.
Reliable, efficient, proven performance. Why would you depend on anything else? Intel® Xeon® processor-based servers deliver it all. Put Intel® server technology to work in your datacenter.
Intel® Xeon® processor x5460 series delivers up to 119% (2.19x) higher performance when compared to Intel® Xeon® processor 5160 series as published/measured using SPECjbb2005* in November 12th, 2007. Intel® Xeon® processor x5460 series delivers up to 443% (5.43x) when compared to single-core 64-bit Intel® Xeon® processor 3.80GHz as published/measured using SPECint*_rate_base2006 in November 12th, 2007.
Intel® Xeon® processor x5460 series delivers up to 20 percent (1.25x) higher performance when compared to Intel® Xeon® processor 5365 series as published/measured using SPECjbb2005* in November 12th, 2007. Intel® Xeon® processor 5450 series delivers up to 38% (1.38x) higher performance per watt when compared to Intel® Xeon® processor E5335 as published/measured using SPECjbb2005* in November 12th, 2007.
± Intel® Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with an enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM) and, for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefits will vary depending on hardware and software configurations and may require a BIOS update. Software applications may not be compatible with all operating systems. Please check with your application vendor.
Φ 64-bit computing on Intel® architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, operating system, device drivers, and applications enabled for Intel® 64 architecture. Processors will not operate (including 32-bit operation) without an Intel 64 architecture-enabled BIOS. Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software configurations. Consult with your system vendor for more information.
Δ Microsoft will support Intel® I/OAT in future Microsoft Windows Server* releases.
Intel® processor-based servers enable businesses worldwide to do more and spend less—with outstanding price/performance and broad 64-bit choice across OEMs, operating systems, and applications. Supported by a single stable mainstream 2P server platform supporting a range of CPU options for IT flexibility, investment protection and easy migration.
Reliable, efficient, proven performance. Why would you depend on anything else? Intel® Xeon® processor-based servers deliver it all. Put Intel® server technology to work in your datacenter.
Intel® Xeon® processor x5460 series delivers up to 119% (2.19x) higher performance when compared to Intel® Xeon® processor 5160 series as published/measured using SPECjbb2005* in November 12th, 2007. Intel® Xeon® processor x5460 series delivers up to 443% (5.43x) when compared to single-core 64-bit Intel® Xeon® processor 3.80GHz as published/measured using SPECint*_rate_base2006 in November 12th, 2007.
Intel® Xeon® processor x5460 series delivers up to 20 percent (1.25x) higher performance when compared to Intel® Xeon® processor 5365 series as published/measured using SPECjbb2005* in November 12th, 2007. Intel® Xeon® processor 5450 series delivers up to 38% (1.38x) higher performance per watt when compared to Intel® Xeon® processor E5335 as published/measured using SPECjbb2005* in November 12th, 2007.
± Intel® Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with an enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM) and, for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefits will vary depending on hardware and software configurations and may require a BIOS update. Software applications may not be compatible with all operating systems. Please check with your application vendor.
Φ 64-bit computing on Intel® architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, operating system, device drivers, and applications enabled for Intel® 64 architecture. Processors will not operate (including 32-bit operation) without an Intel 64 architecture-enabled BIOS. Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software configurations. Consult with your system vendor for more information.
Δ Microsoft will support Intel® I/OAT in future Microsoft Windows Server* releases.
Intel® Xeon® Processor 7000 Sequence
The Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series, offers the industry's highest virtualization performance so you can do more with less. With key platform innovations built-in, the Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series offers more headroom, reliability, and the highest expandability for large-scale server consolidation.
Best-in-class performance
With enhanced 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, the new Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series is best-in-class for demanding enterprise workloads with almost 50% better performance in some cases and up to 10% reduction in platform power compared to previous generation expandable servers.◊¹ Designed and optimized for IT, these 6-core processors provide industry-leading multi-core processing and greater computing performance without increasing footprint and power demands.
With 16MB shared L3 cache, scalability beyond four sockets, 1066 million transfers per second (MT/s), and support for up to 256GB of RAM, the Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series is the ideal choice for your data-intensive, business-critical performance requirements.
Headroom and scalability built in
Offering more low voltage options including 65W 6-core and 50W 4-core processors, Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series for blade and ultra-dense platforms reduce cooling requirements, lowering IT costs. In addition, these processors are designed with Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), enabling an ecosystem of software-based virtualization from industry leading software providers.
Best-in-class performance
With enhanced 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, the new Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series is best-in-class for demanding enterprise workloads with almost 50% better performance in some cases and up to 10% reduction in platform power compared to previous generation expandable servers.◊¹ Designed and optimized for IT, these 6-core processors provide industry-leading multi-core processing and greater computing performance without increasing footprint and power demands.
With 16MB shared L3 cache, scalability beyond four sockets, 1066 million transfers per second (MT/s), and support for up to 256GB of RAM, the Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series is the ideal choice for your data-intensive, business-critical performance requirements.
Headroom and scalability built in
Offering more low voltage options including 65W 6-core and 50W 4-core processors, Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series for blade and ultra-dense platforms reduce cooling requirements, lowering IT costs. In addition, these processors are designed with Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), enabling an ecosystem of software-based virtualization from industry leading software providers.
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processors
Based on Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, the Intel® Core™2 Duo processor family is designed to provide powerful energy-efficient performance so you can do more at once without slowing down.
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo desktop processors
With Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor, you'll experience revolutionary performance, unbelievable system responsiveness, and energy-efficiency second to none.
Big, big performance. More energy efficient.¹ Now available in smaller packages. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor-based desktop PC was designed from the ground up for energy efficiency, letting you enjoy higher performing, ultra-quiet, sleek, and low power desktop PC designs.
Multitask with reckless abandon. Do more at the same time, like playing your favorite music, running virus scan in the background, and all while you edit video or pictures. The powerful Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor provides you with the speed you need to perform any and all tasks imaginable.
Love your PC again. Don’t settle for anything less than the very best. Find your perfect desktop powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and get the best processing technology money can buy. Only from Intel.
• Up to 6MB L2 cache
• Up to 1333 MHz front side bus
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo desktop processors
With Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor, you'll experience revolutionary performance, unbelievable system responsiveness, and energy-efficiency second to none.
Big, big performance. More energy efficient.¹ Now available in smaller packages. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor-based desktop PC was designed from the ground up for energy efficiency, letting you enjoy higher performing, ultra-quiet, sleek, and low power desktop PC designs.
Multitask with reckless abandon. Do more at the same time, like playing your favorite music, running virus scan in the background, and all while you edit video or pictures. The powerful Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor provides you with the speed you need to perform any and all tasks imaginable.
Love your PC again. Don’t settle for anything less than the very best. Find your perfect desktop powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and get the best processing technology money can buy. Only from Intel.
• Up to 6MB L2 cache
• Up to 1333 MHz front side bus
Intel® Core™2 Quad Processors
Introducing the Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for desktop PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology. Providing all the bandwidth you need for next-generation highly-threaded applications, the latest four-core Intel Core 2 Quad processors are built on 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture enabling faster, cooler, and quieter desktop PC and workstation experiences.
Plus, with optional Intel® vPro™ technology, you have the ability to remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected desktop and mobile workstations wirelessly and outside of the firewall, even if the PC is off, or the OS is unresponsive.
Plus, with optional Intel® vPro™ technology, you have the ability to remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected desktop and mobile workstations wirelessly and outside of the firewall, even if the PC is off, or the OS is unresponsive.
Intel® Core™2 Extreme Processor
Whether it's gaming, digital photography, or video editing, today's high-impact entertainment demands breakthrough technology. Now with a new version based on Intel's cutting edge 45nm technology utilizing hafnium-infused circuitry to deliver even greater performance and power efficiency.
Intel® Core™2 Extreme quad-core processor
When more is better—with four processing cores the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor delivers unrivaled¹ performance for the latest, greatest generation of multi-threaded games and multimedia apps.
Now with a new version based on Intel's cutting edge 45nm technology utilizing hafnium-infused circuitry to deliver even greater performance and power efficiency. The Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor QX9770 running at 3.2 GHz delivers the best possible experience for today's most demanding users.
Intel® Core™2 Extreme quad-core processor
When more is better—with four processing cores the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor delivers unrivaled¹ performance for the latest, greatest generation of multi-threaded games and multimedia apps.
Now with a new version based on Intel's cutting edge 45nm technology utilizing hafnium-infused circuitry to deliver even greater performance and power efficiency. The Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor QX9770 running at 3.2 GHz delivers the best possible experience for today's most demanding users.
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
With faster, intelligent, multi-core technology that applies processing power where it's needed most, new Intel® Core™ i7 processors deliver an incredible breakthrough in PC performance. They are the best desktop processors on the planet.¹
You'll multitask applications faster and unleash incredible digital media creation. And you'll experience maximum performance for everything you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® HT technology)³, which maximizes performance to match your workload.
You'll multitask applications faster and unleash incredible digital media creation. And you'll experience maximum performance for everything you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® HT technology)³, which maximizes performance to match your workload.
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition
Conquer the world of extreme gaming with the fastest performing processor on the planet: the Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition.¹ With faster, intelligent multi-core technology that accelerates performance to match your workload, it delivers an incredible breakthrough in gaming performance.
But performance doesn't stop at gaming. You'll multitask 25 percent faster and unleash incredible digital media creation with up to 79 percent faster video encoding and up to 46 percent faster image rendering, plus incredible performance for photo retouching and editing.¹
In fact, you'll experience maximum performance for whatever you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® HT technology)³, which activates full processing power exactly where and when you need it most.
But performance doesn't stop at gaming. You'll multitask 25 percent faster and unleash incredible digital media creation with up to 79 percent faster video encoding and up to 46 percent faster image rendering, plus incredible performance for photo retouching and editing.¹
In fact, you'll experience maximum performance for whatever you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® HT technology)³, which activates full processing power exactly where and when you need it most.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Intel Atom Processor Brings Good News amid Dismal Q4 Results
Chip giant Intel's latest quarterly results show Intel's net income fell from $2.3 billion during the fourth quarter of 2007 to $234 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. That dramatic falloff for Intel came as sales of PCs and server systems slowed down as part of the U.S. economic recession. The one bright spot in Intel's report involves the Atom processor, revenue from which increased 50 percent from the third quarter to the fourth quarter. Intel is also planning to move ahead with its 32-nm chips in 2009.
Intel, the world's largest supplier of microprocessors for PCs and servers, watched its 2008 fourth-quarter revenue and profits drop dramatically as the U.S. recession and the larger global economy continues to have a major impact within the IT industry, especially on PC and server sales.
During its fourth-quarter sales period, which ended Dec. 27, Intel recorded revenue of $8.2 billion, and the company reported net income of $234 million or 4 cents per share. By comparison, Intel reported a net income of $2.3 billion or 38 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2007, with revenues of $10.71 billion. Intel also had to write down a $1 billion reduction in the value of its Clearwire investment during the last three months of 2008.
Intel's 2008 fourth-quarter numbers were in line with what Wall Street analysts had been expecting, and Intel did warn investors both in November 2008 and earlier in January 2009 that its revenues would suffer during the quarter. Still, Intel's latest results showed how the global economy and the financial situation in the United States has been affecting IT companies and that even stalwarts such as Intel, Google and Oracle are not immune.
"The pace of the revenue decline in the quarter was dramatic," said CEO Paul Otellini during a Jan. 15 conference call with financial analysts to discuss the latest numbers. "These numbers resulted from reduced demand and contractions across the supply chain. While inventories have declined, we are assuming further reduction in [the first quarter of 2009]."
Otellini and his management team did not offer any financial guidance for the first quarter of 2009, due to ongoing uncertainty about the economy and IT and consumer spending. However, Intel did note that for internal purposes the company is estimating revenue of $7 billion for the first quarter of 2009, which is in line with Wall Street estimates of $7.2 billion.
Otellini did not speculate on whether Intel would cut the price of its processors to help reduce its chip inventory, although the CEO noted that the ASPs (average selling prices) of the company's microprocessors remained flat during the quarter.
Intel does plan to spend money and invest in new technology in 2009, including ramping up its production of 32-nanometer "Westmere" processors. The first of these processors could appear in desktops and notebook by the end of 2009. For the year, Intel plans to spend about $5.4 billion on R&D.
"I think the important thing is that, despite the slowdown in [the fourth quarter of 2008] and what looks to be a very tough first half [of] 2009, Intel is continuing forward with important projects like the 32-nanometer manufacturing rollout," John Spooner, an analyst with Technology Business Research, wrote in an e-mail. "Sure it's going to manage expenses very carefully in 2009, but it won't sacrifice the fates of new products on the altar of what it sees as more of a correction."
The one bright spot for Intel during the quarter involved its Atom processor and platforms for mininotebooks or "netbooks" and MIDs (mobile Internet devices). Revenue from Atom processors and chip sets shot up 50 percent from the third quarter of 2008 to the fourth quarter, and these parts pulled in $300 million in revenue for Intel. At the recent International CES expo in Las Vegas, nearly every PC vendor offered a new version of a netbook or mininotebook, nearly all of which used an Intel Atom processor.
While some observers have speculated that the Intel Atom processor actually reduces sales of older Intel chips, such as the Celeron processor, Otellini said Atom is creating its own market.
"While there is some cannibalization, the data suggests that the vast majority of netbooks sales are incremental," Otellini said.
During the call, Otellini was asked about other platforms and processors that have been created for others types of netbooks, mininotebooks and ultraportable laptops. While he did not mention any other platforms specifically, he said these offerings justified the market Intel created with Atom.
Intel, the world's largest supplier of microprocessors for PCs and servers, watched its 2008 fourth-quarter revenue and profits drop dramatically as the U.S. recession and the larger global economy continues to have a major impact within the IT industry, especially on PC and server sales.
During its fourth-quarter sales period, which ended Dec. 27, Intel recorded revenue of $8.2 billion, and the company reported net income of $234 million or 4 cents per share. By comparison, Intel reported a net income of $2.3 billion or 38 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2007, with revenues of $10.71 billion. Intel also had to write down a $1 billion reduction in the value of its Clearwire investment during the last three months of 2008.
Intel's 2008 fourth-quarter numbers were in line with what Wall Street analysts had been expecting, and Intel did warn investors both in November 2008 and earlier in January 2009 that its revenues would suffer during the quarter. Still, Intel's latest results showed how the global economy and the financial situation in the United States has been affecting IT companies and that even stalwarts such as Intel, Google and Oracle are not immune.
"The pace of the revenue decline in the quarter was dramatic," said CEO Paul Otellini during a Jan. 15 conference call with financial analysts to discuss the latest numbers. "These numbers resulted from reduced demand and contractions across the supply chain. While inventories have declined, we are assuming further reduction in [the first quarter of 2009]."
Otellini and his management team did not offer any financial guidance for the first quarter of 2009, due to ongoing uncertainty about the economy and IT and consumer spending. However, Intel did note that for internal purposes the company is estimating revenue of $7 billion for the first quarter of 2009, which is in line with Wall Street estimates of $7.2 billion.
Otellini did not speculate on whether Intel would cut the price of its processors to help reduce its chip inventory, although the CEO noted that the ASPs (average selling prices) of the company's microprocessors remained flat during the quarter.
Intel does plan to spend money and invest in new technology in 2009, including ramping up its production of 32-nanometer "Westmere" processors. The first of these processors could appear in desktops and notebook by the end of 2009. For the year, Intel plans to spend about $5.4 billion on R&D.
"I think the important thing is that, despite the slowdown in [the fourth quarter of 2008] and what looks to be a very tough first half [of] 2009, Intel is continuing forward with important projects like the 32-nanometer manufacturing rollout," John Spooner, an analyst with Technology Business Research, wrote in an e-mail. "Sure it's going to manage expenses very carefully in 2009, but it won't sacrifice the fates of new products on the altar of what it sees as more of a correction."
The one bright spot for Intel during the quarter involved its Atom processor and platforms for mininotebooks or "netbooks" and MIDs (mobile Internet devices). Revenue from Atom processors and chip sets shot up 50 percent from the third quarter of 2008 to the fourth quarter, and these parts pulled in $300 million in revenue for Intel. At the recent International CES expo in Las Vegas, nearly every PC vendor offered a new version of a netbook or mininotebook, nearly all of which used an Intel Atom processor.
While some observers have speculated that the Intel Atom processor actually reduces sales of older Intel chips, such as the Celeron processor, Otellini said Atom is creating its own market.
"While there is some cannibalization, the data suggests that the vast majority of netbooks sales are incremental," Otellini said.
During the call, Otellini was asked about other platforms and processors that have been created for others types of netbooks, mininotebooks and ultraportable laptops. While he did not mention any other platforms specifically, he said these offerings justified the market Intel created with Atom.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Intel vs AMD
There has been much debate about which high-end processor is the best purchase in today's highly competitive market, both performance-wise and value-wise. There are two current main competitors in this market, AMD and Intel. Some prefer AMD processors because they offer excellent value for money, while others prefer Intel processors, due to their high performance and comparatively low heat output. There have been countless times, whether it be in an online forum or chatroom where I have witnessed quite heated debates about which company is currently at the top of the desktop processor market and whether or not things will change in the near future.
A Look In to The Future
- AMD
As far as high-end processors go, in Quarter 2 of 2002 AMD plans to move to a 0.13-micron chip with their 2200+ (1.8GHz) and 2000+ (1.66GHz) AthlonXP Thoroughbred processors. Then somewhere in the second half of 2002 they plan to upgrade the AthlonXP to the Barton core which bumps the processor from 256K to 512K L2 cache. Both the Thoroughbred and the Barton will have a 133MHz FSB, however, there are rumors that AMD are thinking of bumping it up to 166MHz. This, however, is quite unlikely and all signs are currently pointing to both the Thoroughbread and the Barton having a 133MHz FSB.
In the early part of 2003, AMD will be releasing their 64-bit processor, the ClawHammer which will be a 0.13-micron part and in the second half of 2003 they will be shrinking the ClawHammer to a 0.09-micron die. Final specifications about the ClawHammer are yet to be confirmed, however, we know it will be a 64-bit part and feature HyperTransport and AGP3.0.
In the value segment, AMD plan to keep the Duron on the Palomino core till Quarter 3 of 2002 , when they will be releasing their Appaloosa core that not only shrinks the die to 0.13, but also bumps the FSB up to 133MHz (266MHz DDR).
- Intel
In the high-end segment, Intel plans on bumping their current Pentium 4 Northwood core up to an FSB of 533MHz with 512K L2 cache in the second quarter of 2002. By Quarter 3 they will have their 2.53GHz Pentium 4 processor out which features the same 533MHz FSB and 512KB cache.
As far as the value market is concerned, Intel plans on moving their Celeron to the Pentium 4 core with a 400MHz FSB by Quarter 4. Intel plans to have moved all of their Celerons from the Pentium III core to the Pentium 4 core by Quarter 4.
- Making Sense of it all
As you can see from the information given above, Intel are moving straight to a 533MHz FSB and 512KB L2 cache, while AMD will most probably still have 133MHz (266MHz DDR) FSB processors till at least the early part of 2003. Even with the release of the ClawHammer in Quarter 1 of 2003, we don't know how it will stand up against the competition from Intel since it is based on a whole new architecture. While shrinking the die will enable both companies to release faster processors that produce less heat, that's about where it ends as far as AMD is concerned. The Pentium 4 will be able to benefit from faster memory while AMD's Athlon range will still be bottlenecked by its slow front side bus.
Conclusion
Are you beginning to see the trend here? The Athlon's bus cannot take advantage of some very important, new technologies and it just makes me wonder how things will change once manufacturers start releasing DDR400, dual-channel chipsets for the Pentium 4. Even today we are seeing Intel's current fastest processor, the Pentium 4 2.4GHz outperform AMD's fastest processor, the AthlonXP 2100+ (1.73GHz) by a significant margin. Going by this fact and the facts stated earlier in the article, it is logical to say that by moving the Pentium 4 to a 533MHz FSB and giving it faster memory, Intel will only be increasing their performance lead even further.
That said, at the moment it is clear to see who the leader of the high-end processor market is as far as value for money is concerned. AMD's AthlonXP processor provides performance that surpasses that of the Pentium 4 clock-for-clock and it is also priced much cheaper.
What does this all mean? Well, until now, AMD's AthlonXP has been the undisputed leader of the desktop market, offering higher performance than the Pentium 4 and also being sold at a cheaper price. However, things are finally starting to change, with Intel stealing the performance crown from AMD and not looking like it is going to hand it back any time soon. With the Pentium 4 dropping in price every month, AMD seems to be running out of cards to play unless they manage to pull off something special and steal the performance crown back from Intel.
Could this be the end of AMD's reign as the king of the high-end desktop processor market? Are AMD going to be left behind and in the end, regarded as a value processor? As you would have already figured out from the tone of this article, I think so. It's just a matter of waiting to see if chipset manufacturers decide to release a dual-channel, DDR400 chipset for the Pentium 4, and if Intel can manage to competitively price their future processors.
Intel Celeron 1300: Tualatin Core and 0.13 Micron
The launch of Intel's latest Celeron, which can now be had with a maximum clock speed of 1300 MHz, takes its battle with AMD to the next level. The Celeron 1300 is set to go head-to-head with the AMD Duron 1200, which is geared toward the same market segment. But the Celeron 1300, based on the Tualatin core, performs very sluggishly. The reason being that, with the front-side bus and memory clock limited to 100 MHz, it's hard to tweak the performance any more, no matter how high Intel may increase the clock speed. Or, to put it more bluntly, modern CPU meets obsolete platform. Plans to develop the latter further have long since been shelved by Intel.
The Intel Celeron 1300 is basically nothing more than a Pentium III with a 100 MHz ceiling imposed on its FSB clock speed. This measure was considered necessary by the chip monopoly's marketing gurus to ensure that there was enough distance between it and the Pentium 4.
Another feature that holds back the Celeron with the Tualatin core is the requirement that it be used in conjunction with conventional SDRAM, which puts yet another dent in the Celeron's performance. The Celeron would only be able to really show what it is capable of if DDR-SDRAM and an FSB clock speed of 133 MHz were available. However, our attempts to overclock the FSB clearly showed that anything above the 120 MHz limit spells stability trouble.
In all other respects, the Celeron uses state-of-the-art technology. The 0.13 micron fabrication behind it ensures that even a standard fan will keep the CPU icy, even when its voltage has been set to 1.50 V. There is one caveat, which we already mentioned in our article on the Celeron 1200. If you own an old board with an Intel 815EP chipset, you can forget using any new CPU with a Tualatin core.
A Look In to The Future
- AMD
As far as high-end processors go, in Quarter 2 of 2002 AMD plans to move to a 0.13-micron chip with their 2200+ (1.8GHz) and 2000+ (1.66GHz) AthlonXP Thoroughbred processors. Then somewhere in the second half of 2002 they plan to upgrade the AthlonXP to the Barton core which bumps the processor from 256K to 512K L2 cache. Both the Thoroughbred and the Barton will have a 133MHz FSB, however, there are rumors that AMD are thinking of bumping it up to 166MHz. This, however, is quite unlikely and all signs are currently pointing to both the Thoroughbread and the Barton having a 133MHz FSB.
In the early part of 2003, AMD will be releasing their 64-bit processor, the ClawHammer which will be a 0.13-micron part and in the second half of 2003 they will be shrinking the ClawHammer to a 0.09-micron die. Final specifications about the ClawHammer are yet to be confirmed, however, we know it will be a 64-bit part and feature HyperTransport and AGP3.0.
In the value segment, AMD plan to keep the Duron on the Palomino core till Quarter 3 of 2002 , when they will be releasing their Appaloosa core that not only shrinks the die to 0.13, but also bumps the FSB up to 133MHz (266MHz DDR).
- Intel
In the high-end segment, Intel plans on bumping their current Pentium 4 Northwood core up to an FSB of 533MHz with 512K L2 cache in the second quarter of 2002. By Quarter 3 they will have their 2.53GHz Pentium 4 processor out which features the same 533MHz FSB and 512KB cache.
As far as the value market is concerned, Intel plans on moving their Celeron to the Pentium 4 core with a 400MHz FSB by Quarter 4. Intel plans to have moved all of their Celerons from the Pentium III core to the Pentium 4 core by Quarter 4.
- Making Sense of it all
As you can see from the information given above, Intel are moving straight to a 533MHz FSB and 512KB L2 cache, while AMD will most probably still have 133MHz (266MHz DDR) FSB processors till at least the early part of 2003. Even with the release of the ClawHammer in Quarter 1 of 2003, we don't know how it will stand up against the competition from Intel since it is based on a whole new architecture. While shrinking the die will enable both companies to release faster processors that produce less heat, that's about where it ends as far as AMD is concerned. The Pentium 4 will be able to benefit from faster memory while AMD's Athlon range will still be bottlenecked by its slow front side bus.
Conclusion
Are you beginning to see the trend here? The Athlon's bus cannot take advantage of some very important, new technologies and it just makes me wonder how things will change once manufacturers start releasing DDR400, dual-channel chipsets for the Pentium 4. Even today we are seeing Intel's current fastest processor, the Pentium 4 2.4GHz outperform AMD's fastest processor, the AthlonXP 2100+ (1.73GHz) by a significant margin. Going by this fact and the facts stated earlier in the article, it is logical to say that by moving the Pentium 4 to a 533MHz FSB and giving it faster memory, Intel will only be increasing their performance lead even further.
That said, at the moment it is clear to see who the leader of the high-end processor market is as far as value for money is concerned. AMD's AthlonXP processor provides performance that surpasses that of the Pentium 4 clock-for-clock and it is also priced much cheaper.
What does this all mean? Well, until now, AMD's AthlonXP has been the undisputed leader of the desktop market, offering higher performance than the Pentium 4 and also being sold at a cheaper price. However, things are finally starting to change, with Intel stealing the performance crown from AMD and not looking like it is going to hand it back any time soon. With the Pentium 4 dropping in price every month, AMD seems to be running out of cards to play unless they manage to pull off something special and steal the performance crown back from Intel.
Could this be the end of AMD's reign as the king of the high-end desktop processor market? Are AMD going to be left behind and in the end, regarded as a value processor? As you would have already figured out from the tone of this article, I think so. It's just a matter of waiting to see if chipset manufacturers decide to release a dual-channel, DDR400 chipset for the Pentium 4, and if Intel can manage to competitively price their future processors.
Intel Celeron 1300: Tualatin Core and 0.13 Micron
The launch of Intel's latest Celeron, which can now be had with a maximum clock speed of 1300 MHz, takes its battle with AMD to the next level. The Celeron 1300 is set to go head-to-head with the AMD Duron 1200, which is geared toward the same market segment. But the Celeron 1300, based on the Tualatin core, performs very sluggishly. The reason being that, with the front-side bus and memory clock limited to 100 MHz, it's hard to tweak the performance any more, no matter how high Intel may increase the clock speed. Or, to put it more bluntly, modern CPU meets obsolete platform. Plans to develop the latter further have long since been shelved by Intel.
The Intel Celeron 1300 is basically nothing more than a Pentium III with a 100 MHz ceiling imposed on its FSB clock speed. This measure was considered necessary by the chip monopoly's marketing gurus to ensure that there was enough distance between it and the Pentium 4.
Another feature that holds back the Celeron with the Tualatin core is the requirement that it be used in conjunction with conventional SDRAM, which puts yet another dent in the Celeron's performance. The Celeron would only be able to really show what it is capable of if DDR-SDRAM and an FSB clock speed of 133 MHz were available. However, our attempts to overclock the FSB clearly showed that anything above the 120 MHz limit spells stability trouble.
In all other respects, the Celeron uses state-of-the-art technology. The 0.13 micron fabrication behind it ensures that even a standard fan will keep the CPU icy, even when its voltage has been set to 1.50 V. There is one caveat, which we already mentioned in our article on the Celeron 1200. If you own an old board with an Intel 815EP chipset, you can forget using any new CPU with a Tualatin core.
Intel microprocessor types
INTEL 8086
The 8086 microprocessor was introduced in 1978, and has a 16-bit data bus structure. The 8086 was found to be faster than the 8088 in communication speed with the other computer components, but lost out in popularity to the 8088 due to the high cost of 16-bit support chips and peripherals.
INTEL 8088
Also introduced in 1978, the 8088 microprocessor has an 8-bit external data bus and an 16-bit internal data bus. The original 8088 operated at 4.77 MHz, and has since been expanded to up to 10 MHz. The 10 MHz speed in "XTs" use chips known as turbo chips.
INTEL 80286
The 80286 microprocessor was introduced in 1984, and included a 16-bit data structure and the ability to address up to 16 MB of RAM. The 80286 machines run in two distinct modes. Under" Real Mode", the 80286 runs DOS programs at an 8086 pace, and only uses 1MB of RAM. In "Protected Mode", the 80286 uses up to 16MB of RAM.
INTEL 80386
The 80386 microprocessor was introduced in 1986, and included a 32-bit data bus structure and the ability to address up to 4GB of memory. The 80386 allows memory to be broken up into blocks, allowing applications to be run simultaneously.
INTEL 80386SX
The 80386SX microprocessor was introduced in 1988, and shared the same electronic characteristics as the 80386, except that the SX included a 16-bit data structure. It therefore could use the add-on chips designed for the 80286, which are much less expensive.
INTEL 80486
The 80486 microprocessor was introduced in 1989, and included a 32-bit data bus structure, and the ability to address up to 64GB of memory.
INTEL Pentium
The Pentium processor is on the leading edge of technology, with a 64-bit data bus structure.
INTEL Pentium Pro
The Pentium Pro processor is on the leading edge of technology, with a 64-bit data bus structure and the addition of a level 2 cache built directly into the chip.
The 8086 microprocessor was introduced in 1978, and has a 16-bit data bus structure. The 8086 was found to be faster than the 8088 in communication speed with the other computer components, but lost out in popularity to the 8088 due to the high cost of 16-bit support chips and peripherals.
INTEL 8088
Also introduced in 1978, the 8088 microprocessor has an 8-bit external data bus and an 16-bit internal data bus. The original 8088 operated at 4.77 MHz, and has since been expanded to up to 10 MHz. The 10 MHz speed in "XTs" use chips known as turbo chips.
INTEL 80286
The 80286 microprocessor was introduced in 1984, and included a 16-bit data structure and the ability to address up to 16 MB of RAM. The 80286 machines run in two distinct modes. Under" Real Mode", the 80286 runs DOS programs at an 8086 pace, and only uses 1MB of RAM. In "Protected Mode", the 80286 uses up to 16MB of RAM.
INTEL 80386
The 80386 microprocessor was introduced in 1986, and included a 32-bit data bus structure and the ability to address up to 4GB of memory. The 80386 allows memory to be broken up into blocks, allowing applications to be run simultaneously.
INTEL 80386SX
The 80386SX microprocessor was introduced in 1988, and shared the same electronic characteristics as the 80386, except that the SX included a 16-bit data structure. It therefore could use the add-on chips designed for the 80286, which are much less expensive.
INTEL 80486
The 80486 microprocessor was introduced in 1989, and included a 32-bit data bus structure, and the ability to address up to 64GB of memory.
INTEL Pentium
The Pentium processor is on the leading edge of technology, with a 64-bit data bus structure.
INTEL Pentium Pro
The Pentium Pro processor is on the leading edge of technology, with a 64-bit data bus structure and the addition of a level 2 cache built directly into the chip.
Intel CPU Processor Identification
There are several package types for Intel® processors. These different package types are illustrated below along with a brief explanation of how to easily identify them.
FC-PGA Package Type
The FC-PGA package is short for flip chip pin grid array, which have pins that are inserted into a socket. These chips are turned upside down so that the die or the part of the processor that makes up the computer chip is exposed on the top of the processor. By having the die exposed allows the thermal solution can be applied directly to the die, which allows for more efficient cooling of the chip. To enhance the performance of the package by decoupling the power and ground signals, FC-PGA processors have discrete capacitors and resistors on the bottom of the processor, in the capacitor placement area (center of processor). The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The FC-PGA package is used in Pentium® III and Intel® Celeron® processors, which use 370 pins.
FC-PGA2 Package Type
FC-PGA2 packages are similar to the FC-PGA package type, except these processors also have an Integrated Heat Sink (IHS). The integrated heat sink is attached directly to the die of the processor during manufacturing. Since the IHS makes a good thermal contact with the die and it offers a larger surface area for better heat dissipation, it can significantly increase thermal conductivity. The FC-PGA2 package is used in Pentium III and Intel Celeron processor (370 pins) and the Pentium 4 processor (478 pins).
Pentium 4 processor:
Pentium III and Intel® Celeron® processor
OOI Package Type
OOI is short for OLGA. OLGA stands for Organic Land Grid Array. The OLGA chips also use a flip chip design, where the processor is attached to the substrate face-down for better signal integrity, more efficient heat removal and lower inductance. The OOI then has an Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) that helps heatsink dissipation to a properly attached fan heatsink. The OOI is used by the Pentium 4 processor, which has 423 pins.
PGA Package Type
PGA is short for Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PGA package is used by the Intel Xeon™ processor, which has 603 pins.
PPGA Package Type
PPGA is short for Plastic Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PPGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PPGA package is used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 370 pins.
S.E.C.C. Package Type
S.E.C.C. is short for Single Edge Contact Cartridge. To connect to the motherboard, the processor is inserted into a slot. Instead of having pins, it uses goldfinger contacts, which the processor uses to carry its signals back and forth. The S.E.C.C. is covered with a metal shell that covers the top of the entire cartridge assembly. The back of the cartridge is a thermal plate that acts as a heatsink. Inside the S.E.C.C., most processors have a printed circuit board called the substrate that links together the processor, the L2 cache and the bus termination circuits. The S.E.C.C. package was used in the Intel Pentium II processors, which have 242 contacts and the Pentium® II Xeon™ and Pentium III Xeon processors, which have 330 contacts.
S.E.C.C.2 Package Type
The S.E.C.C.2 package is similar to the S.E.C.C. package except the S.E.C.C.2 uses less casing and does not include the thermal plate. The S.E.C.C.2 package was used in some later versions of the Pentium II processor and Pentium III processor (242 contacts).
S.E.P. Package Type
S.E.P. is short for Single Edge Processor. The S.E.P. package is similar to a S.E.C.C. or S.E.C.C.2 package but it has no covering. In addition, the substrate (circuit board) is visible from the bottom side. The S.E.P. package was used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 242 contacts.
Laptops:
Micro-FCPGA
The micro-FCPGA (Flip Chip Plastic Grid Array) package consists of a die placed face-down on an organic substrate. An epoxy material surrounds the die, forming a smooth, relatively clear fillet. The package uses 478 pins, which are 2.03 mm long and .32 mm in diameter. While there are several micro-FCPGA socket designs available, all of them are designed to allow zero-insertion force removal and insertion of the processor. Different from micro-PGA, the micro-FCPGA does not have an interposer and it includes capacitors on the bottom side.
Micro-FCBGA
Micro-FCBGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array) package for surface mount boards consists of a die placed face-down on an organic substrate. An epoxy material surrounds the die, forming a smooth, relatively clear fillet. Instead of using pins, the packages use small balls, which acts as contacts for the processor. The advantage of using balls instead of pins is that there are no leads that bend. The package uses 479 balls, which are .78 mm in diameter. Different from Micro-PGA, the micro-FCPGA includes capacitors on the top side.
Micro-BGA2 Package
The BGA2 package consists of a die placed face-down on an organic substrate. An epoxy material surrounds the die, forming a smooth, relatively clear fillet. Instead of using pins, the packages use small balls, which acts as contacts for the processor. The advantage of using balls instead of pins is that there are no leads that bend. The Pentium® III processor uses the BGA2 package, which contains 495 balls.
Micro-PGA2 Package
The micro-PGA2 consists of a BGA package mounted to an interposer with small pins. The pins are 1.25 mm long and 0.30 mm in diameter. While there are several micro-PGA2 socket designs available, all of them are designed to allow zero-insertion force removal and insertion of the mobile Pentium III processor.
MMC-2 Package
The Mobile Module Cartridge 2 (MMC-2) package has a mobile Pentium® III processor and the host bridge system controller (consisting of the processor bus controller, memory controller and PCI bus controller) on a small circuit. It connects to the system via a 400-pin connector. On the MMC-2 package, the thermal transfer plate (TTP) provides heat dissipation from the processor and host bridge system controller.
FC-PGA Package Type
The FC-PGA package is short for flip chip pin grid array, which have pins that are inserted into a socket. These chips are turned upside down so that the die or the part of the processor that makes up the computer chip is exposed on the top of the processor. By having the die exposed allows the thermal solution can be applied directly to the die, which allows for more efficient cooling of the chip. To enhance the performance of the package by decoupling the power and ground signals, FC-PGA processors have discrete capacitors and resistors on the bottom of the processor, in the capacitor placement area (center of processor). The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The FC-PGA package is used in Pentium® III and Intel® Celeron® processors, which use 370 pins.
FC-PGA2 Package Type
FC-PGA2 packages are similar to the FC-PGA package type, except these processors also have an Integrated Heat Sink (IHS). The integrated heat sink is attached directly to the die of the processor during manufacturing. Since the IHS makes a good thermal contact with the die and it offers a larger surface area for better heat dissipation, it can significantly increase thermal conductivity. The FC-PGA2 package is used in Pentium III and Intel Celeron processor (370 pins) and the Pentium 4 processor (478 pins).
Pentium 4 processor:
Pentium III and Intel® Celeron® processor
OOI Package Type
OOI is short for OLGA. OLGA stands for Organic Land Grid Array. The OLGA chips also use a flip chip design, where the processor is attached to the substrate face-down for better signal integrity, more efficient heat removal and lower inductance. The OOI then has an Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) that helps heatsink dissipation to a properly attached fan heatsink. The OOI is used by the Pentium 4 processor, which has 423 pins.
PGA Package Type
PGA is short for Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PGA package is used by the Intel Xeon™ processor, which has 603 pins.
PPGA Package Type
PPGA is short for Plastic Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PPGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PPGA package is used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 370 pins.
S.E.C.C. Package Type
S.E.C.C. is short for Single Edge Contact Cartridge. To connect to the motherboard, the processor is inserted into a slot. Instead of having pins, it uses goldfinger contacts, which the processor uses to carry its signals back and forth. The S.E.C.C. is covered with a metal shell that covers the top of the entire cartridge assembly. The back of the cartridge is a thermal plate that acts as a heatsink. Inside the S.E.C.C., most processors have a printed circuit board called the substrate that links together the processor, the L2 cache and the bus termination circuits. The S.E.C.C. package was used in the Intel Pentium II processors, which have 242 contacts and the Pentium® II Xeon™ and Pentium III Xeon processors, which have 330 contacts.
S.E.C.C.2 Package Type
The S.E.C.C.2 package is similar to the S.E.C.C. package except the S.E.C.C.2 uses less casing and does not include the thermal plate. The S.E.C.C.2 package was used in some later versions of the Pentium II processor and Pentium III processor (242 contacts).
S.E.P. Package Type
S.E.P. is short for Single Edge Processor. The S.E.P. package is similar to a S.E.C.C. or S.E.C.C.2 package but it has no covering. In addition, the substrate (circuit board) is visible from the bottom side. The S.E.P. package was used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 242 contacts.
Laptops:
Micro-FCPGA
The micro-FCPGA (Flip Chip Plastic Grid Array) package consists of a die placed face-down on an organic substrate. An epoxy material surrounds the die, forming a smooth, relatively clear fillet. The package uses 478 pins, which are 2.03 mm long and .32 mm in diameter. While there are several micro-FCPGA socket designs available, all of them are designed to allow zero-insertion force removal and insertion of the processor. Different from micro-PGA, the micro-FCPGA does not have an interposer and it includes capacitors on the bottom side.
Micro-FCBGA
Micro-FCBGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array) package for surface mount boards consists of a die placed face-down on an organic substrate. An epoxy material surrounds the die, forming a smooth, relatively clear fillet. Instead of using pins, the packages use small balls, which acts as contacts for the processor. The advantage of using balls instead of pins is that there are no leads that bend. The package uses 479 balls, which are .78 mm in diameter. Different from Micro-PGA, the micro-FCPGA includes capacitors on the top side.
Micro-BGA2 Package
The BGA2 package consists of a die placed face-down on an organic substrate. An epoxy material surrounds the die, forming a smooth, relatively clear fillet. Instead of using pins, the packages use small balls, which acts as contacts for the processor. The advantage of using balls instead of pins is that there are no leads that bend. The Pentium® III processor uses the BGA2 package, which contains 495 balls.
Micro-PGA2 Package
The micro-PGA2 consists of a BGA package mounted to an interposer with small pins. The pins are 1.25 mm long and 0.30 mm in diameter. While there are several micro-PGA2 socket designs available, all of them are designed to allow zero-insertion force removal and insertion of the mobile Pentium III processor.
MMC-2 Package
The Mobile Module Cartridge 2 (MMC-2) package has a mobile Pentium® III processor and the host bridge system controller (consisting of the processor bus controller, memory controller and PCI bus controller) on a small circuit. It connects to the system via a 400-pin connector. On the MMC-2 package, the thermal transfer plate (TTP) provides heat dissipation from the processor and host bridge system controller.
Way of Installing an AMD Athlon or Duron Socket A Processor.
Introduction. Many AMD Socket A Athlon and Duron processors are damaged during installation. The purpose of this article is to help you avoid that misfortune.
An AMD Tech Tip regarding Socket A heatsinks states:
"The new exposed flip-chip design of the PGA AMD Athlon and AMD Duron processors requires a clip [heatsink spring] load between 12 and 24 pounds (typically 16 pounds), a load that may not be met by most older heatsink designs." [e.g., Socket 7 heatsink-fans]
"New PGA (Pin Grid Array) AMD Athlon(tm) and AMD Duron(tm) processors have very different thermal specifications than any preceding AMD processor? Due to these differences, the AMD Athlon and AMD Duron processors should NEVER be run without a heatsink, not even for a few seconds. Doing so will cause the processor to overheat and fail immediately, resulting in permanent damage. While testing a processor by booting it up for several seconds without a heatsink installed may be common industry practice, it should never be attempted with the new PGA AMD Athlon and AMD Duron processors."
Also, improper installation of the heatsink on the processor can exert too much force on the CPU (Central Processing Unit or Processor) die (the little rectangular thing in the middle of the processor--the actual chip) and damage it--crack the stuff holding it to the rest of the processor.
How AMD Socket A Processors are Packaged. One can buy two basic flavors of AMD Socket A Processors: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer or a company that makes things such as computers) and PIB (Processor in a Box or retail version). Both versions are widely available (but not always available). The OEM version comes without a heatsink-fan and the PIB version comes with the heatsink-fan, but it is not already attached to the CPU like the AMD K6-2 PIB processors.
Heatsink Compound. A 1 GHz Athlon generates about 50 Watts of heat, or about half that of a incandescent light bulb. Most of the heat is coming from that little bitty die. Thermal compound between the die and the heatsink is therefore absolutely essential for Socket A processors. It fills-in microscopic imperfections (scratches, pits, etc.) on the surface of the die and on the bottom of the heatsink to eliminate air pockets which are poor thermal conductors. Improper application of the compound or inferior compound can fry your CPU, damage your motherboard, corrupt data, and cause other problems, such a computer rebooting itself on a hot summer day.
There many kinds of thermal compounds used with CPU heatsinks. Among them are various kinds of silicon and non-silicon grease, adhesives, thermal pads, double-sided tapes, and thermally applied compounds Adhesives, epoxy or acrylic, permanently bond the heatsink to the CPU. Thermally applied compounds fill scratches and eliminate air pockets through a phase-change process which occurs when the CPU first heats-up. Phase-change material is usually applied to the bottom of the heat sink and protected with a removable film during manufacturing. For more information see Heat-sink-attachment methods optimize thermal performance.
Thermal greases typically provide the best thermal conductivity. They consist of binder (silicon, etc.) and a metal or metal oxide which conduct the heat. Some of them are conductors of electricity and others are not. Those that are not electrical conductors can have capacitive properties which can affect the operation of electronic components. Thermal greases are cost effective, but can be messy to apply and difficult to clean-up. I have also read thermal grease may degrade over time, but have not seen it in the real world.
We will use the thermal grease that came with the heatsink-fan as an example in this article. It was manufactured by Stars, is similar to the stuff sold at Radio Shack, and has more liquid consistency than the paste-like Shin-Etsu G749 thermal grease used with a Slot 1 Athlon in our Build Your Own Athlon Computer (Slot 1 CPU) article.
Some readers who like to do things with processors (e.g., overclock/overcook them, which I do not recommend) may want to use a higher performance heatsink-fan and a heatsink compound with a higher thermal conductivity, such as Artic Silver. The PIB version of the CPU comes with a thermal compound already applied to the bottom of the heatsink. If another thermal compound is to be used, than that pad must be completely removed from the bottom of the heatsink.
An AMD Tech Tip regarding Socket A heatsinks states:
"The new exposed flip-chip design of the PGA AMD Athlon and AMD Duron processors requires a clip [heatsink spring] load between 12 and 24 pounds (typically 16 pounds), a load that may not be met by most older heatsink designs." [e.g., Socket 7 heatsink-fans]
"New PGA (Pin Grid Array) AMD Athlon(tm) and AMD Duron(tm) processors have very different thermal specifications than any preceding AMD processor? Due to these differences, the AMD Athlon and AMD Duron processors should NEVER be run without a heatsink, not even for a few seconds. Doing so will cause the processor to overheat and fail immediately, resulting in permanent damage. While testing a processor by booting it up for several seconds without a heatsink installed may be common industry practice, it should never be attempted with the new PGA AMD Athlon and AMD Duron processors."
Also, improper installation of the heatsink on the processor can exert too much force on the CPU (Central Processing Unit or Processor) die (the little rectangular thing in the middle of the processor--the actual chip) and damage it--crack the stuff holding it to the rest of the processor.
How AMD Socket A Processors are Packaged. One can buy two basic flavors of AMD Socket A Processors: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer or a company that makes things such as computers) and PIB (Processor in a Box or retail version). Both versions are widely available (but not always available). The OEM version comes without a heatsink-fan and the PIB version comes with the heatsink-fan, but it is not already attached to the CPU like the AMD K6-2 PIB processors.
Heatsink Compound. A 1 GHz Athlon generates about 50 Watts of heat, or about half that of a incandescent light bulb. Most of the heat is coming from that little bitty die. Thermal compound between the die and the heatsink is therefore absolutely essential for Socket A processors. It fills-in microscopic imperfections (scratches, pits, etc.) on the surface of the die and on the bottom of the heatsink to eliminate air pockets which are poor thermal conductors. Improper application of the compound or inferior compound can fry your CPU, damage your motherboard, corrupt data, and cause other problems, such a computer rebooting itself on a hot summer day.
There many kinds of thermal compounds used with CPU heatsinks. Among them are various kinds of silicon and non-silicon grease, adhesives, thermal pads, double-sided tapes, and thermally applied compounds Adhesives, epoxy or acrylic, permanently bond the heatsink to the CPU. Thermally applied compounds fill scratches and eliminate air pockets through a phase-change process which occurs when the CPU first heats-up. Phase-change material is usually applied to the bottom of the heat sink and protected with a removable film during manufacturing. For more information see Heat-sink-attachment methods optimize thermal performance.
Thermal greases typically provide the best thermal conductivity. They consist of binder (silicon, etc.) and a metal or metal oxide which conduct the heat. Some of them are conductors of electricity and others are not. Those that are not electrical conductors can have capacitive properties which can affect the operation of electronic components. Thermal greases are cost effective, but can be messy to apply and difficult to clean-up. I have also read thermal grease may degrade over time, but have not seen it in the real world.
We will use the thermal grease that came with the heatsink-fan as an example in this article. It was manufactured by Stars, is similar to the stuff sold at Radio Shack, and has more liquid consistency than the paste-like Shin-Etsu G749 thermal grease used with a Slot 1 Athlon in our Build Your Own Athlon Computer (Slot 1 CPU) article.
Some readers who like to do things with processors (e.g., overclock/overcook them, which I do not recommend) may want to use a higher performance heatsink-fan and a heatsink compound with a higher thermal conductivity, such as Artic Silver. The PIB version of the CPU comes with a thermal compound already applied to the bottom of the heatsink. If another thermal compound is to be used, than that pad must be completely removed from the bottom of the heatsink.
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