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Are Intel, AMD six-core chips worth it?

The enduring Intel-Advanced Micro Devices desktop PC rivalry may be hitting a ceiling at the very high end where adding processor cores doesn't always translate to better performance.

On Tuesday, AMD announced the six-core Phenom II X6 1075 processor, priced at only $250, adding to its stable of six-core desktop chips. And Intel has its well-received but much pricier Core i7 980X and 970, among other six-core processors.

All of this means more choice at the high end for consumers, but are those extra cores really necessary? Do the newest six-core systems, such as the HP Pavilion Elite HPE-460z series and Dell Studio XPS 9100, offer an appreciable spike in performance? (Note: this same argument can be applied, to some degree, to dual-core versus quad-core systems.)

I asked a couple of experts for their opinions.

Rich Brown, senior editor, desktops at CNET Reviews. For most consumers, six-core CPUs will be overkill. Few apps will really use all six cores well, and the trade-off tends to be slower performance on the apps that don't use them.… Read more

AMD Vision spreads across desktops, laptops: Will you see a difference?

Does affordability matter most to you when buying a new computer? More importantly, do labels?

AMD has been working on finding its way into laptops and desktops via a strategy of affordability and rebranding, and its AMD Vision series of products is taking off with a new batch of desktops and laptops. We've already seen some of this new branding in a handful of products, but the company's new initiative focuses on its latest processors, and adds extra "Vision" categories to its product line. The real question is how these new systems will perform in the … Read more

AMD introduces faster Phenom II X4 chips

AMD's new quad-core Phenom II X4 945 and 955 Black Edition desktop chips hit retail stores and enthusiast review sites this morning. With higher clock speeds than previous models, aggressive pricing, and support for fast DDR3 memory, these chips compete with Intel's Core 2 Quad CPUs as mainstream performance processors.

Each chip has the same architecture as the original Phenom II X4's that came out a few months ago at CES. The $225 945 has a 3.0GHz clock speed, and the $245 955 Black Edition comes in at 3.2GHZ, but with an unlocked clock multiplier … Read more

AMD's new Phenom II chips take on Intel

Updated on February 9 at 12:10 a.m. PST with corrected Intel pricing.

Advanced Micro Devices added new Phenom II desktop models on Monday, including triple-core processors, in its continued attempt to outdo Intel desktop price-performance.

The Phenom II "Dragon" line of desktop processors uses AMD's new 45-nanometer technology and comprises both quad-core (X4) and triple-core (X3) parts.

The triple-core Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition processor is priced at $145, which AMD compares with Intel's Core 2 Duo (dual-core) E8400 processor, priced at $163. The quad-core X4 810 processor (2.6GHz) is priced at $… Read more

Intel price cuts coming

Intel is planning price cuts to its lower-end mainstream quad-core processors on January 18.

Barron's Tech Trader Daily first reported the news, citing Pacific Crest analyst Michael McConnell.

These cuts are happening because of the recent introduction of Advanced Micro Devices' 45-nanometer Phenom II and "Shanghai" Opteron processors.

AMD's quad-core Phenom II "Dragon" processor platform has been garnering solid reviews and its Shanghai server chip has been adopted by top-tier server suppliers including Hewlett-Packard, Sun, Dell, IBM, and Fujitsu.

Cuts are expected mainly on quad-core processors, though other processors may also receive cuts.

Report: AMD Phenom II chips echo Intel's i7

940 versus 940. That may be the confusing Intel-AMD processor model-number juxtaposing that consumers can look forward to next year.

A Chinese Web site has posted details of Advanced Micro Devices' upcoming Phenom II desktop processors, of which at least two are due to be launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

The post on HKEPC lists more than a dozen new models due to be launched during the next eight months. AMD is now moving its chips to 45-nanometer process technology from an older 65-nanometer process. Generally, smaller geometries result in faster and more power-efficient processors.

Processors listed … Read more

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