AMD announces updates to Phenom chip line

As had been expected, AMD on Wednesday announced updates to its Phenom processor line, including four new high-end quad-core chips it claims "can improve performance for gaming and multi-threaded applications," according to a company release. Among those new chips is the Phenom X4 9850, which CNET has already reviewed.

The chipmaker also announced that it is shipping its triple-core Phenom processors, a first for the PC market, as Brooke Crothers of CNET's Blogger Network details in a related blog post.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company further announced what it calls "the world's first energy-efficient desktop quad-core processor, providing customers with a cool and quiet digital media workhorse." The Phenom X4 9100e operates at a maximum of 65 watts.

[jbATuberpulse.com]

Video of the Phenom chip update

You can also see the video of the press launch here:
http://www.uberpulse.com/us/2008/03/amd_to_launch_faster_qu
adcore_desktop_chips_new_triple_core_video.php

[zaznet]

We remain under 3GHz...

Do the chip makers plan to stay under 3GHz for the rest of eternity? I know it's harder and harder to increase the core speed and adding more cores makes that harder still.

The per core speed is still important, and I want a quad core that exceeds that 3GHz barrier before I buy another CPU.

[eremos]

Megahertz myth

I would suggest reading the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megahertz_myth

[The Sheepshagger]

And by "Triple Core" we mean...

1) we're selling you a Quad Core where one core is defective / non-operational.
2) we've managed to create hype for a non-existent market that doesn't measure up to a Quad Core and you're so gullible you'll buy it!
3) will save our britches slightly because we won't be taking a loss for scrapping a Quad Core processor.
4) we will have you convinced that we only put the 4th non-working core in the package to keep it level in shipping. Pay no attention to core behind the curtain.
4) *FINALLY* gives up something to claim we're better than Intel (in case you ignored the previous points).

AMD Triple Core -- where 3/4 of a real chip is all that matters, because that's all we can get working. DOH!

[truthteller33]

Posters Not Getting It So Far

We all need to look at the data here.

1/According to Mercury Reseach, desktop processors >$200 only accounts for 4% of sales. Who really cares about the 3GHz, $1,000 Intel Quad Extreme? How many really get sold?

2/ Games are more performance dependent on grahics than CPUs. AMD's X3 is all you need for extreme gaming. Take the $800 you save on the CPU and buy 3 ATI Radeon or GeForce cards and a massive hard drive.

3/ The silion industry, including Intel, takes one piece of silicon and tuns on/off features. Intel has/had the same silicon where they turned on/of features like EM64T, virtalization, security bit,etc. Intel does it, AMD does it. Live with it. Triple core is the same thing. You cannot assume it is broken.

4/I guess the Intel Six core server part is broken, if one asumes that Triple core is broken.

Fire away.