(Credit:
AMD)
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 that makes it overclocking-friendly.
Perhaps the bigger deal with this chip release is that it gives AMD a fresh batch of desktop CPUs around which to market its Dragon desktop gaming platform. Dragon, if you're unfamiliar, describes AMD's ecosystem of CPUs, GPUs, and motherboard chipsets that, when incorporated together in a desktop, let you take advantage of various AMD-made overclocking and system-monitoring software tools designed to simplify the process of tweaking your PC for maximum gaming performance. The AM3-version of AMD's 790FX chipsets have also come out in volume since Dragon launched back in January, which means Dragon now supports DDR3 system memory.
The various tech enthusiast sites around the Web all have reviews posted of AMD's new chips. The consensus seems to be that the Phenom X4 II 955 competes fairly well against Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9550 chip, but the Core i7 920 (and its more expensive motherboard), maintains Intel's overall speed advantage. We saw the older Phenom II X4 chips ourselves in Dragon platform-based systems from Dell and Maingear. We haven't been pitched a system with these new chips yet, but it's likely a matter of time.
Enthusiast reviews of AMD's new Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition:
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 $175 versus the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor (2.33GHz), priced at $163.
The Phenom II processors fit in either AM2+ or AM3 sockets and support DDR2 or next generation DDR3 memory technology.
Models include:
- AMD Phenom II X4 910 - (2.6GHz)
- AMD Phenom II X4 810 - (2.6GHz)
- AMD Phenom II X4 805 - (2.5GHz)
- AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition - (2.8GHz)
- AMD Phenom II X3 710 - (2.6GHz)
The processors are available immediately, AMD said.
Dell's Alienware unit is slated to put AMD-ATI front and center. The Dell subsidiary will bring out a relatively low-cost game PC with dual ATI graphics chips within the next two weeks.
This comes in the wake of a report that Dell will phase out its XPS game PC line in favor of Alienware systems.
Alienware will ship a system with 4GB of memory, two ATI graphics chips, and a quad-core AMD processor for less than $1,700, dirt cheap in the gaming PC world.
(Credit: Alienware)The $1,699 system--cheap by game PC standards--will come with 4GB (DDR2 800MHz) memory, a quad-core 9550 (2.2GHz) Phenom X4 processor, and a 3870 X2 board with two ATI HD 3870 graphics chips, said Marc Diana, Alienware product marketing manager for desktops. The system will ship within 48 hours, he said.
It will also sport an Asus high-end motherboard based on the AMD 790FX chipset, Diana said.
Systems configured with a quad-core processor and dual graphics chips are typically well over $2,000.
Overall, Alienware is seeing respectable demand for AMD-based systems. "AMD is a good entry point," according to Diana.
Alienware is already offering a relatively high-end system for less than $3,000 with a quad-core Phenom X4 9850 (2.5GHz) "Black Edition" (Black Edition indicates that the processor can be overclocked) and two ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics boards (each with two 3870 graphics chips).
"It's not your granddaddy's AMD system. We're talking top-of-the-line quad core," he said.
This not the sentiment at all game PC makers, however. Falcon Northwest is seeing virtually no demand for AMD-based systems, according to a spokesperson at that company. Falcon Northwest sells Intel-based systems almost exclusively. The company attributes this to the fact that customers are spending big bucks for its systems and that they will invariably opt for higher-performing Intel chips.
Diana concedes that AMD will not take the performance crown--this goes to Intel. And in graphics, Nvidia typically performs better in games than ATI, he said. "(Nvidia is) able to refine their drivers more for the most popular games," he said.
And in the laptop gaming space, Intel-Nvidia rules too. Currently, Alienware offers no AMD-based gaming laptops, though this may change in the future when AMD brings out its Puma mobile platform later this quarter.
Alienware recently began selling a gaming laptop, the Area-51 m17x, with two Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX graphics chips and the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, starting at about $3,200.
Update: Circuit board makers using Advanced Micro Devices' high-end quad-core Phenom chips claim that there are compatibility issues with select boards. This comes as the chipmaker struggles to churn out processors that are competitive with Intel's offerings.
AMD quad-core Phenom X4
(Credit: AMD)This issue was reported Monday at the Web site HKEPC.
AMD confirmed Monday that some motherboard suppliers are mismatching high-end quad-core Phenom processors with a lower-end chipset. (The motherboard is the main circuit board in a PC. The chipset allows the processor to interact with other components, among other functions.)
"What people have done, mistakenly, is paired a 780G (chipset-based) motherboard with the higher frequency Phenom--the 125-watt Phenom," said Jake Whitman, an AMD spokesperson.
Whitman is referring to the fact that the high-end 9750 and 9850 Phenom processors have a Thermal Design Power (TDP or thermal envelope) of 125 watts versus the lower-end 9600 and 9550 models that have a TDP of 95 watts. The higher-watt parts will not work with motherboards that contain the 780G chipset. The lower-end models do not have these TDP issues.
"They've taken an enthusiast-class quad-core part and paired it with a mainstream motherboard," Whitman said. "And not all motherboard manufacturers have tweaked their boards to support a 125-watt TDP." Whitman says that AMD's 790 chipset--not the 780--should be paired with the 9750 and 9850 processors and that a number of motherboard makers are already doing this.
"We've never made claims that 780G motherboards are enthusiast-class motherboards," Whitman said.
The inability to use high-end quad-core AMD processors on some motherboards may be symptomatic of a larger challenge. AMD is finding it difficult to compete head-on with Intel quad-core offerings in the consumer segment. Hewlett-Packard and Gateway, for instance, offer desktops with only the lower-performance Phenom chips, such as the 9100e (1.8GHz) and 9600 (2.3GHz). Neither HP nor Gateway offer desktops with higher-performance 9750 (2.4GHz) or 9850 (2.5GHz) Phenoms.
Meanwhile, Intel-based systems from these companies--though usually more expensive--come with quad-core chips ranging up to a 2.83GHz Q9550.
Whitman says there's a reason for this. First-tier PC makers "are not necessarily interested in building the fastest AMD-based quad-core systems, but are more interested in price." He expects wider adoption of the high-end Phenom chips with system builders and game-enthusiast PC makers.
In related news reported by CNET News.com on Monday, supercomputer maker Cray said it would adopt Intel quad-core processor designs for its supercomputers. Though Cray says it will continue to offer configurations with AMD chips too, the move by Cray is seen as an endorsement of Intel multicore designs. Before this announcement, Cray had been using AMD processors only.
HP dc5850 can be configured with Phenom triple-core and quad-core processors
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)The Phenom processor is ready for business. On Monday, Dell and Hewlett-Packard refreshed their business desktop lineups with triple- and quad-core processors from Advanced Micro Devices, which is launching a small and medium-size business initiative.
Called "Business Class," the initiative pairs the new 780v chipset with triple-core Phenom X3, quad-core Phenom X4, or dual-core Athlon X2 processors.
Dell is refreshing its Optiplex 740 line of desktops while HP is adding two new models: the dc5850 and dx2450.
The platform supports security and manageability standards such as the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) module, which helps to lock out rogue software, and the Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware (DASH) manageability standard, a suite of specifications for standards-based Web services.
Previously known by the codename "Hardcastle," Business Class taps into both AMD processor and ATI graphics technology. "One of the reasons we acquired ATI was to get the chipset and the graphics to deliver a complete commercial client platform--desktop and notebook," said Hal Speed, an AMD marketing architect.
Speed also reiterated what other AMD executives have said: That AMD has "under-penetrated" the commercial market. The Business Class strategy targets small and medium-sized business in particular, he said.
Initially, systems will not be offered with AMD's 8X50 and 9X50 series of processors that fix the outstanding "TLB" bus in silicon. (The 8450 and 9550 will, for example, replace the 8400 and 9500).
"Our customers want stability and longevity," said Speed. "They've said to us, 'I could care less about the model number. Don't break my BIOS, don't break my client image,' " Speed said, referring to difficult-to-modify corporate PC configuration settings.
AMD Business Class launch overview
(Credit: AMD)The notebook component, codenamed Puma, will be coming later this quarter, Speed said.
Puma, in fact, will likely be the more interesting platform as more notebooks replace desktops. Puma is based on the RS780M mobile chipset and the dual-core Griffin processor--now called the Turion Ultra.
Advanced Micro Devices officially announced on Wednesday an updated Phenom chip line amid severe price pressure from Intel.
As expected, AMD has updated its triple-core Phenom X3 processors with the "50" series. The 8450, 8650, and 8750 models will replace and supplement the current 8400 and 8600. The newer models contain a fix for an extremely rare "TLB" bug.
The Phenom X3 8750 (2.4GHz) processor is priced at $195, the 8650 (2.3GHz) at $165, and the 8450 (2.1GHz) at $145.
AMD also announced a low-power quad-core Phenom X4 9100e processor that has a Thermal Design Power (TDP) or thermal envelope of 65 watts, compared with the 95 watts of standard X4 processors.
AMD Phenom processors with the new X3 models in bold.
(Credit: AMD)
AMD is looking to bundle the Phenom X3 chips with its 780 graphics silicon in low-cost gaming PCs. Hewlett-Packard and Gateway are currently using Nvidia graphics in their consumer boxes that use Phenom X3 chips.
According to AMD, the X3 platform offers the best balance of processor and graphics: "On one side, we have Nvidia saying that the only thing that matters is graphics. On the other side, Intel is saying that the only thing that matters is the processor. (AMD offers) a balanced platform that doesn't overemphasize one really expensive component over another really expensive component," said Brent Berry, product marketing manager for AMD.
But things may have just gotten a lot tougher for the No. 2 processor maker in the higher-end quad-core segment. Intel on Sunday cut prices on quad-core processors by up to 50 percent, undermining--or in some cases eliminating--AMD's price advantage.
"This product cycle is already discounted," said Ashok Kumar, an analyst at CRT Capital Group. "This puts additional pressure on AMD."
Intel's price cuts brought its quad-core Q6700 (2.66GHz) down from $530 to $266 and its Q6600 (2.4GHz) from $266 to $224. The latter is now priced below AMD's top-line quad-core Phenom 9850 (2.5GHz), which is listed at $235.
"With a 16 percent price cut, the Q6600 is now undoubtedly the processor of preference for a budget quad-core system," review site Hexus said.
On Monday, Hewlett-Packard's Japan arm introduced a raft of consumer PCs with plenty of offerings using processors from Advanced Micro Devices in addition to Intel chips.
In the v7000 small-form-factor tower series, HP deployed both the AMD triple-core Phenom X3 processor and quad-core Phenom X4 processors. Models are available with the X3 8400 (2.1GHz), low-power X4 9100e (1.8GHz, 65 watts), and X4 9500 (2.2GHz).
HP tx2105 ultraportable notebook (top) and HP s3000 and v7000 series desktops (bottom)
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)Interestingly, AMD-based models in the v7000 series come with Nvidia graphics, not AMD-ATI graphics, a synergy that AMD has had trouble realizing in some segments. Configurations are offered with either the NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE, GeForce 8400HD, or GeForce 8500GT graphics chips.
Phenom X3-based systems start at around 69,930 yen or just under $700.
The 4.3-pound TX 2105/CT ultraportable notebook uses a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 TK-57 processor. Another model comes with the AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor. All models pack NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics. Pricing starts at just over $900.
Intel-based HP notebooks were introduced with an array of processors including new 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo T8100 and T9300 processors as well as Celeron 540/560 series chips. But no AMD-ATI graphics here either. Systems come with one of the following: Intel X3100, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics.
Intel-based desktop systems come with dual-core Core 2 Duo E8400 and quad-core Core 2 Quad Q9300 processors, among other configurations. Graphics chips offered are the NVIDIA GeForce 8400HD and NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT.
Update: Are three cores better than two? Consumers now get the chance to decide. AMD's X3 Phenom processors are available in low-cost consumer systems from Hewlett-Packard (HP), Gateway, and eMachines.
Also, on the quad-core front, AMD said Wednesday that Dell is offering five server platforms based on the AMD "Barcelona" Opteron processor.
Gateway model GT5670 with Phenom X3 is priced at $549
(Credit: Best Buy)The AMD Phenom X3 8400 (2.1GHz) and 8600 (2.3GHz) are the first mainstream x86 processors to use three cores. "The value proposition is simple. Three cores versus two cores. You make the choice," Pat Moorhead, VP of Advanced Marketing at AMD, said in a recent interview.
The Gateway model GT5670 packs an X3 8400 processor (2.1GHz) with 2MB of L3 cache memory, 3GB (PC2-5300 DDR2) of main memory, an Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics card, and a 320GB Serial ATA II hard disk drive with 8MB cache (7200 rpm). This configuration goes for $549 at Best Buy.
The HP Pavilion a6430f is eerily similar. It also comes with an X3 8400 Phenom, 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory, and Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics. However, instead of a 320GB hard disk drive, it doubles the capacity with a 640GB drive. This system is priced at $679. HP also offers the Pavilion a6450z series on its Web site with the X3.
The eMachines J4509 is being sold in Japan and features an X3 8400 and AMD 780G integrated graphics. With a 19-inch LCD display, it retails in Japan for just under $1,000.
The initial Phenom X3 processors will ship as the B2 "stepping" or version. The follow-on versions in the channel will be the B3, said Moorhead. The B3 version fixes the TLB bug, which AMD has said all along is an extremely rare occurrence and affects virtually no one except, possibly, very high-end customers. Any chips designated with a "50" suffix will be a processor that implements the fix in silicon.
AMD also recently announced the availability of four new Phenom X4 processors with the TLB bug fix. Led by the AMD Phenom 2.5GHz X4 9850 Black Edition processor (which is designed to be overclocked) and 2.4GHZ 9750, these CPUs will be matched with the AMD 790 series chipsets. The quad-core Phenoms are targeted at higher-end gaming segments.
In related news, AMD announced Wednesday that Dell servers using the quad-core AMD "Barcelona" Opteron processor include the PowerEdge SC1435, 2970, M605 blade server and 6950 platforms, as well as the new PowerEdge T605 tower server. Dell follows HP which already lists its ProLiant G5 servers with quad-core Opteron processors.
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View the latest prices for HP Pavilion a6430f (Phenom X3 8400 2.1GHz, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Vista Home Premium)
Dell is getting set to offer AMD's Phenom processors for the first time in systems, following Hewlett-Packard, giving the chipmaker a boost in its multi-core chip battle with Intel.
HP dx2450 business tower
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)AMD is expected to make an announcement related to Phenom in the near future.
In the second quarter, Dell will offer both triple-core and quad-core Phenom processors in its OptiPlex 740 business system, the computer company said. This would be the first instance of Dell using AMD processors with more than two cores. Dell is also slated to use the quad-core "Barcelona" Opteron processor in servers in the second quarter when AMD begins commercial shipments of the B3 version of that chip, which fixes the "TLB" bug.
Dell OptiPlex 740
(Credit: Dell Computer)HP is already using the Phenom processor in its Pavilion consumer line and business line. HP's dx2450 business tower offers the triple-core Phenom X3 8600B processor (2.3GHz) and quad-core Phenom X4 8700B processor (2.5GHz), among other Phenom models.
Gateway has been selling Phenom-based systems since February.
AMD is going through a rough patch with its quad-core processors. Though launched back in September of last year, the Opteron is not slated to appear in systems until the second quarter. The Phenom processor has been used sparingly by top-tier vendors to date but this may change when B3 versions of the triple-core and quad-core chip begin to ship in volume in the coming months.
AMD Q1, Q2 2008 roadmap
(Credit: AMD)Roadmaps are made to be changed. And in the case of AMD quad-core processor timelines, quite often. That said, they provide a clear blueprint to work from. The most recent AMD roadmap (dated late January) indicates that triple-core processors are coming fairly soon (March at the latest) and that they are initially targeted at commercial users.
On the chart, "triple-core" is clumped with the "Hardcastle" and "Perseus" business platforms, meaning that triple-core is initially a commercial offering--and AMD confirms this.
The chart also shows quad-core Opteron, a.k.a. "Barcelona," production beginning in the first quarter. (Just about now?) An AMD spokesperson confirmed that the B3 version of the processor (that fixes the so-called "TLB" bug) is on track. Barcelona general availability begins in the middle of the second quarter with computer makers delivering systems shortly after that.
And what about faster Phenoms? The quad-core 9700 (2.4 GHz) and 9900 (2.6 GHz) Phenoms come in the middle of the second quarter. Reports have indicated these may be rebranded to the 9750 and 9950, respectively, but the final branding scheme is still being worked out, according to the AMD spokesperson.
Puma: There were rumors swirling Wednesday about a Puma bug. Puma is a mobile platform based on AMD's "Griffin" processor and mobile RS780 chipset. Semiconductor analyst Doug Freedman of American Technology Research released a report Wednesday suggesting a bug may exist. "Our channel checks suggest AMD's Puma platform for notebooks may have a technical glitch (but) AMD could have a fix in the works that saves the launch," according to Freedman, whose report was quoted at length at EDN. Freedman believes it will affect the launch of Puma.
An AMD spokesperson said today that there is "nothing to the rumor." He added: "We continue to track to a Q2 launch on Puma. We expect to double the number of notebook design wins we had when we introduced Turion X2--around 100 total for Puma."
