PhenomIiX6
Latest
Phenom II X6 1100T review roundup: AMD's fastest desktop processor to date
When it comes to GPU and CPU releases, there are quantum leaps, and then there are baby steps. Based on the web's collective views on AMD's newest slab of silicon -- the Phenom II X6 1100T -- it seems as if this chip is a better example of the latter. According to TechSpot, the device "does little to improve upon the performance of AMD's hexa-core CPU series, [but] it does help improve the value of these high-end desktop processors by making the 1090T BE model even cheaper." By and large, that sentiment was mirrored throughout. Hot Hardware found that while it was easily "the fastest desktop processor released from AMD to date," it still couldn't topple Intel's (admittedly more expensive) six-core chips in terms of performance. But of course, AMD rarely competes strictly on benchmarks -- the 1100T lists for just $265, making it one of the more affordable desktop CPU options for this level of oomph. Those really looking for a bargain could snap up the now-deflated 1090T or 1075T, and while the bulk of the reviews below focus primarily on today's new flagship, the 3.4GHz Phenom II X2 565 Black Edition ($115) and 3.3GHz Athlon II X3 455 ($87) are also touched on. Read - AnandTech Read - Hot Hardware Read - TechSpot Read - HardOCP Read - Firing Squad Read - Hexus Read - Legit Reviews Read - PC Perspective
Dell sticks AMD's latest crop inside new Dell Studio XPS 7100 line
Dell's wasting no time appropriating AMD's new Phenom II X6 chips, pushing out a brand new Studio XPS line to deal with the new top of the line (and a few quad cores as well) from "that other processor company." While AMD can crow about having more cores at a mid-range price, Dell isn't trying to pass these off as pure competition for Intel's brood: the Studio XPS 7100 line is AMD-only, while the Core i-based Studio XPS 8100 desktops are a clear step up model number-wise. The 7100 baseline system, with integrated graphics, goes for $699, but Dell's doing this with an enthusiast slant, packing in a 460 watt power supply to power up some fancy graphics and giving hardcore users room to grow. We got to check out a $1,199 system running the AMD Phenom II X6 1050T, which is supposed to be somewhat comparable to an Intel Core i5 760, and paired up with ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics and 6GB of RAM the machine makes for a pretty tight gaming rig. Unfortunately, AMD's top-of-line 5970 graphics are being held for the Studio XPS 8100, and AMD's best new X6 chip, the 1090T (roughly a Core i7 870), won't be available from Dell until this summer. Still, if you're looking for a nice balance between price and performance, AMD and Dell might have something to offer with this new understated desktop setup. %Gallery-92820%
AMD comes real clean with 2010 desktop platform: Phenoms, Athlons, Radeons, oh my!
AMD got serious with its VISION guide to buying PCs last September, but we've yet to see it actually put into practice until today. In addition to a new spate of laptop chips, the company is finally coming clean with the desktop CPUs that we've seen whispered about, touched and even benchmarked for weeks now. Frankly, there's not much here we didn't know already, but we're guessing that AMD's just aligning its official launch with the plans of Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and all the other big names that'll be introducing rigs based on this silicon in short order. Regardless, bargain gamers should greatly appreciate having the dual- and quad-core Athlon II range as well as the quad- and six-core Phenom II crew hitting the scene in official fashion, offering plenty of performance (for most, anyway) at a fraction of the cost of Intel's swankest Core i7 chips. And yeah, we're pretty stoked to see AMD getting its chips into so many desktops -- it's been awhile since there was even a semblance of an AMD / Intel balance in the customize-to-order sections of the world, and it's about time that changed.
Maingear, iBuyPower and CyberPower reveal Phenom II X6 1090T-based bargain desktops
It's akin to clockwork, as they say -- Maingear, iBuyPower and CyberPower have all decided to pump out new and / or revised gaming desktops based on AMD's latest and greatest (and cheapest, some would argue) six-core processor, barely waiting 24 hours to do the honors. The Phenom II X6 1090T certainly has the whole low-price thing going for it, enabling this trio of PC builders to offer up complete systems starting at under $1,000. Maingear's new Limited Edition Vybe packs a $999 price tag, USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps support, ATI's Radeon 5000 series graphics, a DVD burner, 640GB WD Caviar Black SATA 6G hard drive and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Over in CyperPower land, users can select a variety of 1090T-based rigs starting at just $699, while iBuyPower is revamping the Chimera 2-Q, Gamer Fire and Gamer HAF systems to include the new silicon and an all-too-tempting sub-$1k starting point. The whole lot is available to be customized right this moment, but we're in no position to help you choose between options A, B, C, D, E or F. And G is looking mighty promising, too.
AMD's 3.2GHz hexacore Phenom II X6 1090T comes out for a review roundup
How's your memory today? Specifically, can you remember the last time AMD had a legitimate claim to the desktop performance crown? Don't hold your breath, the latest and greatest Phenom II still can't steal the spotlight from Intel's spectacular top-of-the-line Core i7-980X, but if prices actually matter to you, you'll wanna read on. Whereas you'd need to shell out $999 to get six cores from Intel, AMD is offering you its flagship 3.2GHz 1090T model at a reasonable $285, or an even more affordable option with the 2.8GHz 1055T at $199. The T in those names stands for Turbo Core, which automatically downclocks half the cores in order to provide a little extra speed (up to 500MHz more) to the other three. Reviewers agreed that its inclusion helped significantly improve single-threaded performance, to the point where the faster (in default clock speed) 3.4GHz Phenom II X4 965 was falling behind in benchmarks. The general opinion by the typically jaded journalists was that AMD has finally regained some pep in its step and that these new 6-core CPUs are going to give Intel's upper midrange offerings something to worry about. Lest we forget, the 1090T and 1055T also retain socket compatibility with current AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, making upgrades a cinch too. The full reviews await below. Read - AnandTech Read - HotHardware Read - PC Perspective Read - Hexus Read - Legit Reviews Read - TweakTown Read - TechSpot
AMD's six-core Phenom II X6 1055T CPU now shipping, 1090T up for pre-order
We'd been assured that AMD's days of missing ship dates ad naseum were over, but there's nothing like a little action to prove that your words mean business. Just a month after unearthing clock speeds and proposed release quarters for AMD's gaggle of six-core Phenom II X6 processors, two of 'em have already popped up on Amazon. The 2.8GHz Phenom II X6 1055T is actually shipping as we speak for $222.29, while the 3.2GHz Phenom II X6 1090T is up for pre-order at $324.65. The lower-end 2.6GHz 1035T and 3.0GHz 1075T are both nowhere to be found (yet, anyway), and the mysterious 1095T isn't even supposed to pop up anywhere until Q4. So, who's getting themselves a new slab of silicon? Don't be bashful. [Thanks, Brian]
AMD's hexacore Phenom II X6 will offer Turbo Core automatic overclocking
AMD might be playing catch-up with Intel at the moment, but at least it's keeping the distance fairly close. Intel has yet to fully transition its desktop line over to its Turbo Boost-boasting Core 2010 series, yet its competitor has already announced its own, imaginatively titled, competing technology in the form of Turbo Core. It's a less sophisticated auto-overclock, whereby three of the six cores are decelerated in order to give the other trio some extra voltage and speed for more serialized workloads. The truly impressive thing is that operation under the Turbo Core mode and the default hexacore arrangement will fit within the same power envelope as current Phenom II X4 CPUs, while AMD also reassures its loyal users that the new Phenom II X6s will be compatible with existing AM3 and AM2+ sockets. Nice. The table above, provided by AnandTech, confirms the models we heard about a couple of weeks ago, though we'll have to wait a little bit longer to get confirmation on pricing.
AMD six-core CPU prices and clock speeds unearthed
The gang at DigiTimes have always struck us as processor obsessives -- constantly out on the streets, roughing up mobo manufacturers, getting them to spill their secrets (they probably look like Gene Hackman in Night Moves). And they've sure been busy, this time digging up some dirt on AMD's six-core Phenom II line. Hitting shelves as soon as the second quarter this year, the X6 1035T will clock in at 2.6GHz, the 1005T at 2.8GHz, and the 1075T at 3GHz. There is also a Phenom II X6 1095T possibly coming to fruition in the fourth quarter of the year, but we don't have any data on that one yet. According to Alien Babel Tech (where we did our undergrad, by the way) the 1055T is will retail for $199, while the as-of-yet unknown 1090T black edition will retail $295. As always, we recommend that in lieu of an official announcement you take all this with a grain of salt. [Thanks, Blurib]
AMD and Intel's six-core CPU plans revealed by mobo makers
You have to love DigiTimes and those loquacious sources it seems to keep finding. The latest word from the Taiwanese grapevine suggests that both Intel and AMD will be bringing out six-core CPUs to the consumer market by the middle of this year. We're using the term "consumer" rather loosely here as Intel's first Gulftown chip is expected to be priced north of $1,000. The Core i7-980X is slated for a March release, which just fits inside the Q1 window that earlier rumors had suggested. If you butter your bread on the AMD side, you'll have to wait a while longer as those 45nm Thuban chips -- hereafter to be known as the Phenom II X6 1000T series -- won't be landing until at least May. The usual caution when dealing with anonymous sources is advisable, but this sounds like a roadmap with a high likelihood of being accurate.
