14 DAY TRIAL // After AMD?s official statement that the new Athlon 64 X2 dual core processor is now available, all hardware concerned websites rushed in to test it and of course benchmark it against Intel Pentium D, launched last week.
Generally, most sites, for example Anandtech or PC World USA, reported that AMD Athlon 64 X2 had superior or comparable performance levels with respect to Intel Pentium D, depending on the type of tests and involved applications.
The most radical conclusion comes, though, from one of the most well known and respected hardware websites. Tom?s Hardware organized an extended test of the new AMD processor, which it compared with both AMD Athlon 64 4000+ single core processor version and Intel Pentium D.
Tom?s Hardware declares, as a conclusion, ?Here's the bottom line. If we had to recommend a single core processor, the choice would depend greatly on the type of applications in use. But in the dual core arena, though, there is not much that speaks for Intel: go with the Athlon 64 X2?.
Intel fans, but not only them, underline the price difference between AMD and Intel regarding dual-core processors, but fail to mention the fact that the users choosing Intel Pentium D will also need a new motherboard and DDR 2 memory modules. AMD Athlon 64 X2, though a bit more expensive, also has the advantage of being compatible with the motherboards used for single core versions.
So, Intel enjoyed only a brief moment of glory on the dual core systems market. It remains to be seen whether it has anything up its sleeve, because otherwise we might have a winner, and that?s AMD.