14 DAY TRIAL // A long time ago, processor manufacturers, such as Intel and AMD decided that the race for the highest processor frequency could only go so far, which is how multi-core processors came to be. Today, Sunnyvale, California-based Advanced Micro Devices formally announced the debut of its latest line of Phenom II CPUs, introducing the company's first consumer 6-core CPUs, formerly codenamed 'Thuban'. The new Phenom II X6 processors have consequently become the company's highest-performance CPUs to date, providing enthusiasts with a boost of performance in multithreaded applications.
“With AMD Phenom II X6 processors, discerning customers can build an incredible, immersive entertainment system and content creation powerhouse,” said Bob Grim, director of Client Platform Marketing at AMD. “AMD is answering the call for elite desktop PC performance and features at an affordable price.”
The release of AMD's latest processors comes as a direct response to the launch of Intel's Gulftown CPUs, a while back. At this time, it certainly looks like the computer industry could soon see PCs based on 8 to 12 cores, providing an impressive parallel computing support for multithreaded applications. In terms of specifications, the new processors will be featured with the following:
support for AM2+ and AM3 sockets with a proper BIOS update new AMD Overdrive 3.2.1 for computer enthusiasts that will enable users to tweak, customize and tune performance as they see fit Turbo CORE technology, which will boost the performance of three CPU cores, through an increment of frequency 45nm manufacturing technology HyperTransport 3.0 technology Multi—Point Thermal Control AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology AMD Dynamic Power Manangement
The launch of the new processors is marked by the release of two new CPU models, the Phenom II X6 1090T and the Phenom II X6 1055T, working at factory-set speeds of 3.2GHz and 2.8GHz, respectively. Both models can clock up to 3.6GHz and 3.3GHz, respectively and are featured with 3MB of L2 cache and 6MB of L3 cache, while the TDP is set at 125W. Price-wise, the Phenom II X6 1090T will be available for around US$285, while the lower model is set to become available for US$199.
We will be putting the new CPU through its paces soon enough and have a review of the new Phenom II X6 1090T model. So please stay tuned for an update.
