AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core CPU is AMD's first 3.0 GHz desktop processor
AMD is releasing its first quad-core 45-nanometer chips for desktops today, the Phenom II X4, mirroring the Opteron server chips we heard about back in November. The new chips premiering at the 2009 CES also mark the first time an AMD chip aimed at the desktop market is clocked at 3.0 GHz — the X4 940 CPU — with a cheaper 920 version available at 2.8 GHz. The chips are unlocked, so it should be possible for the adventurous overclocker to push those clock speeds up even higher. Alongside graphics chips from its subsidiary ATI, AMD is putting the Phenom II X4 chips into a gaming PC platform it calls Dragon.
This is good news for you if you're a do-it-yourselfer who likes to have an up-to-date gaming rig, since AMD has designed these chips with upgrades in mind. Unlike the latest Core i7 CPUs from Intel, AMD's are compatible with existing motherboards, so you can update just the CPU without having to rebuild your rig from scratch. If you'd feel safer just buying a pre-built machine, HP and Dell have been named to produce Dragon-based systems that feature the Phenom chips. There's no retail price on the CPUs available just yet, but bulk purchases of the 3.0 GHz 940 chip come out to $275 each.
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AMD Phenom II Processors Set to Debut with… [eWeek - RSS Feeds]
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AMD rolls out much improved Phenom II CPU [TechRadar: All Latest Feeds]
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AMD To Announce Phenom 2 This Thursday [DailyTech Main News Feed]
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- Quad-core, CPU, Overclocking, processor, Clock, motherboard
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- AMD Phenom
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- AMD Opteron Shanghai 45nm, AMD Phenom II X4
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- CES 2009
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Casinorezensionen
(4:27 AM on Tue Jun 2, 2009)
ust when you though you'd had your fill of insanely detailed benchmarks of processors you may or may not have ever heard of, AMD's new Phenom II X4 955 and 945 hit the scene to get those overclockers all in a tizzy. The top of the line is the 955 "Black Edition" at 3.2GHz, while the 945 plays with a petty 3GHz. And the verdict? They're clearly AMD's fastest so far, but that might not be fast enough. AMD offers great value, but only really matches Intel's Core 2 offerings on performance -- Core i7 is still out in front. There is the fact that Phenom II offers a nice upgrade path for certain people who already do the AMD thing and are looking to upgrade, along with "enthusiasts" who are "enthused" by easy-access overclocking, but overall it looks like AMD is still playing catch-up with Intel.