AMD has been producing motherboards for as long as it has been producing central processing units. Though somewhat obscure and focused largely on the computer needs of large businesses, AMD has emerged as the primary competitor to Intel. Both companies have been locked in a struggle for the most powerful processor on the market, and as such, both sides have produced truly phenomenal CPUs with technology far and above what was thought possible even a few years ago. AMD is generally seen as producing processors with more raw power, while Intel is known to produce processors which are less expensive or more suited to special applications.
In order to support their line of CPUs, AMD has been offering motherboards specifically designed to accommodate them. Whether produced by AMD themselves or under license by other companies, AMD motherboards are largely seen as more powerful and accommodating than those produced by Intel. While AMD still produces a large number of motherboards for the business market, AMD has looked to capitalize on the home computing and gaming market by offering both very simple, stripped-down motherboards with few features, and extremely large motherboards designed to accommodate large quantities of RAM and several graphics cards at a time. As such, AMD motherboards have become very popular among gamers, graphic designers, and other people who need very large amounts of processing power.
The highest level AMD motherboards can accommodate more RAM than current operating systems allow and can run several graphics cards and two CPUs in tandem. However, most of the AMD motherboards are much simpler and are designed to fit the budget of almost any computer builder. Since they are primarily sold to promote AMD CPUs, they are generally compatible only with AMD-brand CPUs. However, many third-party motherboards are produced so as to accommodate both AMD and Intel CPUs. The AMD-only motherboards are clearly identified as such on their packaging, and are often sold in shops as a package deal along with the CPU. In such cases, the motherboard is often sold at a deep discount or even a loss to encourage the sale of the CPU, which is what really makes money for AMD. As such, the package deals are often good when both the CPU and motherboard must be purchased and compatibility must be guaranteed.
AMD's motherboards are considered to be very reliable, however they are not cheap. AMD takes pride in the high quality construction of their first-party motherboards, and uses high quality parts. Most users will find that a third-party board works just as well and costs much less. Almost all AMD compatible motherboards on the market today offer the ability to hold at least four GB of RAM (the maximum amount recognizable by Windows XP) and have slots for graphics and sound cards, both in PCI and more advanced forms. While these motherboards usually have one or more parallel ATA ports installed, there has been a shift to serial ATA ports in recent years due to their improved performance and decreased cost. As such, it may be necessary for persons upgrading from an older model board to purchase PATA to SATA adapter cables.
AMD Motherboard Features
Dell Inspiron E1705
The Dell Inspiron e1705 is a 17" widescreen notebook and the first Inspiron to be released with the new Intel Core Duo processor. The "e" in e1705 stands for "Entertainment", with various media features available, fast Core Duo processor, a generous amount of ports and the option for a high-end graphics card in the form of the nVidia Go 7800 the e1705 certainly can be a lot of fun.
Dell e1705 17" screen notebook
An important note on the e1705 is the fact that the Dell Inspiron 9400 sold via the Dell Business site is the same notebook as the e1705 offered through the Dell Home online store. The only difference is that the Dell e1705 offers Windows Media Center Edition as an OS, along with an external USB TV Tuner option. Prices and offers may vary between each Dell online purchase channel, so you'd be wise to configure and price similar notebooks on each site to see what the better deal is at the time you order.
That note aside, let's focus on the Dell e1705 under review, the specs for the notebook in hand are the following:
Specs of the Dell Inspiron e1705 Being Reviewed:
* Processor: Intel T2500 2.0GHz Core Duo
* Motherboard Chipset: Intel Calistoga i945GM/PM
* Hard Drive: 100GB 7200RPM SATA (Hitachi TraveStar)
* Memory/RAM: 1GB (1,024MB) Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (667MHz)
* Screen: 17.0" UXGA TrueLife (1900 x 1200 pixel resolution glossy screen)
* Graphics: nVidia GeForce Go 7800 256MB
* Optical Drive: DVD +/-RW with DL DVD+R write capacity
* Battery: 9-cell (standard size 6-cell, 9-cell extended life optional)
* Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11 a/b/g)
* User Input: Touchpad
* Dimensions: 15.5" x 11.3" x 1.6" (Width x Depth x Height)
* TV Tuner: Optional external USB TV Tuner with remote control upgrade for $104
* Weight: 8.1 lbs
* Ports:
o 6 USB 2.0 ports
o IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
o Digital Video Interface (DVI-D)
o VGA out (monitor out)
o S-Video Out
o RJ-45 (Ethernet LAN)
o RJ-11 (56-Kbps Modem)
o Audio line out for headphone/speakers
o Microphone
* Slots:
o 5-in-1 Multi Card Reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, MMC, xD)
o 1 ExpressCard 54 slot
* Buttons:
o Power on/off
o Volume up/down/mute (3 buttons)
o Media buttons (play, forward, back, stop)
o Battery charge test button
o Battery lock and release
* Price: about $2,200 for given configuration (as of time of review e1705 prices range from $999+ depending on configuration and current Dell.com site offers)
Amd Athlon Computers
Two of the best manufacturers of CPU processors are Intel and AMD Athlon. These two companies have been raging war against each other ever since AMD Athlon beat Intel to releasing a 64bit processor. But despite this, AMD Athlon computers have not completely won the battle yet. The two companies have been trying to beat the competitor in terms of price, clock speed or performance, power consumption and heat production. There have been processor releases one after the other from these companies, making CPU processor shopping even more difficult. The good thing though with this war between Intel and AMD Athlon is that we are given an array of the best processors.
AMD Athlon computers have been around for a while now. They started with the release of the Athlon classic x86 processor way back when Intel’s Pentium 3 was the market leader. AMD Athlon’s first processor barely touched Intel’s market then. But in 2000, AMD Athlon dropped a bomb on Intel by releasing its Thunderbird processor. This time, AMD Athlon computers gained the market leader title over Intel’s Pentium 3. And ever since then, AMD Athlon has been competitively coming up with processors that seem to match, if not over perform Intel processors.
Let’s talk about speed!
If you are on the look out for a processor, you will probably check how AMD Athlon processors match with Intel’s in terms of price and performance. Over the years, AMD Athlon has continually tried to improve its clock speed and other features. Current AMD Athlon processors are the 64 x2 series and 64 fx series. The 64 x2 series offers a clock speed range from 2.3 GHz and 3.0 GHz while the 64 fx series offers a clock speed range from 2.6 GHz to 3.0 GHz. AMD Athlon may not always match or over perform every Intel processor but the latest processor did. The fx -74 processor out performs Intel’s Core 2 Extreme QX6700, with a 3.00 GHz clock speed compared to the latter’s slower 2.66GHz speed.
The Price Factor
Since AMD Athlon is the newer brand, it is only natural that they offer affordable prices. In fact, all their prices are lesser compared to Intel’s. The AMD Athlon 64 x2 series for instance is lower priced, between $170 and $500, compared to Intel Core 2 Duo series which are priced between $180 and $600. AMD Athlon processors are definitely more affordable, although the latest 64 fx – 74 is equally priced to its Intel counterpart.
Diversifying to Smaller Processors
AMD Athlon has also touched the market of notebook processors, with the Turion Series and the Mobile Athlon XP. To fit a notebook’s size, these types of processors are basically smaller, has lower heat production and power consumption.
Choosing the Right Processor
Although speed and price are important factors to consider when you buy processors, your PC usage should be the first determining factor. Why would you go for a high-speed processor when your PC usage won’t reach that speed? If your PC use is limited to word processing and internet surfing only, choosing from the list of AMD Athlon processors will have no difference. However, if you use your PC for high-speed computer games that requires faster clock-speed, you may want to check the top part of the AMD Athlon computers list.
Moreover, you may also want to consider buying cooling fans if you go with high-speed processors. Although AMD Athlon processors are manufactured to have lower heat production, cooling fans will help cool the processors more effectively especially if you plan to over-clock your CPU.
Intel Core 2 Duo Knocks Down AMD Athlon 64
Intel has regained the performance crown from AMD, after its launch of Core 2 Duo line of processors which are based on Intel’s new Core micro architecture. The processors are expected to ship by 27th July 2006. The performance Core 2 Duo is found to be superior than the AMD’s current line of processors.
Intel’s Core 2 Extreme X6800 didn’t lose a single benchmark in our comparison; not a single one. In many cases, the $183 Core 2 Duo E6300 actually outperformed Intel’s previous champ: the Pentium Extreme Edition 965. In one day, Intel has made its entire Pentium D lineup of processors obsolete. Intel’s Core 2 processors offer the sort of next-generation micro-architecture performance leap that we honestly haven’t seen from Intel since the introduction of the P6.
Compared to AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 the situation gets a lot more competitive, but AMD still doesn’t stand a chance. The Core 2 Extreme X6800, Core 2 Duo E6700 and E6600 were pretty consistently in the top 3 or 4 spots in each benchmark, with the E6600 offering better performance than AMD’s FX-62 flagship in the vast majority of benchmarks. Another way of looking at it is that Intel’s Core 2 Duo E6600 is effectively a $316 FX-62, which doesn’t sound bad at all.
We’re still waiting to get our hands on the E6400 as it may end up being the best bang for your buck, but even the slower E6300 is quite competitive with AMD’s X2 4200+ and X2 3800+. If AMD drops the price on those two parts even more than we’re expecting, then it may be able to hold on to the lower end of the performance mainstream market as the E6300 is not nearly as fast as the E6600.
For industry experts, Core 2 Duo beating the Athlon 64 processor family is no surprise: On the one hand, Core 2 Duo is a brand-new state-of-the-art processor, whereas the Athlon 64 X2 has been around for a while. On the other hand, Intel must come out with a superior product to finally beat AMD after two years of Athlon 64 headwinds.
Core 2 is an eighth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor to be produced by Intel based on an all-new CPU design called the Intel Core Microarchitecture, which will replace the NetBurst architecture that has powered Intel processors since 2000. Core 2 also will mark the retirement of Intel’s Pentium brand name that has been used from 1993 and the reunion of Intel’s notebook and desktop product lines since Pentium M was released apart from Pentium 4 in 2003.
Unlike NetBurst-based processors, such as the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Core 2 will not stress designs based on extremely high clock speeds but rather improvements on other CPU features, including cache size and number of cores. Intel claims that the power consumption of these processors is to be extremely low compared to the Pentiums before.
Intel Core 2 processors will feature EM64T, Virtualization Technology, and Execute Disable Bit. The release will also introduce LaGrande Technology, SSE4, Enhanced SpeedStep Technology, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2).
New "sextium"; Processor by Intel
Industry observers have for some time now wondered why Intel persisted with the Pentium name for processors considerably more advanced than the original Pentium. The Pentium Pro, Pentium II and now the Pentium III have all been released, leading many pundits to speculate that it was high time the Sextium name was used.
"In retrospect, I don't know why we didn't call the P-Pro the Sextium," said Intel CEO Andy Grove in an interview with Dan's Data. "I mean, it's not like it means something rude in Spanish, or something." Upon being asked whether this was a reference to Intel's disastrous decision to release the original Pentium in Hispanic countries as the Putanum, Mr Grove declined to comment.
An Intel source who asked to remain anonymous spoke to us after Mr Grove had left, and explained that Intel had originally intended the new processor to be called the Hextium, but "that was a bit too obvious, know what I mean?"
We do not know what he meant.
The new Sextium part is scheduled to debut in Q2 of 2000, with distribution anticipated to commence exactly one year from the April 1st product announcement. The initial clock speed will be only 666MHz (Front Side Bus 133MHz, 5X multiplier), as Intel has reported mysterious problems achieving higher speeds with the new component. Craig Johnson, strategic planner for Intel's 32-bit product, commented on these difficulties as follows: "It's really not a problem. 666 megahertz is a very good speed. Very good indeed. Yes. Good." His eyes then glazed over and he walked slowly away, apparently oblivious to our further questions.
Pricing of the new processor for 1000 unit orders is expected to be an unprecedented $US10,000, although Intel have hinted at an as yet unexplained alternative payment program in which end users are apparently required to sign a special contract, and will receive in return a 666MHz Sextium processor, as well, confusingly, as what is described as "all their worldly desires".
Ron Peck, Intel's director of Value PC Marketing, described this special deal as "Marvellous value for the small office and home user, or indeed for corporate users or, well, pretty much anyone, really." When pressed for details of the special contract, Peck said: "It's a simple arrangement, a... covenant, if you will... between the chip purchasers and a greater... power." When asked if the "greater power" he referred to was Intel, he replied "Of course. Yes. Ha ha ha! What did you think I meant! Ha ha! The interview's over! Go away!"
A sample of the special contract was not available at the time of going to press; according to an Intel spokesperson, the company is "experiencing some minor issues related to the acquisition of the correct kind of parchment."
The Sextium's revolutionary new processor package approaches the size of the conventional Pentium II or III cartridge, but fits into a 514 pin ZIF socket instead of the PII/III edge connector. None of these "Socket 514" motherboards are currently available, but Intel and other manufacturers promise to have them available in time for the release of the Sextium. Representatives of leading motherboard manufacturers Abit, AOpen, Chaintech, Diamond, Shuttle, Supermicro and Tyan said in a statement earlier today: "We are strongly committed to supporting this exciting new processor. Let there be no doubt about our loyalty. No doubt at all. We will not fail you, lord Intel."
John Miner, vice president and general manager of Intel's Enterprise Server division, explained that a Xeon version of the new CPU will be available, for server applications. "It'll basically fill the same market niche as the current Pentium II and Pentium III Xeons, but the name will be different." When asked what the name of the new Xeon-class processor would be, Miner explained: "It's kind of impossible for humans to pronounce. It still starts with an X, though." He went on to say that Intel anticipated strong sales of this "Processor that Must Not Be Named" at corporations such as Procter and Gamble, Lucent and Microsoft, as well as numerous purchases by "a significant market segment, those guys who build twin Xeon machines and then run Windows 95 on them." Miner later described this segment of the Xeon market as "about as sharp as a sack full of wet toilet rolls".
Robert Jecman, vice president and general manager of Intel's mobile and handheld products group, has also promised a mobile version of the Sextium. "It'll be mobile all right. Everybody'll be using them. They'll practically - ha, ha - practically be a part of you!" He then pointed at his hand and grinned.
A spokesperson for Pope John Paul II has released a statement on the new processor which makes reference to it being "exactly what we've been warning you about all this time," and goes on to say "That's it. You're on your own. Go on, go and play Quake 3! Go on, do it! See if we care!"
Representatives of other ecclesiastical orders were not available for comment. Dan's Data has received unconfirmed reports of senior clergy purchasing canned food and shotguns.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Available at Tesco for £349.00: Perfect Mini but slow
Updates: There are many reports at MyDellmini after ordering this Mini 10 Netbook, the recipients got Mini 9 rahter than mnini 10.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 that was shown at CES 2009 is available for purchase at Tesco website with the price of tag of 349 Euro or $480 USD. The Mini 10 is trendier than Mini 9 and Mini 12. However, unlike Mini 9 and like Mini 12 it comes with the slow processor of Intel Z520 at 1.33GHz. The netbook is more compact that Mini 12.
Mini 10 at this website comes with a multi touch track pad-something similar the one you can find on MacBook laptops but with more limited actions such as responding to 3- finger gestures, and 10-inch WSVGA display.
The netbook features Z520 at 1.33GHz atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB (5400 rpm) HDD, 802.11b/g Wireless, Bluetooth, 10/100 LAN RJ 45, built-in webcam, 3USB port, Media Card reader, Windows XP,and Microsoft Works 9.0.
However, the higher models can come with faster 1.6GHz CPU, built-in GPS, and optional WWAN.
Image: courtesy of Engadget
OLPC 2.0: The next phase of One Laptop Per Child
Despite laying off half of its employee’s and losing some of its sponsors, OLPC founder, Nicholas Negroponte, did not give up his dream. OLPC reorganized its operation and Negroponte and Charles Kane, President and CEO, One Laptop Per Child is planning to release OLPC 2.0 a new netbook that would be smaller, more efficient and consume low power.
On
Linux Moblin Running on Samsung NC10: A Perfect OS for Netbooks
One big problem existed with all Linux distributions is their installing on computers. Unlike automatic process of Installing Windows operating systems that you will just need to run one CD and let it be installed by itself, for installing one of the popular Linux distribution like Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you have to use a CD or DVD sets with the vital packages on the first disc and less important packages on later ones. The second problem is related to working with Linux OS. it is somehow needed to know some commands for arranging the same freedom that you get while using one of Microsoft Windows OS.
Linux Moblin v2 Core Alpha platform based-on a Fedora kernel has just been released for Atom-based netbooks by Intel. The goal of making this OS was to keep up the price of netbooks low, meanwhile to bring fast Boot up and performance and smooth running of network connectivity on these slow netbooks.
Laptop magazine folk installed this initial just-released Moblin OS ( without any extra software tool and packages) on a Samsung NC10 through a USB drive and boot it up and run off it of the LiveUSB, They experienced fast and smooth boot and operation. This is very important feature as Netbooks come with slow guts like slow low-powered Atom CPU and 512MB or 1GB of Ram as default. So, you have read manytimes that when netbooks boot up
But, if you watch the Video made by laptop magazine folk, you will see that the NC10 netbook takes only few seconds to boot up Moblin through the USB driver. The good part is that the OS uses very little memory.
Also, they found out that Wi-Fi, LAN connectivity and trackpad and mouse worked properly without any tweaking and teasing.
MSI Wind U120 under Test: Better Design, Better Price, Less Battery life
10-in MSI Wind U120 is a revamped version of Wind U100 was listed in Europe few days ago and has been available for purchase in the US at Amazon and J&R for $450. Now, a review of this laptop can give a good image of it and make the decision easier for the consumers who have not decided to purchase one of either 10-inch Samsung NC10 or 10.1-in HP Mini 2140 or 10-in Wind U120. This Wind U120 is in some cases some better than the other ones and in some cases the other two ones are better. For example, It has the same size and weight of Samsung NC10, despite Wind‘s small touchpad is yet bigger than the one found on Samsung NC10. However, Wind’s touchpad doesn’t support multitouch gestures like Samsung NC10’s, or it has slower transferring rate than Nc10. or HP Mini 2140’s keyboard is slightly more comfortable that Wind U120’s famous keyboard for typist. Or the battery life of U120 is much shorter than the battery life on NC10 and Mini 2140 that lasts up to 6 hours each (according to laptop magazine).
Folk in Laptop Magazine had their hands-on Wind U120 with the price tag of $379 and reviewed this netbook in full details. They have also run some test and recorded the benchmark results. Here I am just mentioning a rundown of this review with benchmark results. But I recommend you to read the full review if you want to know about the details.
CPU: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory: 1GB of RAM/ max 1GB
Hard Drive: 160GB SATA (5,400 rpm)
Display: 10 inches matte LED backlight screen with 1024 x 600 resolution
Ports/slot: three USB ports and VGA, Ethernet, headphone, and microphone jacks, 4-in-1 card reader
Network: 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0,
Weight: 2.8 pounds
OS: MS Windows XP Home
(Pros):
-Sleeker and more business design
-Comfortable keyboard
- Matte screen with bright and good viewing angle without noticeable glare
- Loud speakers (but lacking bass)
- EasyFace Manager Software enables facial recognition (log in with face instead of using password)
-Good wireless performance (better and higher than the netbook average)
-competitive bargain price
- Mobile broadband and WiMAX connectivity options coming later
(Cons):
-Stiff mouse buttons and small touchpad
-Mediocre battery life
-Limited tech support hours
-Not upgrade friendly (RAM is not upgraded to 2GB and there is no way to access the laptop’s guts)
- It gets warm
Benchmark results:
-Boot up time: 50 sec (7 sec faster than the category average)
-LAPTOP Transfer Test: 5 minutes and 6 seconds with a rate of 16.6 MBps for transferring 4.97GB of mixed media files
-3DMark03: 682
- Laptop battery test: 4 hours and 28 minutes
Conclusion:
MSI wind U120 is a serious rival for Samsung NC10 and HP Mini 2140. But now the question is “will U120 be more successful than these two other netbooks?” As the review says NC10 with starting price of $440 and Mini 2140 with the starting price of $500 are some better than U120.
For the consumers who just need a netbook with bargain price first and then coming with nice feature set like 10-inch display, comfortable keyboard and delivering the performance close to the category average, Wind U120 can be the best choice of all.
No doubt that Samsung NC10 comes with more fashionable design; so, the consumers who are more sensitive and are ready to pay some more, they will surely purchase a slightly better netbook with more fashionable design and feature set like Samsung NC10.
Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ Processors
Building on the strengths of the original Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor, the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor represents the most thermally efficient, highest performing server and workstation processor that AMD has ever produced – while further enhancing AMD’s already leading capabilities for efficient server virtualization.
AMD Opteron processors also enable stable, long-term server and workstation solutions with industry-leading performance and energy efficiency. They’re designed to simplify your IT management — now and in the future.
Superior VirtualizationDesigned around a market-tested architecture, the enhanced Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor eases the transition to a virtualized environment by going way beyond mere gigahertz. Because in virtualized systems, where hardware resources are shared, performance means more than just raw clock speed. You need rapid memory access; our experience shows us that virtualized servers demand as much as 5x the memory bandwidth of standard servers. You also need massive I/O capabilities to address the contention for shared storage space. Which is why our Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor was built on AMD Direct Connect Architecture, an innovative technology that directly connects the processor core to memory, so big workload spikes aren't a problem
Featuring AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) technology with Rapid Virtualization Indexing, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors provide a balanced approach to improve virtualization efficiency, enabling more virtual machines to run per server for server consolidation and improved manageability. Increased performance for many virtual workloads allows for a higher performing, more flexible virtual environments with little or no performance compromise. AMD-V Extended Migration provides full live migration compatibility from single-core through quad-core processor solutions enabling a more reliable, more adaptable IT environment.
Learn more about Virtualization
Industry Leading Power EfficiencyThe enhanced Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are designed to deliver industry-leading power efficiency, thanks to Enhanced AMD PowerNow!™ technology, AMD CoolCore™ Technology and the addition of innovative AMD Smart Fetch Technology. These innovations are designed to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), data center power needs, and cooling costs by lowering the energy consumption of your IT infrastructure. Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors deliver performance-on-demand capabilities for optimum performance-per-watt and power savings and optimize performance and power to match the compute workloads of each core, minimizing processor heat and energy consumption.
What’s more, our performance-per-watt leadership ensures maximum efficiency under full loads or at idle, making the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor the ideal engine for highly efficient virtualized environments.
Learn More about Power Efficiency
Balanced PerformanceThe enhanced Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor delivers performance that goes way beyond mere gigahertz. Optimized for virtualization, the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor thrives in dynamic, shared environments by excelling in three critical ways: processor throughput, I/O, and memory management. With the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor in your datacenter, you can start powering through compute intensive tasks, like database applications and webserving, more easily than ever.
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with Direct Connect Architecture are designed for optimum multi-threaded application performance. We start with a native quad-core design — featuring four cores on a single piece of silicon for more efficient data sharing — and add an enhanced cache structure and integrated memory controller designed to sustain multi-threaded application throughput. Direct Connect Architecture is a tested and proven architecture — in market since 2003, and available only from AMD.
Learn more about Direct Connect Architecture
Superior Investment ProtectionBy leveraging AMD’s Common Core Strategy and Same Socket Technology, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are designed to minimize changes to your software and data center infrastructure to protect your IT investment and simplify IT management. AMD’s Common Core Strategy eases technology transitions, can reduce maintenance costs, and helps preserve your IT software image by allowing for fewer upgrade disruptions. Same socket technology enables seamless hardware upgrades by maintaining consistent thermal envelopes across multiple CPU generations to help hardware longevity and performance per watt, while easing facilities planning. AMD plans include a stable consistent roadmap and well-timed transitions to match true enterprise environments and help minimize your IT TCO.
Resource CenterLearn more about Quad-Core AMD processors:
AMD Opteron Processors
Product Brief
Key Architectural Features
Competitive Comparison
Benchmarks
FAQ
AMD Multi-Core Processors
The Multi-Core Solution
Multi-core processing helps address these challenges. With the power of two or more processors on a single chip, AMD’s true multi-core processors deliver industry-leading performance and unique features that help systems run cooler and more efficient.
Next-Generation Software and True Multi-tasking
The evolution of AMD’s multi-core design has allowed for increased performance and higher productivity to meet the needs of next-generation applications. AMD multi-core processors also offer true multi-tasking capabilities. Users can simultaneously run multiple complex applications and successfully complete more tasks in a shorter amount of time.And, because they put more processing power into a smaller package, AMD multi-core processors help enable smaller form factors—including:
Thin-and-light notebook PCs that run cooler and quieter
Space-saving, high-performance desktop PCs
Server infrastructures with a smaller footprint, reduced cooling needs, and energy efficiency that can improve TCO ..link
AMD's 45nm Push
AMD recently announced that the company is shedding its manufacturing operation, transferring its manufacturing assets to a new company. This will allow AMD to focus on design and engineering.
By late 2008, the company will have begun shipping its first set of 45nm quad-core CPUs based on the Phenom architecture. Code-named Shanghai, the new CPU will offer 6MB of L3 cache (up from 2MB) and HyperTransport 3 support. However, Shanghai will still have an embedded DDR2 memory controller, meaning that it will trail Intel in overall memory bandwidth.
Beyond this year, the company is prepping a 6-core CPU dubbed Istanbul, which is slated for a late 2009 launch. It's unlikely that there will be substantial changes to the architecture. The next new architecture for AMD is Magny Cours, which will have up to 12 cores and finally incorporate a DDR3 memory controller. A 6-core version, code-named Sao Paulo, will arrive on the scene about the same time, in early 2010.
Intel, on the other hand, likes to brag about its "tick-tock" development cycle. The phrase refers to the way Intel designs and transitions new architectures. When Intel develops a manufacturing process—such as its current 45nm technology—it brings an existing architecture to the new process. So Penryn, Intel's first 45nm CPU, was an evolutionary improvement over the original Core 2. That's the "tick." The "tock" is when Intel designs and builds a new CPU architecture on the current manufacturing process. Hence all the Nehalem variants will be built using the existing 45nm process.
In 2009, Intel will start to bring up its next-generation 32nm process, enabling it to pack even more transistors onto the same die size or shrink the CPU considerably. The 32nm process should also reduce power consumption and, in theory, enable higher clock speeds. The first processor built on 32nm will be Westmere and will be based on Nehalem.
Westmere may incorporate up to six cores on a single die. Intel has also announced that six new instructions designed to accelerate AES encryption/decryption algorithms will be part of the instruction set.
The true next generation for Intel isn't likely to hit the street until later in 2009 and will also be built on 32nm. That CPU is code-named Sandy Bridge. There's not a lot known about Sandy Bridge yet, but Intel is planning on integrating Advanced Vector Extensions, a new set of extensions to SSE that may considerably enhance the CPU's floating-point performance
AMD's 45nm Push
AMD recently announced that the company is shedding its manufacturing operation, transferring its manufacturing assets to a new company. This will allow AMD to focus on design and engineering.
By late 2008, the company will have begun shipping its first set of 45nm quad-core CPUs based on the Phenom architecture. Code-named Shanghai, the new CPU will offer 6MB of L3 cache (up from 2MB) and HyperTransport 3 support. However, Shanghai will still have an embedded DDR2 memory controller, meaning that it will trail Intel in overall memory bandwidth.
Beyond this year, the company is prepping a 6-core CPU dubbed Istanbul, which is slated for a late 2009 launch. It's unlikely that there will be substantial changes to the architecture. The next new architecture for AMD is Magny Cours, which will have up to 12 cores and finally incorporate a DDR3 memory controller. A 6-core version, code-named Sao Paulo, will arrive on the scene about the same time, in early 2010.
Intel, on the other hand, likes to brag about its "tick-tock" development cycle. The phrase refers to the way Intel designs and transitions new architectures. When Intel develops a manufacturing process—such as its current 45nm technology—it brings an existing architecture to the new process. So Penryn, Intel's first 45nm CPU, was an evolutionary improvement over the original Core 2. That's the "tick." The "tock" is when Intel designs and builds a new CPU architecture on the current manufacturing process. Hence all the Nehalem variants will be built using the existing 45nm process.
In 2009, Intel will start to bring up its next-generation 32nm process, enabling it to pack even more transistors onto the same die size or shrink the CPU considerably. The 32nm process should also reduce power consumption and, in theory, enable higher clock speeds. The first processor built on 32nm will be Westmere and will be based on Nehalem.
Westmere may incorporate up to six cores on a single die. Intel has also announced that six new instructions designed to accelerate AES encryption/decryption algorithms will be part of the instruction set.
The true next generation for Intel isn't likely to hit the street until later in 2009 and will also be built on 32nm. That CPU is code-named Sandy Bridge. There's not a lot known about Sandy Bridge yet, but Intel is planning on integrating Advanced Vector Extensions, a new set of extensions to SSE that may considerably enhance the CPU's floating-point performance
New AMD Quad-Cores Start Shipping Early
Among these the Phenom II X4 920 runs at 2.8GHz and is being retailed for between $271 and $317 USD while the Phenom II X4 940 which runs at 3GHz is being sold for anything between $304 and $373 USD, depending on the online store. They run on DDR2 platforms and will be moved to DDR3 platforms based on the AM3 sockets, later this year.
This move comes as a big surprise, because AMD has not yet introduced these processors. Their launch is earmarked for CES 09, which will be held in January '09.
AMD Phenom™ X3 Triple-Core Processors
FOR BUSINESS
AMD Phenom™ X3 Triple-Core Processors
True multi-core performance for the way businesses multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications employees will need in the near future. Stable commercial AMD Phenom™X3 8000 Series processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. Plus, unique features for energy efficiency.
Learn More
FOR HOME
AMD Phenom™ X3 Triple-Core Processors
Do more than dual-core. AMD Phenom™ X3 8000 Series processors offer outstanding performance on a balanced suite of applications, as compared to AMD Athlon™X2 dual-core processors. Get added performance for multitasking, HD entertainment, content creation, and gaming applications.
AMD at a Glance
CEO: Dirk Meyer
Revenue: $6.013 billion in 2007
NYSE ticker symbol: AMD
Year Company Started: 1969
Number of Employees: approximately 16,500
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California
Number of Office Locations: 80
Intel® Z-U130 USB Solid-State Drive
Standard USB interface in 1 GB, 2 GB, and 4 GB capacities
Designed for entry desktop and mobile platforms, servers, routers, printers, and other embedded applications
Excellent solution for operating system storage, application storage, rapid boot to BIOS extensions, or payload loader
Intel® X58 Express Chipset
The Intel X58 Express Chipset supports the latest 45nm Intel Core i7 processor family at 6.4 GT/s and 4.8 GT/s speeds via the Intel® QuickPath Interconnect (Intel® QPI). Additionally, this chipset delivers dual x16 or quad x8 PCI Express* 2.0 graphics card support, and support for Intel® High Performance Solid State Drives on ICH10 and ICH10R consumer SKUs.
Intel® Turbo Memory with User Pinning
Intel® PRO/100 M Desktop Adapter
Lower support costs through advanced management capabilities.Simplified installation and maintenance with Intel® SingleDriver™ technology.Improved network response time through industry-leading performance.
Intel® Carrier Grade Server TIGH2U
Intel® Desktop Board DG31GL
This board is built with affordability and flexibility in mind, and supports Intel® Core™2 Quad processors, Intel® Core™2 Duo processors, Intel® Pentium® processors and Intel® Celeron® processors with 1333/1066/800 MHz system bus in the LGA775 package. Other features include dual-channel DDR2 800/667 MHz SDRAM, Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 (Intel® GMA 3100), integrated 10/100 Network Connection, Intel® High Definition Audio (4 channel audio) and up to eight USB 2.0 ports.
Intel® G965 Express Chipset
Intel® Atom™ Processor for Mobile Internet Devices.
Processors
Intel® desktop processors deliver superb computing power, performance, and reliability at home and at work. Our notebook processors let you work and play in places you never thought possible. Our server and workstation processors provide enhanced scalability, power, and performance for robust multi-processing environments. And our embedded and communications processors combine outstanding performance with scalable, power-efficient processing for a wide range of embedded applications.
Desktop processors
Intel® Core™ processor family
Intel® Pentium® processor family
Intel® Celeron® processor family
Server and workstation processors
Intel® Server processors
Intel® Workstation processors
Internet device processors
Intel® Atom™ processor
Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology
Notebook processors
Intel® Core™ processor family
Intel® Pentium® processor family
Intel® Celeron® processor family
Embedded and communications processors
Intel® Architecture processors
Intel® Network processors
Intel® I/O processors
Resources, technologies, and solutions
Compare features and specifications side-by-side
Compare motherboards and barebones
View performance benchmarks
Intel® Core™2 Quad mobile processor.
Introducing Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for notebook PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology.
Intel® Core™2 Quad mobile processor.
Introducing Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for notebook PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology.
Intel® Atom™ Processor.
Intel Atom processor-based netbooks and nettops offer both an easy-to-use mobile device with simple interfaces and targeted performance for a good online experience. They are rugged and compact in design, and offer the freedom and flexibility of wireless connectivity¹.
Great for Internet, these devices are an affordable option for education, photo and video viewing, social networking, voice over IP, e-mail, messaging, browsing, and numerous other Internet activities and basic applications.
Intel® Pentium® processor E5200.
Intel® Celeron® processor.
Intel® Core™ i7 processor.
Intel® Core™2 Quad processor.
Intel® Core™2 Quad processor.
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor.
Intel® Xeon® processor 7400 series.
Extending today's lead in virtualization performance with built-in hardware assisted features and breakthrough gains in performance and energy efficiency²
Built for data-demanding enterprise applications with up to 6 cores and a large shared 16MB L3 cache per processor, enabling more transactions per server
More headroom, improved reliability, and the highest scalability available for large scale server consolidation and business-critical virtualization.
Intel® Core™2 Quad Processors.
Providing all the bandwidth you need for next-generation highly-threaded applications, the latest four-core Intel Core 2 Quad processors are built on 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture enabling faster, cooler, and quieter mobile and desktop PC and workstation experiences.
Plus, with optional Intel® vPro™ technology, you have the ability to remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected desktop and mobile workstations wirelessly and outside of the firewall, even if the PC is off, or the OS is unresponsive.
Intel® Celeron® processor.
Intel® Celeron® processor.
The Intel Celeron processor-based notebook platforms offer a robust computing experience together with the outstanding quality and reliability you expect from Intel.
Intel Dual Core Processors
Many people are confused what exactly the difference between Intel Core 2 Duo Processors and Between Intel Pentium D or Intel Dual Core processors….
I would try to explain from a END user point a view rather not going in to details architecture over view…
The Simple facts are,
All Core 2 Duo Processors are Dual Core Processors..
All Pentium D Processors are Dual Core Processors..
All Intel Dual Core Processors are Dual Core Processors…
Pentium D is nothing but 2 Prescott Processors side by side… runs very hot, not a good OverClocker…
Intel Core 2 Duo processors are next gen processors from Intel on 65 nm platform… developed from Ground up with new Architecture called Core… so they are whole new Processors just Jump like Pentium 2 to Pentium 3 or Pentium 4… Expect one Core 2 Duo Lowest End Processors like E4400/E4300 taking up and beating Intel Pentium D 3.8 GHz ones with ease … runs damn cool and super over clocker…
Intel Dual Core Processors are just launched striped down version of Core 2 Duos.. there are 2 in Market for Desktop range, E2140 runs at 1.6 GHz with 1 MB L2 and 800 MHz FSB and E2160 with 1.8 GHz with same specs of E2140…. these are not Pentium D rather they are same batch like Core 2 Duo based on the new Core Technology…. they perform same like Core 2 Duos but they were launched with a very low price to counter the market of super low cost but high performer AMD X2 range line up to AMD X2 4000….
Labels: Intel Core 2 Duo Processors, Intel Dual Core Processors, Intel Processors
Dual Core Computer Processors: Luxury Or Necessity?
Most of the talk going on in the computer processor industry is revolving around dual core processors. But what advantages do they actually give and is it worth it in terms of price?
All processors have a core. A core contains some memory, often referred to as cache, either L1, L2 or L3, depending on how close it is to the core, and the core itself, as well as a few other essentials. The core is the "brain" part, it performs all the big calculations that are needed for the various things a computer does.
Computer cores have been increasing in speed, and increasingly quickly. Manufacturers were in a race to have the chip with the fastest speed, measured in GHz. One surprise is that despite these increases in clock speed, the actual speed of programs didn't increase proportionately.
As modern programs make much heavier use of other computer parts like memory, and there are often many running at the same time, another approach was needed.
Dual core processors were the answer.
By putting two "brain" parts into the processor, you can run two programs on two cores, without having to share it between them. The effect of this is that when running two or more programs, the processor can now handle much more as a whole.
The part about them that might disappoint is gaming.
Unlike the multitasking environment that is usual for a computer either at home or at the office, games rely on the brute force of a powerful processor to help them along. So far there is no technology to take advantage of the two processors, like the ability to split its tasks over two cores. Most gaming has not improved with this new technology.
As with processors in the past the mainstream of dual core processors is dominated by the two big guys, Intel and AMD.
Intel offers two processors in its range, same processor, just different speeds. The lower priced of the Pentium D processors comes in at around $250. This price is reasonable considering how much you would pay for the top of the line single core processor.
The Pentium D is based on the same core as it's single core counterparts, just two of them inside. Its boost in performance is quite notable, and makes it presence felt in the multitasking environment.
The AMD Athlon X2 is AMD's offering in the dual core market. Unlike the Pentium D its lowest priced model comes in at a staggering $400. It's not expensive compared to processors like its FX series, which are over $1000, but in comparison to Intel it's expensive.
It too is based on the same core as its single core cousins and also offers the same performance increases.
The price of the AMD is surprising. From a company that became renowned for it's low cost, high performance processors this is quite a blow. Even the upper model of the Pentium Ds comes in at less that AMD's cheapest model.
The price might be justified if the AMD actually gave a significant performance boost, but it doesn't.
For the first time in a long time, I think I would be willing to switch back to an Intel processor. Although my preference is not for dual core, if I had or needed to switch I would certainly go straight for the Pentium D.
And finally, how do they compare to their now out of date traditional processors?
Considering how powerful processors have become I would still not make the switch. Dual core has not been around long enough to produce low cost, slightly out of date models. The power of the AMD Athlon 64 3000+ more than does it for my computing needs, and that's where I would stay for now.
So for those who are looking for the next cool thing for their desktop computer and price is not a huge issue, this would be your best choice, but go for the lower end Pentium D.
