New AMD Processors: December 2010
Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Phenom II X6 1100T BE | Phenom II X6 1090T BE | Phenom II X6 1075T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codename: | Thuban | Thuban | Thuban |
| Process: | 45 nm | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| CPU Cores: | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Clock Speed (Max Turbo): | 3.3 GHz (3.7 GHz) | 3.2 GHz (3.6 GHz) | 3.0 GHz (3.5 GHz) |
| Socket: | AM2+/AM3 | AM2+/AM3 | AM2+/AM3 |
| L1 Cache: | 6 x 128 KB | 6 x 128 KB | 6 x 128 KB |
| L2 Cache: | 6 x 512 KB | 6 x 512 KB | 6 x 512 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 6 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| HyperTransport: | 4000 MT/s | 4000 MT/s | 4000 MT/s |
| Thermal Envelope: | 125 W | 125 W | 125 W |
The Phenom II X6 1100T is AMD’s new flagship model, displacing the Phenom II X6 1090T’s top spot. With a base 3.3 GHz clock and a maximum Turbo CORE speed of 3.7 GHz, this new CPU basically increments the X6 lineup by 100 MHz compared to its predecessor. The real news here is that the Phenom II X6 1100T is priced at $265, $30 cheaper than the 1090T's launch MSRP.
Even more impressive is that the Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition can be had for $230 on Newegg right now, and the Phenom II X6 1075T is available for a flat $200. This aggressive pricing drives the cost of six-core computing down quickly, and folks looking for a new workstation PC should be giving the Phenom II X6 line some serious consideration if you're comfortable with desktop-class components.
Phenom II X2 565 Black Edition
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Phenom II X2 565 | Phenom II X2 560 | Phenom II X2 555 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codename: | Callisto | Callisto | Callisto |
| Process: | 45 nm | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| CPU Cores: | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 3.4 GHz | 3.3 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Socket: | AM2+/AM3 | AM2+/AM3 | AM2+/AM3 |
| L1 Cache: | 2 x 128 KB | 2 x 128 KB | 2 x 128 KB |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 512 KB | 2 x 512 KB | 2 x 512 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 6 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| HyperTransport: | 4000 MT/s | 4000 MT/s | 4000 MT/s |
| Thermal Envelope: | 80 W | 80 W | 80 W |
As with the Phenom II X6 1100T, AMD's Phenom II X2 565 gets a 100 MHz speed boost, up to 3.4 GHz. The $115 MSRP buys 6 MB of L3 cache and the Black Edition’s unlocked multiplier for simpler overclocking endeavors.
As with all of the Phenom II X2 line there's a chance (not a guarantee) that some dormant CPU cores can be enabled, morphing this budget CPU into a triple-core Phenom II X3 or quad-core Phenom II X4.
Athlon II X3 455
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Athlon II X3 455 | Athlon II X3 450 | Athlon II X3 445 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codename: | Rana | Rana | Rana |
| Process: | 45 nm | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| CPU Cores: | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Clock Speed: | 3.3 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 3.1 GHz |
| Socket: | AM2+/AM3 | AM2+/AM3 | AM2+/AM3 |
| L1 Cache: | 3 x 128 KB | 3 x 128 KB | 3 x 128 KB |
| L2 Cache: | 3 x 512 KB | 3 x 512 KB | 3 x 512 KB |
| HyperTransport: | 4000 MT/s | 4000 MT/s | 4000 MT/s |
| Thermal Envelope: | 95 W | 95 W | 95 W |
Guess how much faster the new Athlon II X3 455 is compared to the older 450 model? If you guessed 100 MHz, give yourself a cookie. While the speed bump is hard to get excited about, an $87 triple-core CPU at 3.3 GHz is far from a boring proposition. Once again, AMD has cemented its lock on the sub-$100 processor market.
