Slashdot Mirror
AMD's Phenom II 965, 3.4GHz, 140 Watts, $245
Vigile writes "While AMD does not have the muscle to push around the i7, they certainly have the ability to give the older and more common Core 2 Quads a run for their money. With the release of the Phenom II X4 965, AMD further attempts to dethrone the Core 2 Quad as the premier midrange CPU offering. While it may not be a world-beater by any stretch of the imagination, it certainly is catching Intel's attention in the breadbasket of the CPU market. The X4 965 is the fastest clocked processor that AMD has ever produced, much less shipped in mass quantities. While the speed bump is appreciated, the cost in terms of power and heat will make the introduction of the X4 965 problematic for some. Many of us thought that we would never see another 140 watt processor (as the Phenom 9950 was), but unfortunately those days are back. Still, AMD offers a compelling part at a reasonable price, and their motherboard support for this new 140 watt processor is robust."
I'm running a Q9550 at 3.4 Ghz right now (with the ability to go much higher) and mine only uses 95 watts.
AMD has a long ways to go to get back in the game. I can't imagine craptacular ideas like purchasing ATI are helping.
.. can now double as still for my homemade vodka
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
read: if you didnt shit in a marble toilet this morning and start the day trying to figure out which of your sedans to drive to the office, you may find this chips introduction "problematic" from a pricing standpoint.
Good people go to bed earlier.
if it's a server class part, i think they'd do better emulating sun's T2 part. 8 multi-thread cores, a single FPU unit shared by all cores and some logic to improve encryption and networking. this with x86 support would give Xeon a run for it's money.
now, as a desktop part, i think it's idiotic as hell. a low power chip with a decent software stack to offload certain proccessing tasks - like video and audio encoding - to the GPU (wich they also make) would do much better in terms of performance per watt.
but then, none of those options would serve as silicon penile extension, right ? no bragging rights like "dude, i just got a quad-core, 3.4 megahurtz chip! duuude !"
What ? Me, worry ?
How is a $245, quad-core chip considered mid-range?
okay, 2 things about this: If their brand new, top of the line processor is only shooting to take out the midrange market because it's still worse than the best intel ones, that's not a real good sign. Also, you might not be overly concerned about power comsumption but in a small apartment or bedroom or home office, that room is going to get really hot really fast. Combine it with my 8800GTS and you've got a nice little space heater, which is great in the winter but not so much in the summer.
Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
I have my sights set on the intel Q6600 (2.6(?)ghz quad core2)... as soon as the price dips below $175. It's been the same price since Dec 2007, but it overclocks to 3.4ghz on the stock cooler and dissipates only 95w, meaning it plugs into pretty much any C2Duo motherboard. For now though, my 2.4ghz core 2 duo is fast/powerful enough to do anything, including run folding@home while running TF2 + 20 windows of firefox with 5-10 tabs each.
moox. for a new generation.
AMD and Intel are just running on its fumes. Silicon (Si) is inherently limited by its inorganic composition which means it produces lots of heat especially when it is on the Web. All the smart engineers at the secret R&D labs are working on organic computing: solving the paradox of user interface versus wattage by harnessing the power of bacteria to create a new paradigm of information that is multi-dimensional. Instead of "processes" and "treads" and "HTML" we will have gases and sugars dancing to the rhythm of our wildest imaginations. And one more thing... you will not need your eyes any more since the two-dimensional "screen" and "paper" metaphor will be replaced by a revolutionary direct access to pure consciousness. Buy my book.
UNITE with the Campaign for a Free Internet because today, our future begins with tomorrow!
Anyone know when we should expect the first CPUs from either Intel or AMD that have more than 6 cores?
When it comes down to processor comparisons, I see very little compelling about this new AMD proc. The i7 920 is going to outperform it at most things, uses less power and is only 35 bucks more. Eventually for those of us always-on users, even the 10 watt savings of the i7 is going to kill the slight price advantage.
The only thing I see interesting here is the fact that you have more commodity boards to choose from, could do a slower upgrade (re-use your ddr2!) but this isn't any different than the currently line of quad proc amd chips, many of which can be had for cheaper and use less power.
Come on, AMD, you can do better.
I don't see how this is news... It's the same technology on the other Phenom IIs, except with an overclocked multiplier and price.
That is why we have our computers in the cold basement, heat down there is good year round.
Finally, the BTX form factor will be reborn. So long have we been complacent with the temporary trend of cooler running chips there is finally the need for the BTX form factor to extend beyond the Dell desktop.
Kriston
When I put my last machine together in September '08 I went with a 65 watt X2 5200+ (Brisbane). Cool and quiet won out over hot and noisy. Or perhaps you could say slow and boring won out over fast and exciting. Hmmm, maybe there are deeper personal issues at root in this decision...where did my comfortable shoes go?
Yes, but the chip doesn't compete with the i7 at all. It competes with the Core2Quad Q9650, which has plenty of cheep boards out there.
I don't need ANOTHER heater:
I already have:
my Quad Q6600 + 22" monitor
my C2D MacBook + 24" monitor (Dell UltraSharp furnace)
my AM2 X2 + 2x 19" monitors
my P4 3.06 533Mhz FSB (forget which series the chip is from) + 19" monitor
Now if I could only efficiently recirculate air from my 150 sqft office to the rest of the house, I wouldn't need a furnace...
Sleep: A completely inadequate substitution for Caffeine.
Article shows that performance is roughly equivalent beween the Q9550 and Phenom 965, with the AMD part enjoying a slight advantage if you look at all the benchmarks together. This while costing $30 more and consuming more power.
Would be interesting to see a comparison of the i7 920 with the Phenom. I'm guessing the 920 would outperform, which is what you'd expect since you're paying $30 more.
I recently completed a home-build with this very CPU. Sure, the chip was the single most expensive piece, but with NewEgg combo deals and shipping discounts, I got the entire machine for about $600, including a smashing new case, plenty of RAM and disk space, extra USB ports and two disc burners. That's mid-range in my book.
I'm sure some of you hardware nerds will smack me down for one reason or another, but as a starting point I just installed the AMD factory CPU cooler it came with. I don't know what wattage it's pulling, but the CPU temperature is holding very steady at about 38 Celcius, and the fans don't even seem to be working very hard for that. It's working great, and at those temperatures, it should do fine for years to come.
My $0.02 on the very rare occasion of having first-hand experience with the actual hardware in the story.
You shall see a cow on the roof of a cotton house.
Now if I could only efficiently recirculate air from my 150 sqft office to the rest of the house, I wouldn't need a furnace...
If you have a furnace (or forced air system) see if you can turn on the fan only. The return(s) in the room should pull the heat out of the office to the other rooms. That is if you have a return in the office, a good system has a return (even a small one) in every room. My house built in the mid 1950's has small returns in every room.
What are you doing here?
love is just extroverted narcissism
...than I I paid for my i7 920, which is currently running at 3.5GHz without a hiccup.
Now the *motherboard* was considerably spendier ;-)
we see things not as as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin
I wouldn't need a furnace...
How would better air circulation eliminate the need for your P4 system?
I'm trying to pick components now for at least 3 new boxes, and here's my take: All the processors are bloody fucking fast. They're all way faster than what I need. What really matters to me are drivers for low-powered IGP chipsets.
Intel X4500HD vs AMD/ATI G780. Who will get their damn xvmc drivers working first? That is all that matters, and yet it determines what motherboards I'll end up using, therefore CPUs too.
It'll be a damn shame if I cheese out and go with Nvidia. If I have to buy from them just to get things to work, I'm gonna look long and hard to buy some CPUs from just about anyone other than you two assholes. AMD and Intel, it's inexcusable for you to point me at Nvidia. If I have to go that way, I'm gonna harbor a hateful grudge for a long time.
Finish your drivers!
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
You are Greg Bear and I claim my budget Omphalos in Green Idaho and artificial Tourette's Syndrome.
I know I'll be called a fanboy or something but I've been building AMD/ATI systems for the last ten years based solely on the fact that it isn't Intel/nVidia. I'm not going to pay $1000 for the top-of-the-line Intel chip anyway and I'd rather see AMD in business than Intel be the only big player.
-SaNo
I've been a Linux user for several years and prior to that I was a Windows junkie. Back then, when I upgraded my hardware I never had to do a reinstall of the OS ( XP ) or applications. I don't know if that's what you intended but if not here's a tip :
Say your system files/data are stored on a single hard drive, ( this also applies to the multiple hard drives ) then, before you do anything with regards to a hardware upgrade, such as changing the mainboard, go into the device manager and replace all your system specific devices with the generic Microsoft equivalents. Now, after you've built the new system install your system drive and you should be able to boot up in a generic VESA display mode in which you can allow Windows to autodetect the new hardware and/or in which you can manually install the new system specific drivers.
Always worked for me.
Cheers,
jdb2
I just finished my build using AMD for a media server for my house. I know it's not the fastest, but I'm using an OC'd Phenom 9750, MSI MB ATI Radeon 4850, with 4 16x pci-e slots, 4GB of G-Skill PC8500 RAM, 1TB WD Black Edition HD, Antec P180 case, 700watt TT PSU, etc for about $550!! I'd like to see a comparable Intel system put up similar builds for that price. I agree this isn't their best chip for the money but they will always have my support. Without them Intel would not be what they are today.
Depends... OpenCL is comming. I don't see Intel getting massive computations done in the timeframe a GPU can do it. The only one having the best OpenCL performance and at the same time the lowest price and power comsumption per TeraFLOP is AMD with both decent CPU's and GPU's. AMD is also the only one to have the/a full flatform for it. Intel and nVidia can forget it.
Here be signatures
"Many of us thought that we would never see another 140 watt processor (as the Phenom 9950 was), but unfortunately those days are back."
Guess what? In about 15 years, due to the law of diminishing returns we'll be stuck with 200 watt processors for any intensive task like gaming.
What's the latest and greatest processor on a video card draw? Almost 160 watts for my 9800GTX+.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
from the story "AMD further attempts to dethrone the Core 2 Quad as the premier midrange CPU offering. While it may not be a world-beater by any stretch of the imagination, it certainly is catching Intel's attention in the breadbasket of the CPU market. "
?premier midrange cpu offering - talk about buzzwords strung together
and how is this consistent with breadbasket ?
For multiple VMs memory is the main need and DDR3 memory is still a premium (not as high as it was but still slightly above) over DD2 memory so an AMD2+ motherboard and an Phenom II 940X would do a lovely job :)
--- Users are like bacteria -> Each one causing a thousand tiny crises until the host finally gives up and dies.
Tom's Hardware's review points out that the real competitor to this chip is the Core i5 750 which is coming out next month and from Tom's simulations using a downgraded Core i920 it looks like the AMD chip is already beaten.. meaning that AMD is going to have to cut the price on this thing quickly. Basically: If you want one of these things, wait a month until the i5's become available and then buy them for $200 where AMD will be forced to price them. Or, if you are building a whole new system, I'd get an i5 since it combines most of the performance of the i7 with a lower cost structure and future-upgradeability which AMD cannot offer right now. The Phenom II's had a decent if short run as competitors to the Core 2. Unfortunately for AMD the Core 2 is heading for bargain basement territory by the end of the year, and AMD (which desparately needs a new microarchitecture) has nothing to offer but overclocks of an already hot chip until at least last 2010 if not 2011.
AntiFA: An abbreviation for Anti First Amendment.
If you are doing VMs and games, I'd wait a month for the i5 systems from Intel to hit the market. These are the more-affordable mainstream versions of the i7 that are still faster than the AMD boxes while being lower-priced that even a i920, plus the motherboards will be simpler and less expensive than the X58 boards for current i7's. With 4 cores and good power characteristics, you should be fine. The problem with the newest AMD's, aside from power consumption, is that AMD has nothing new planned until at least the end of 2010 aside from maybe . It is very unclear whether or not Bulldozer is going to work on an AM3 platform, while there is a very clear upgrade path for the 1156 sockets through at least 2011.
AntiFA: An abbreviation for Anti First Amendment.
Easy. I don't think the following game plan has changed much in the last ten years. . .
When building a tower PC, simply buy whatever fell off the cutting edge six months ago. It'll be a bargain compared to today's new hotness, (which fits your budget), and if it's been long enough for you to no longer know the game, then whatever you end up getting will make your last computer feel like a broken down turtle.
-FL
And so is Larrabee. The next year should be interesting in the hobby number crunching game.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
I hate to say it, but as someone who just bought a Phenom II x3 710 and someone who has exclusively bought AMD processors (for non-laptop use) for personal use since the K6, AMD may have just lost a customer for future purchases.
AMD: you need to stop focusing on the 'performance' side of things: people who look at performance tend to look at benchmarks and relative value. You need to put heavy focus on making your dies smaller and power envelope lower, while trying to regain memory support and bus superiority again. That was what I looked for when I bought, and those are the things that the common consumer look for (albeit usually in terms of "power use", "cost", and "snappy response").
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers