|
|
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Review
[Abstract]
AMD's Incremental Update With a volley of its new Clarkdale Core i3/i5 processors, Intel has fired the first shots of 2010. It just so happens that with its cheapest Core i3 desktop processors ...
[Content] PCDigitalMobileGame
Conclusion
This processor update from AMD is a minor one that's unlikely to impact its bottom line or Intel's for that matter. In fact, it seems that yet again, AMD is dodging the chip giant's all-conquering Nehalem based processors with cheaper ones that expand its budget offerings even further. Whatever your feelings are about having a different processor choice for every other ten-dollar increment, these new processors represent very decent value, particularly for those who are shopping for a cheap quad-core.
For the Phenom II X2 555 BE, the fastest dual-core processor in AMD's lineup, its proposition is straight-forward. Those looking for a decent budget productivity and gaming rig will find the high clock speed a boon while two cores coupled with a competent graphics card should be sufficient for most games. Its value becomes more debatable once we enter the multi-core territory like video transcoding or 3D rendering.
At US$99, the Phenom II X2 555 BE has the same price as AMD's Athlon II X4 630; it becomes a matter of how you're using your computer. Power consumption should also favor the dual-core slightly over the quad-core, though with its 45nm manufacturing process, AMD is far from reaching Intel levels of power efficiency. For the enthusiast, the Phenom II X2 555 BE is an even better deal, as it is easily overclocked to almost 4GHz air-cooled, while the satisfaction from potentially unlocking all four cores is definitely there.
Moving forward, despite the attractive performance to price ratio of AMD's processors below US$100, there's no doubt that the company needs to do more than tread water with such incremental models. We await the six-core processors later this year and most of all, a promise called Fusion.
|
|
|
