Advanced Micro Devices recently unveiled its first dual-core processors targeting gamers and performance enthusiasts. The new chips competes against the recently released Intel Pentium Extreme Edition model 955 central processing unit and they both set the bar for the highest-performing computing platforms.

AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 operates at 2.60GHz, contains 2MB (1MB per core) cache, sports built-in dual-channel PC3200 memory controller and is drop-in compatible with the 939-pin infrastructure. The part features x86-64 capability along with essential SSE2 and SSE3 instruction sets, however, it does not sport virtualization technology, unlike the rival from Intel, but does support Cool’n’Quiet power-saving feature, something that the competitor lacks.

“AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 is the best consumer processor AMD have ever produced. With effectively a pair of FX-55s sat in the same socket, sharing an efficient memory controller, it's close enough to FX-57 in single-threaded apps that the multi-threaded advantage makes that slender gap moot. Targetted at the well-heeled enthusiast, the new dual-core processor should be a shoo-in for those with FX-57s already, and those with the required readies to drop on the latest and greatest. Gaming wise, yes, currently the FX-60 is a minor step down from an FX-57, both at their default clocks. But the step is a small one, and the benefits of the extra core in system that's being used by other applications while you game are what the FX-60, and all performance dual-core processors, are about. The FX-60 is a gamer's chip, make no mistake,?concludes Hesux.net.

“Unfortunately, since the FX-60 is still built on the same 90nm Toledo core as the previous X2 processors, overclocking headroom is not that great. With a retail AMD heatsink/fan, the best that we could do is 2.8GHz at 1.40V. With more exotic cooling, you could probably manage better, but stepping up the voltage all the way up to 1.50V wouldn't yield a 3GHz overclock on air,?writes AnandTech.

“By launching their new dual-core Athlon 64 FX-60 processor, AMD responded worthily to Intel's Pentium Extreme Edition 955. There were quite a few cases when the new Intel CPU could probably shaken AMD's leadership, however, the just launched AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 doesn't leave the competitor even a single chance in almost all of them. Among the indisputable advantages of the newcomer from AMD targeted for the high-end pricing segment of the market I should list lower power consumption and heat dissipation than that of the competitor's solutions,?said Ilya Gavrichenkov, an analyst at in his article “AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 CPU Review?

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