Gaming enthusiasts waiting to run their high-tech games on more and more powerful processors finally have something to cheer about. The AMD Phenom II X6 processors with six cores are finally in the market. And what is so impressive about these processors is not just the fact they have very efficiently managed to fit in six processor cores but that they have also developed a new frequency enhancing technology called the AMD Turbo CORE. This new technology is now available on all the new six-core processors called the ‘Thuban’ processors.
Thuban has created great excitement because as any gaming enthusiast will tell you, it had become almost impossible to achieve good multi-threading performance at any reasonable price. Now, for all those working on a budget and yet yearning for a great gaming experience, the Phenom II X6 processors can provide wonderful performance while the prices remain mainstream. Though there are other AMD models round the corner, the Phenom II X6 1055T and X6 1090T models are the two, top-of-the-line models in this affordable six-core processor series.
AMD Phenom X6 Thuban CPU Die Shot
Let us quickly take a look at some of the specifics of each model –
· The Phenom II X6 1055T has six 45nm cores that run at 2.80Ghz core clock and using the Turbo CORE technology can increase this to 3.3Ghz across three cores. There is also 9MB of total cache along with a dual-channel DDR3-1333 memory interface. The power consumption is limited to 125W and is priced at a reasonable R2, 300.
· On the other hand, the Phenom II X6 1090T CPU is probably AMD’s fastest and most powerful desktop processor ever. This too has six 45nm cores of processing power that run at 3.2GHz while under full load. The Turbo CORE technology ensures that if the CPU ever finds itself running with 3 or more cores idle, it can use the technology to boost the speed of the working three cores to 3.6 GHz, thereby improving performance when the workload does not involve too many heavily-threaded applications. This model, similar to the Phenom II X6 1055T, has 9MB total cache and a dual-channel DDR3-1333 memory interface along with a 125W TDP. However, this model is a little more expensive at R3, 000.
The market for these chips is clearly the computer enthusiast who is looking for a little more power and the gaming enthusiast who is looking for more multi-threading power than what the present processors can provide. Of course, one had to bear in mind that in order to make full use of the multi-threading abilities of these chips, one has to have software that can support multi-threads. However, these kinds of applications are becoming more common and will soon not be a concern. On the other hand, for those enthusiasts who would like to seriously pursue multi-threading applications but are working on a limited budget, the Thuban chips offer the perfect solution. Users do not have to upgrade their entire system to revolutionize performance and moreover these chips are perfectly compatible with the various AM2+ or the AM3 motherboard, once the BIOS has been updated.
For a long time now, AMD has not delivered any eye-popping chips that would challenge the hold that Nehalem-based chips like the Core i7 series had on the upper mainstream market or high-end games market. Experts believe that the Phenom II X6 1055T and X6 1090T models might just prove to be a turning point not just for AMD fans but for other users as well since it is bound to turn many price-conscious customers towards AMD.
Performance wise too, AMD is believed to have excelled with these processors. When benchmark tests were run and multi-threading applications run, the Phenom II X6 processors were found to be far superior performers leaving behind not just the Phenom II X4 processor but the highly competitive Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Even in the area of single, double or triple-threaded applications, the Turbo CORE technology of the AMD Phenom II X6 processors were found to offer stiff competition to the long-standing leaders, the Intel chips.
Of course, with an increase in power and performance, there is generally a concern of there being greater power consumption. This is another pleasing aspect of the Phenom II X6 processors - these chips have more or less the same power consumption as the higher-end Phenom II X4 processors. In other words, AMD has managed to achieve multi-threading performance across the six cores without increasing the power consumption to any great extent and moreover without having to use any new manufacturing process. It has also been observed that the new chips stay incredibly cool even while running at full loads and multi-threading applications – this is in complete contrast to the Intel Core i7 processors that become hot exceptionally quickly while running at the maximum load. Extreme overclockers can thus overclock without having to worry about the amount of heat being generated or having to invest in different cooling solutions.
It will not be surprising to find a very large number of power users immediately picking up the Phenom II X6 processors. For R2, 300 to R3, 000, a gamer or a computer enthusiast can easily buy a new Phenom II X6 1055T or X6 1090T that will give a speed of 4.0GHz. So far, one had only been dreaming of achieving these kinds of speeds at these kinds of prices. The only aspect that users need to bear in mind is that the applications that one will be running on these six-core processors have to be able to take full advantage of the processor’s capabilities. There is no doubt that these processors will certainly appeal to all those who are serious about trying out their new multi-threading applications and games but are not on an unlimited budget.
We understands the enthusiasm of users to try these new processors and have a custom designed PC built for them with the Phenom II X6 processors. Have a look our dedicated section for AMD Phenom X6 Gaming PC's, if you didn't find what you looking for please request a custom quote today and we will help you build a machine capable of using the full power of these six core processors.
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