AMD Announces First Triple-core Athlon Processors

**MIG-31** · Oct 20, 2009, 07:24 AM

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday announced a new range of desktop microprocessors, including its first Athlon triple-core processors.

AMD launched four Athlon II X3 triple-core processors as part of a new lineup that slips in between the dual-core Athlon II X2 and quad-core Athlon II X4 processors. The processors run at speeds between 2.2GHz and 2.9GHz and draw up to 95 watts of power.
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Source: PCWorld

IvanV · Oct 20, 2009, 10:24 AM

I wonder if they'll make a 2½ core processor.

It's okay not to waste a quad core die with three good cores, but I'd say that their line-up, consisting of all the possible combinations of 2 to 4 cores, 0 to 6MB of L3 and 2.2 to 3.4GHz frequencies, is a bit confusing.

simonw · Oct 20, 2009, 11:55 AM

I think not as confusing as Intel's cpus

The way I see it is that X2/3/4 denotes dual/tri/quad core.

Athlon II is the budget brand, and Phenom II is their mainstream brand.

IvanV · Oct 20, 2009, 03:40 PM

I know that that's the idea, but the two groups overlap a great deal in matters of performance, actually too much for my taste. For example, an Athlon II x4 beats a Phenom II x2 and is comparable to a Phenom II x3, and on some occasions even to the 800 series Phenom II x4s. Where will the new models sit? Will they be faster than Phenom 2 x2s? Probably sometimes, but not always. The point I'm trying to make is that no AMD's CPU, except the high-end 900 series Phenom II x4s and low-end Athlon II x2s, have a clear position even inside AMD's own current line-up.

As for Intel, I agree to an extent, they are currently selling CPUs for three different sockets, so in a way they are even worse (plus they recycled some of their model names, for example E6300 used to be a 1.86GHz 2MB cache 65nm Conroe based Core 2 Duo and then it became a 2.8GHz 2MB cache 45nm Wolfdale based Pentium Dual-Core; I really hope that they'll refrain from doing that in the future), I just restricted the original comment to the things mentioned in the news.

Oct 20, 2009, 07:24 AM	#1
MIG-31 HardwareHeaven News Mod Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham,UK Posts: 44,497 Rep Power: 244 System Specs	AMD Announces First Triple-core Athlon Processors Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday announced a new range of desktop microprocessors, including its first Athlon triple-core processors. AMD launched four Athlon II X3 triple-core processors as part of a new lineup that slips in between the dual-core Athlon II X2 and quad-core Athlon II X4 processors. The processors run at speeds between 2.2GHz and 2.9GHz and draw up to 95 watts of power. _____________ Source: PCWorld __________________ Please Post Your News Submissions Here How you can help HardwareHeaven by using Digg! HH Hardware Diggs / GH Gaming Diggs Last edited by MIG-31; Oct 20, 2009 at 07:33 AM.

Oct 20, 2009, 10:24 AM	#2
IvanV HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3,529 Rep Power: 102 System Specs	Re: AMD Announces First Triple-core Athlon Processors I wonder if they'll make a 2½ core processor. It's okay not to waste a quad core die with three good cores, but I'd say that their line-up, consisting of all the possible combinations of 2 to 4 cores, 0 to 6MB of L3 and 2.2 to 3.4GHz frequencies, is a bit confusing. __________________ Feed the porkers and don't touch the buttons!

Oct 20, 2009, 11:55 AM	#3
simonw HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 128 Rep Power: 13 System Specs	Re: AMD Announces First Triple-core Athlon Processors I think not as confusing as Intel's cpus The way I see it is that X2/3/4 denotes dual/tri/quad core. Athlon II is the budget brand, and Phenom II is their mainstream brand.

Oct 20, 2009, 03:40 PM	#4
IvanV HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3,529 Rep Power: 102 System Specs	Re: AMD Announces First Triple-core Athlon Processors I know that that's the idea, but the two groups overlap a great deal in matters of performance, actually too much for my taste. For example, an Athlon II x4 beats a Phenom II x2 and is comparable to a Phenom II x3, and on some occasions even to the 800 series Phenom II x4s. Where will the new models sit? Will they be faster than Phenom 2 x2s? Probably sometimes, but not always. The point I'm trying to make is that no AMD's CPU, except the high-end 900 series Phenom II x4s and low-end Athlon II x2s, have a clear position even inside AMD's own current line-up. As for Intel, I agree to an extent, they are currently selling CPUs for three different sockets, so in a way they are even worse (plus they recycled some of their model names, for example E6300 used to be a 1.86GHz 2MB cache 65nm Conroe based Core 2 Duo and then it became a 2.8GHz 2MB cache 45nm Wolfdale based Pentium Dual-Core; I really hope that they'll refrain from doing that in the future), I just restricted the original comment to the things mentioned in the news. __________________ Feed the porkers and don't touch the buttons! Last edited by IvanV; Oct 20, 2009 at 03:48 PM.