Introduction
Four is now the magic number. Forget dual-core and twin graphics cards in SLI or CrossFire mode - they're so last month. Now you must double up again or quit, because you need four cores and four GPUs to be a self-respecting hardware lover. At the beginning of November, Intel went four-eyed with its Core 2 Extreme QX6700 launch, so you can get Quad SLI systems with four CPU cores to match. Now AMD has at last given us a taster of its Quad FX platform, formerly known as 4x4, referring to the quartet of CPUs and graphics chips supposedly inside its Core 2 Extreme QX6700 competitor.
We've already explained the technology behind Quad FX. Today, in a European exclusive review, we bring you what you've all been waiting for - concrete performance data. We've run our regular suite of benchmarks, plus some multi-tasking scenarios on AMD's Quad FX, Intel's Core 2 Extreme QX6700, and their dual-core siblings. The results are somewhat surprising. So read on to find out if AMD has retaken the high-end high ground - or if its Quad FX is sadly 'four'-shortened.
