AMD's roadmap suggests that the Sunnyvale, California-based semiconductor company is some way from matching Intel in the performance stakes, but it continues to be a thorn in its rival's side with the launch of new budget-friendly parts.
Arriving today are five new AMD CPUs that promise to "give mainstream consumers advanced performance capabilities from their desktop PCs at increasingly attractive price points".
The picks of the bunch are arguably the latest addition to AMD's dual-core Phenom X2 line and a new quad-core Athlon II X4. AMD's dual-core Phenom - the 3.2GHz Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition - becomes the company's fastest dual-core desktop offering and carries a TDP of 80W and a thousand-unit price tag of just $99, suggesting decent refinements to GlobalFoundries' 45nm fabrication process.
Similarly, the company's 2.9GHz Athlon II X4 635 becomes the fastest product in the quad-core Athlon II line and carries a price-tag of $119 - that's slightly less than the launch price of last year's budget introduction, the Athlon II X4 630. AMD's complete line of new introductions is detailed as follows:
| CPU Name | TDP | Frequency | 1ku Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Athlon II X2 255 | 65W | 3.1GHz | $74 |
| AMD Athlon II X3 440 | 95W | 3.0GHz | $84 |
| AMD Athlon II X4 635 | 95W | 2.9GHz | $119 |
| AMD Phenom II X2 555 | 80W | 3.2GHz | $99 |
| AMD Phenom II X4 910e | 65W | 2.6GHz | $169 |
There's nothing to give Intel's Clarkdale a run for its money, we reckon, but AMD's parts are comfortably cheaper and, as always, AMD is quick to mention that combining any of the above with an AMD 7-series chipset and Radeon HD 5000-series graphics makes for an "optimal user experience".
Certainly a useful range of new CPUs, but in the grand scheme of things, not a whole lot changes. AMD continues to offer decent bang-for-buck, but the big bangs continue to come AMD's neighbours in Santa Clara.
