Conclusion and final rating
AMD's decision to introduce new dual-core processors based on its quad-core Phenom architecture is a move that was predicted some time ago and, really, the inception is long-overdue.The Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition and 7550 represent the vanguard of a new breed of dual-core AMD CPUs that will proliferate through speed-grades in 2009, so how does the range-topping model stack up?
Adding in some welcome architectural venom through enhancements such as L3 cache, SSE optimisations, better memory management, and tighter execution efficiency, but losing sheer clockspeed to an equivalently-priced Athlon X2 6000+ - 2.7GHz vs. 3.1GHz - we see that performance is kind of analogous, with the X2 7750 winning a few more benchmarks than it loses.
Take a look at the competition coming from an Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 - which is a slimmed-down Core 2 Duo (45nm, Wolfdale) with a 2.5GHz clock-speed, 2MB of L2 cache, and 800MHz FSB - priced at an AMD-matching £65, we observe that the potent Core architecture is able to (just) beat out a higher-clocked X2 7750 BE in most processor-intensive benchmarks.
It's clear that the new Athlons' K10 architecture, based on Phenom quad-core, is better than the K8 Athlons that have held the fort for many years, but the comparative lack of clock-speed (at a given price, say £65) means that the value proposition isn't that different from AMD - for the same cash you can buy 'x' amount of performance; it's just the architecture that has changed.
What we'd like to see is AMD release energy-efficient 7-series X2s, based on a thermal envelope of <65W. Either that or, as may well happen, 45nm models that scale closer to 4GHz with minor voltage bumps.
Buying a processor, however, should be more than just about sheer performance, as the overall platform needs to be taken into account. A well-featured Intel P45 (or G45) motherboard and E5200 is substantially more expensive than, say, an X2 7750 on top of a £55 780G - to the tune of £30 or more, thereby negating most of the performance benefits that the E5200 enjoys over AMD's latest CPU.
Put simply, pure processor performance from the AMD Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition falls a touch little short of the price-comparable competition, but such is the aggressive pricing on feature-packed AMD 780G motherboards, that the overall value proposition remains solid - you'll always need a motherboard, after all.
Bottom line: harvesting the Phenom architecture for dual-core ends, AMD's not made many price-related performance gains, but it now has a dual-core architecture that should scale well through 2009, especially as a move to 45nm production is a given.
HEXUS Rating
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We consider any product score above '50%' as a safe buy. The higher the score, the higher the recommendation from HEXUS to buy. Simple, straightforward buying advice.
AMD Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition
HEXUS Where2Buy
The AMD Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition should be available for
around
£65. The review will be updated with relevant links.
